Algarve named Europe’s Leading Beach Destination at tourism ‘Oscars’
Portugal has emerged as one of the winners of the European edition of the World Travel Awards. The country has brought home 26 ‘tourism Oscars’, including the prizes for Leading Destination (Portugal) and Leading Beach Destination (Algarve). It is the fourth year in a row that Portugal has been elected Europe’s top destination. “It is with great pride that we receive this award in this atypical year,” said Secretary of State for...
Lagoa to celebrate Wine Tourism Day with tuk-tuk tour
Lagoa Wine Experiences is the name of a new initiative that aims to shine the spotlight on locally produced wines. Launched in celebration of Wine Tourism Day, the initiative will start with a tour of three wine estates on Saturday, November 7. The tour will begin at 10.30am at the wine cellars of the Adega Cooperativa do Algarve, one of the oldest in Portugal, followed by a tuk-tuk ride to the historic Quinta da Palmeirinha estate...
Lagoa artist’s giant painting of Lewis Hamilton goes viral
– October 29, 2020 Formula 1 icon Lewis Hamilton was “totally blown away” by a giant painting in his honour that was painted onto a private football pitch in Mexilhoeira Grande, Portimão, by Algarve street artist HUARIU. The British racing legend, who last weekend celebrated his record 92nd F1 career win at the Algarve International Racetrack, shared a video of the massive work of art on his Instagram page, which, at the time of...
Lagoa to host first Wine Cities Competition in November
It’s official – Lagoa has been selected to host Portugal’s first Wine Cities Competition, which will take place between November 26 and 29 at the town’s São José Convent. Around 600 Portuguese wines are to be judged, all of which will automatically enter the European wine competition ‘Città del Vino’ to be held in Italy between May 20 and 23 next year. “The Wine Cities Competition is the only such initiative in the world that...
Local project wins silver medal at architecture awards
Ferragudo studio Marlene Uldschmidt Architects was awarded the silver medal in the category for Residential – Single-family Houses, at the Prémios Lusófonos de Arquitetura for their project Villa Petra Located in Carvoeiro, Villa Petra is a renovation project set in a low-density area and features several amenities such as pool and a tennis court, along with stunning landscape with palm trees and tropical plants. The Prémios Lusófonos...
Expressions of colour
From October 3 to November 28, the Celas Conventuais do Centro Cultural Convento S. José will welcome an exhibit from artist Ana Sota titled “Expressions of Colour”. Creating vibrant pieces with acrylic on canvas and wood, the artist seeks to blend the bright with the opaque whilst playing with strong colours and monochromatic tones. Looking to create a simple and vibrant universe that awakens different emotions in...
Spy Manor Productions & Production Algarve launch Film Collective
Twenty professionals from the region attended the launch event of Algarve Film Collective at Spy Manor on Friday, August 28. The initiative aims to bring together professionals from the film, fashion and the entertainment industries working in the Algarve region. Early last month, Spy Manor Productions and Production Algarve announced a long-term collaboration to raise the profile of the region as a destination for the global media...
Cuban singer Ibrahim Ferrer Jr brings “A Night in Havana” to Estômbar
The sounds and rhythms of Cuban music will bring the Sítio das Fontes in Estômbar alive on Friday, September 18 at 9.30pm. “A Night in Havana” is the name of an open-air concert by Ibrahim Ferrer Jr, son of Cuban singer of the same name, known for being at the centre of the Buena Vista Social Club ensemble of legendary Cuban singers. The “intimate performance” will see the artist interpret some of the greatest classic Cuban songs,...
Lagoa hosts 7th International Guitar Festival
The festival is returning from September 12 to October 1 The 13 scheduled concerts are set to take place in different locations in the municipality, showcasing the artistic and cultural heritage of the town of Lagoa, as well as offering different thematic proposals. The festival opens at the church of Ferragudo, in honor of the 500 Years of the Place of Ferragudo, with guitarist Francisco Morais Franco and Ensemble Med. The following...
Algarve’s F1 dreams come true
Portimão’s Algarve International Racetrack has been officially confirmed as the venue for the F1 Heineken Grand Prix Portugal between October 23 and 25 – July 30, 2020 The confirmation has been widely celebrated as the kind of good news the region has been desperately waiting to hear. Portimão Mayor Isilda Gomes said at a press conference to officially announce the long-awaited return of Formula 1 racing to Portugal after a 24-year...
Outdoor cultural events start this month in Lagoa
A series of outdoor events entitled “A Cultura Sai à Rua” (Culture Out in the Street) has been launched by Lagoa council and will last until September 5, “following all health authority (DGS) recommendations”. On July 23, there will be jazz music by Mistura Fina at Fontes de Estombar; on July 24, Mónica Pereira and Fad’nu will perform a dance and music show outside Lagoa’s main church; and on July 28, Carlos Guilherme (tenor) will...
Birdwatching festival returns to Sagres in October
The Sagres Birdwatching Festival, described as “Portugal’s largest nature event”, is returning to the Western Algarve between October 2 and 5. It has become an unmissable event for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike, who every year travel to Sagres to participate in the many birdwatching activities, boat trips and hikes. This year, the event will feature online activities for the first time, allowing people from all over the world...
Grand Prix finally confirmed for Algarve
Almost a month since A Bola sports newspaper broke the story that Portimão’s Algarve International Autodrome (AIA) would be hosting the first Formula One races in decades, the news has been ‘confirmed’, says the paper, with the 26th Portuguese Grand Prix set for October 4. An official announcement “will be made very soon”. Say reports, Portugal ‘won through’ after races were cancelled in Montreal, Canada, due to the pandemic. The last...
Music returns to Carvoeiro!
As the world continues to adapt to a ‘new normal’, the Lagoa-Carvoeiro parish union has announced a summer entertainment programme that will see local musicians, bands and DJs performing on “a mobile stage set up on a trailer”. These ‘mobile concerts’, which aim to avoid large gatherings, began on July 11 and will run until August 30, both in Carvoeiro and Lagoa. “The goal is to spread joy among the population, stimulate the local...
Ocean restaurant’s new menu celebrates Portuguese cuisine
Vila Vita Parc’s two-Michelin-star Ocean restaurant reopened on July 1 with a new menu that celebrates “typical Portuguese flavours, ingredients and recipes from all over the country” and highlights the “diverse richness of the Portuguese gastronomy.” Says the resort, the new menu will take diners on a “gastronomic journey through Portugal, discovering a colourful array of regional and national dishes”. It features seven dishes, each...
The Algarve looks good on you
A new campaign to encourage national and international tourists to choose the Algarve as their summer holiday destination has been launched by the regional tourism board (RTA). Entitled ‘O Algarve fica-te bem’ (‘The Algarve looks good on you’), the campaign features influencer couple Raquel and Miguel, known on Instagram as ‘Explorerssaurus’ and who have over 753,000 followers. The reason for choosing the couple? They met and ‘fell in...
#TuPodes campaign offers 100,000 touristic experiences
Already delighting cybernauts with its stunning images and presentation (see video below), Turismo de Portugal’s campaign #TuPodes (aimed at encouraging nationals to take their holidays ‘at home’) is gearing up for its next phase, on June 24, when some of the 100,000 touristic experiences available in this world-class destination are rolled out to help ‘reel visitors in’. PM António Costa kicked off the campaign earlier this week with...
Lagoa to host final leg of Volta ao Algarve
The 46th Volta ao Algarve will kick off from Portimão to Lagos on February 19 The second day will see competitors travel from Sagres to Alto da Fóia, in what is billed as one of the most demanding stages ever — cyclists must first take on Pomba, a 3.9km uphill trail with 7.1% inclination, and reach Fóia through an 8km track with 6.3% inclination. On February 21, there is a 200km journey from Faro to Tavira, while the fourth leg will...
FATACIL turns 40
The nationally acclaimed Fatacil Fair will take place between August 16 and 25 in its purpose-built venue in Lagoa, where people come from all over Portugal to enjoy an evening walking around the market stalls where local brands show and sell their products. There’s a big section dedicated to animals with live farm animals on display and beautiful horse shows every night. And then, there’s the music. Every evening a live band takes to...
Welcome to SandCity
The new sand sculpture theme park opens in Lagoa. SandCity opened its’ door in early June featuring the most extensive and most varied exhibition of sand sculptures ever made in Portugal. Replacing the previously named FIESA (International Festival of Sand Sculptures) in Algoz, SandCity is the new project of the company Prosandart, which over the past 17 years has produced what was considered to be the biggest exhibition of its kind...
