Portugal's eastern Algarve is like the calm and interesting older sibling to the more popular and bustling western Algarve. On your eight-seater minibus tour, you won't find the wild nightlife of Albufeira. Instead, your small group will check out village communities, historic architecture, and the region's oldest city. You'll visit Faro, Olhao, Cacela Velha and Tavira, as well as travel through rolling countryside in the Ria Formosa National Park. Joana, a local guide, says “some of the places we visit date back to as early as the 4th century BC. Between the local markets, castles and cathedrals you get a real sense of life through the ages here”.
It all kicks off in Faro, the regional capital, where you'll have free time to explore the old town and its star attraction, the cathedral. Joana adds “the mix of modern and Medieval in Faro makes it a favourite of mine – I never get tired of its cobbled streets and friendly locals”. Next up is Olhao, a village on the banks of the Ria Formosa. You'll visit its famous fish market and then have some free time for shopping and lunch – surely it has to be fresh seafood, right?
In the afternoon, you'll head to Tavira, home to a whopping 36 churches, and a castle, where you can go for a stroll along its ramparts. Venturing further up the coast, past hillsides bursting with olive groves, we reach Cacela Velha for our final visit. This coastal hamlet with just a handful of whitewashed houses boasts a simple yet elegant church, and an old fort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
