Its highest point is the mountain range of Monchique, with a maximum altitude of 906m (Peak of the F�ia). Many years ago, to reflect the Algarve's unique status, Portuguese monarchs were known as "King of Portugal and The Algarves". Due to the Moorish occupation of Iberia, the region was called "Al-Garb Al-Andalus". The Algarve is hilly, but traversed with rich valleys. In March 2007, the Minister of Economy, Manuel Pinho, announced the creation of the "Allgarve" brand, as a part of a strategical promotion of Algarve as a tourism destination for foreign citizens.
In addition to the natural beauties and plenty of beaches, the Algarve has invested in the creation of a network of golf courses. The Algarve region is divided into 16 municipalities:
With more hours of sunshine than California and only short periods of rainfall, generally between November and March, the Algarve has the perfect weather and climate for tourism. In the 5th century, the Visigoths inhabited the Algarve until the beginning of the Moorish invasion in 711. Praia da Marinha, Lagoa was classified as one of the 100 most beautiful and well preserved beaches of the world.
Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon, which means "the settlement of the Knights". It has since become a common destination for the Germans and the Dutch. In the mid-12th century, the Moorish occupation ended: the "Al-Gharb" has been since then the kingdom of Algarve. The coastline is notable for picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat. Traditional agricultural products of the region include fig, almond, medronho, carob beans, and cork oak.
The Algarve is the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 170 square kilometres and a stopping place for hundreds of different birds. Over the past few years many tourists visiting the Algarve have moved away from the resorts, and have chosen the comfort of a traditional Algarve guesthouse, many of these run by ex-pats from England, Holland, and Germany who have escaped to the Algarve for a quieter life. In 1807, when Junot was leading the first Napoleonic invasion in the north of Portugal, the Algarve was occupied by the Spanish troops of Manuel Godoy. The coastline is notable for picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat. Being a region of Portugal, and therefore in the European Union, any EU citizen have the right to freely buy property and reside with little formality in the Algarve.
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Diskwizz is the owner of more than 12 sites websites that cover the Algarve and its regions within the Algarve.
On moving to the Algarve in 2006 I decided to settle in an area called Praia Da Rocha. This is just outside the large town of Portimao and inbetween Portimao and Alvor.
