About Almadena

Vews of Alamadena and the surrounding area.
Most of this information comes from Rough Guide

Portugal is an astonishingly beautiful country. Life is of an easy pace and the people are couteous and frendly. The Portgese talk of their Nation as being a land of ‘brandos costumes’ (gentle ways). It is a land of contrast with rivers, forests and lush valleys of the north and the contorted southern coastline of beaches, cliffs and coves.
The Western Algarve stretches fo 100km from east of Faro to Sagres. The coast west of Lagos is the place to escape the crowds altogether. Development has been restricted by ‘Parque Natural’ which embraces most of the coastline. As a result, many of the fishing villages such as Burgau and Salema retain a fair amount of charm. Beyound these villages the road cuts high above the sea across a cliff edged plateau and down to Sagres. The coast north of Sagres is the least developed swathe of the Algarve and the sea is often pretty wild, a surfers paridise. There are many villages in this area with very few tourist facilities but lots of magnificent local beaches.
Almadena is ideally situated for exploring this area. The closest beach and fishing village is Burgau with several fine restaurants, one of which is right on the beach. If you venture to the west coast, the astonishingly beautiful beach of Borderia is no more than 30 – 40 minutes drive across virtually uninhabited countryside.
The nearst town to the village of Almadena is Lagos, a fishing port and market centre with a sense of independence and life of its own. The old town is surrounded by a city wall and an old fort guards the entrance to the harbour. It has a large marina, lots of restaurants and cafes and a huge beach (Meia Praia) where there is always plenty of space. To the west is an extraordinary network of coves and grottos. Opposite the river, near the main square is a wonderful, newly refurbished, fish and vegetable market, well worth a visit in the morning. The town can be explored comfortably on foot and while many of the restaurants offer excellent food )and wine) at very teasonable prices, if you explore a little further you will find an abundance of even cheaper Portugese restaurants.