Along Portugal's southernmost shores, the picture-postcard region known as the Algarve captivates travellers with its dramatic red sandstone cliffs marching toward an imperial blue Atlantic Ocean. Renowned for its gorgeous beaches, warm waters, and exceptional golfing, the Algarve's year-round sunshine makes it an ideal holiday retreat.

With a rich history dating back thousands of years to the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, it was the arrival of the Arabic Moors in the eighth century that would have the most significant and lasting influence on the Algarve --- the traces of which are seen today in the whitewashed architecture, narrow streets and flower gardens typical throughout the region.