Nicholas Marr asked:


Property buyers who love Portugal should take a good hard look at one region slightly off the tourist beaten track this area is the Alentejo region.

A recent visit to this region with its historic towns, miles and miles of olive tree clad hills impressed me so much I wondered why more overseas buyers had not sought a home in the area.

Portugal’s Algarve region has been the country’s major summer hotspot for years, and it continues to attract visitors from near and far. New developments and infrastructure improvements are drawing more interest from tourists and investors as the region looks to continue as the most popular destination in the country for the future.

Alentejo occupies the south central part of the country and stretches from the Tagus River in the north to just above the Algarve in the south. It borders Spain on the east, the Lisbon metro area in the west and has a stretch of mostly pristine beaches along the southwest of the region. There are only a couple of cities of any major size: Ever is the region’s capital in the north central part of the region, Beja in the middle and Sines along the coast.

The climate of this region is the warmest in the country. It is nearly as far south as the Algarve, but doesn’t have much of the moderating coastal weather. The small stretch along the coast is one of the most pristine areas of the country, thought there are a couple of resorts there. Towards the northeast the gently rolling countryside turns into granite hills and valleys as you approach the Spanish border, which is a bit cooler than the rest of the region.

The regions economy is based mostly on farming and agriculture. Sines, which is technically in the Setubal region, is at the border of the Costa Verde and Alentejo. It is a largely industrial town, with oil refineries and a busy port. Tourism is minimal in this part of the country, but the ancient ruins do bring visitors. There are plenty of Roman era structures, castles and ancient megaliths throughout the region. Ever, the capital of Alentejo, has a population of 55,000 and is the largest city in the region. It is considered one of the most liveable cities in the country, with a major university, historical sites and a laid back lifestyle. It is 130 kilometers to the east of Lisbon and has a small airport, as well as train and bus service to the capital.

One resort of note in the Alentejo region is The Gizo Estate situated in Cuba a stunning countryside resort with designer style villas sitting on the hills of Cuba in Alentejo. The Gizo Estate has a riding centre where the owners and “horse lovers” can make use of the riding school or just go for a ride within the 114 ha of the estate

There are country homes, seaside resorts and villas of all sizes for those who want to live in this part of Portugal. There is also plenty of property, ranging from small building lots to ruins that can be built upon or large tracts. Whatever you want, this part of the country has something to offer.

Travel to this area of Portugal can be quick and easy, or it can take a little more time. It just depends where you are going. For the northern parts of the region, Lisbon is the closest airport, but in the southern area the airport at Faro is closer. From Lisbon, the A6 auto route goes east to Ever and over to the Spanish border. The A2 heads out of Lisbon south, paralleling the coast and down to the Algarve.

All in all Alentejo region feels like the real Portugal and just ripe for investment

Nicholas Marr asked:


Overseas buyers considering Portugal as the place to buy a dream home in the sun, will have thought of the Algarve in Portugal. The most recognised area in Portugal it is known mostly for its popular beaches, golf courses and nightlife.

Central Algarve is without doubt the most heavily visited of all the parts of this region. It is sandwiched between the two largest cities in the region, Faro on the eastern edge and Portimao on the western edge, and has kilometers of beaches and lots of activities to keep visitors and residents alike busy.

The climate is gorgeous in the Central Algarve for just about the whole year. Summer is hot, spring and autumn are moderate and the area is great for doing outdoor activities for at any time of the year. The winter is cool and wet, but even that time of the year is a nice change from much of northern Europe.

The Central Algarve stretches from just west of Faro to just east of Portimao, near Lagoa. The area is about 50 kilometers wide, so everything is within an easy drive no matter where you are, and the rest of the Algarve is easy to reach as well. This section of the Algarve is known for its resorts, and the towns of Albufeira, Sesmarias, Valamoura and Quarteira are a few of the more popular seaside resorts. This area also has plenty of golf destinations. Loule and Lagoa are popular towns with plenty of places to stay.

Albufeira is the major resort and tourist destination in the whole Algarve. The year round population of 35,000 increases exponentially in the summer. There are a number of golf courses and resorts around the town and the resort of Vilamoura, just to the east of Albufeira, is known as the golf capital of the Algarve. Albufeira makes a superb central Algarve base for family golf and recreation holidays. The diverse choice of golf courses near Albufeira coincides with a number of great family holiday attractions, particularly beaches. Quinta do Lago near Quarteira, just to the east of Vilamoura, is recognized as one of Europe’s best golf holiday resorts. There are four luxurious 18 hole golf courses are in the area, and two of these are listed in Europe’s top 25 golf courses.

For nightlife, Albufeira is the best place to have some fun. The Strip near the Montechoro section of town is very popular, particularly with younger crowds. There are lots of great bars and clubs along this stretch. Vilamoura also has a casino and some popular nightclubs as well.

Loule is one of the larger urban areas in the whole Algarve and is a good place to find housing. Whether to buy, rent or just a quick visit, this town has lots to offer for reasonable prices on up to luxury accommodations. There are also some new golf resorts around the town that have become popular. Lagoa, on the western end of Central Algarve, is a historic old town with lots to see and plenty of places to buy or rent.

Property in the Central Algarve, as in most of the entire region, is focused along the coastal areas. There are any number of new developments and resorts, and you can find a wide variety of housing and property for sale. Golf is most popular in this part of the Algarve, so if you want to find a golf resort or development this is a great place to look. Property around Lagoa in the western end of this area is quite popular, and you can find some of the nicest and most exclusive places around this town.Be sure to compare like for like when buying property in Portugal.

Albufeira is a popular seaside town with lots of local properties and several resorts as well. Several other seaside areas include Quarteira, Sesmarieas and Carvoeiro. Inland just a bit are the towns of Loule and Almancil, both of which are near Faro and very convenient to get to from the airport. Prices for housing in this region can be reasonable for smaller apartments, and can reach in the millions of euros for large villas with great views.

To get to the Central Algarve, the fastest and least expensive route is to fly into Faro Airport (FAO). This airport is located 7 kilometers west of the city of Faro in the southeast part of the Algarve, right on the border with the Central Algarve. It is one of the most popular airports for discount carriers, offering quick and reasonably priced service to most major European and UK cities.

Just a few of the airlines that fly to Faro include Aer Lingus, British Airways, Atlantic Airways, easyJet, Flybe, Jet2.com, Ryanair and Thomsonfly. It is possible to fly from almost any major airport in the UK direct to Faro. There are many more flights during the warmer parts of the year, but this airport is becoming popular for business travelers so it has a good number of flights that operate year round.