The Algarve is the southernmost region of Portugal and it's one of Europe's favourite holiday destinations well known for glorious year round sunshine and excellent sandy beaches.

The key attraction for almost two million tourists, who choose to spend their holidays in the Algarve each year, is it's pleasant climate. Boasting some 300 days of Sunshine, and some of Europe's most beautiful beaches and scenery, the Algarve also offers 19 top - class golf courses, numerous tennis and riding centres, and facilities for almost all types of water sports under the sun.

There are about 100 sandy attractive beaches washed by the Atlantic Ocean and due to the maritime shelf and water currents the sea temperature can be often be surprisingly warm even in some winter months. Located on the tip of Europe with the vast ocean of the Atlantic as its southern and western border, this enviable position gives this region possibly the most unpolluted climate in the European continent.

Faro, international gateway to the region, offers lively cafes, smart shops, cobble stoned streets and grand houses with wrought-iron balconies. The international airport located close by conveniently lies in the middle of the Algarve coastline.

To the east of Faro stretches the Ria Formosa, a nature reserve with a peaceful bird sanctuary. The dunes, the sand banks, the canals and the marshes run along the undefined line of the horizon, guaranteeing the Formosa Estuary in the Algarve its role as one of the most important points in the network of wetlands that links Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. A wintering ground for many migratory birds the Estuary has an enormous variety of natural habitats and biotopes that provide refuge, feeding or breeding areas for an infinite number of live organisms, from zooplankton to fish, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles and eventually mammals, such as the otter, all depending on the preservation of the Estuary for their survival. The flora varies from the sandy zones (armenias, sea thistles, sand cactuses) to the marches where the existence of some species depends on their resistance to submersion by seawater.

A popular travel destination, offering a vast choice of resorts, with bustling nightlife and fine food, with peace and quiet, never far away. Despite large-scale development of resorts, you can still find deserted coves. Head for the hills to discover pine forests and vineyards when the coast gets too hot.

Together with its natural beauty and incomparable climate, The Algarve has something to offer everyone.