The Algarve divides naturally into five regions. The package-holiday strip between Albufeira and Vilamoura is the most famous and the easiest to skip. The rest of the coastline — from the wild western cliffs to the eastern lagoons — rewards exploration. Here are the five areas that define the Algarve, and what each one does best.

1. Sagres and the Costa Vicentina

The western tip. The fortress of Sagres — Henry the Navigator’s school of navigation — stands on the cliff edge. The wind is constant. The Atlantic hammers the rocks below. The lighthouse at Cabo de São Vicente, the southwesternmost point of mainland Europe, is 6 km away. The Costa Vicentina north of Sagres is a protected natural park, the cliffs and empty beaches the Algarve at its wildest.

2. Lagos

The most complete town on the Algarve. The walled old town, the marina, the Ponta da Piedade — the headland of sea stacks and grottoes, accessible by boat or clifftop boardwalk. The beaches — Praia Dona Ana, Praia do Camilo — are small coves of golden sand framed by ochre cliffs. Lagos is touristy and beautiful and has enough to do for a week.

3. The Central Coast: Albufeira to Vilamoura

The resort strip. Praia da Falésia stretches for 6 km east of Albufeira, backed by red sandstone cliffs. The marina at Vilamoura is the largest in Portugal, 1,000 berths, the restaurants and bars and the superyachts. The golf courses — 42 across the Algarve, the highest density in Europe — cluster here. The central coast is busy and expensive and the beaches are excellent.

4. Faro and the Ria Formosa

The capital of the Algarve and the gateway to the Ria Formosa Natural Park — 60 km of barrier islands, lagoons, and salt marshes. The ferry from Faro to Ilha Deserta deposits you on 11 km of empty beach with a single restaurant. Ilha da Culatra is a fishing village on a barrier island, no cars, the seafood grilled at waterfront shacks. The birdlife — flamingos, storks, spoonbills — is spectacular in winter.

5. Tavira and the Eastern Algarve

Tavira is the prettiest town on the Algarve. The Roman bridge, the 37 churches, the castle ruins with a view of the Gilão River. The Ilha de Tavira — the barrier island — is reached by ferry from the town centre. The beach is 11 km of sand, the water shallow and warmer than the western Algarve. The eastern Algarve is quieter, less developed, and the border with Spain is 20 km away at Vila Real de Santo António.

Which Algarve did you discover — the wild west, the resort strip, or the quiet east?

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