Travel Guide: 3 Amusing Facts About Algarve!

Written on : 27 October 2020
By : Emma Di Gesaro

Algarve, this region of southern Portugal where life is so good, temperatures that are close to ideal all year round, fresh seafood, monuments overflowing with history ... If you haven't been there yet, you can now plan a stay in Algarve.

In addition to owning a large choice of villas, Villanovo has drawn up a portrait of this sublime part of Portugal. Discover the region in all its details with 3 facts about Algarve!

>>> Pick From a Range of Accommodation to Enjoy Your Holidays With Us

1. Algarve under the military dictator Taraq Ibn Ziyad

The name "Algarve" comes from the name "al-Gharb al-Ândalus" which means Western Andalusia and was given to the current Algarve during the Muslim occupation that lasted 5 and a half centuries. It was in the Middle Ages, in 711, that Moors from North Africa, under the command of Taraq Ibn Ziyad, a Berber military strategist in the Umayyad army, began to flock to the south of the Iberian Peninsula. This period has somewhat disinterested historians who have turned more to the Muslim influence in Spain. However, the Algarve also has historical fragments of the Muslim conquest in the region. For example, the city of Mertola was a Berber capital, where the people settled after the conquest of 711.

>>> Important Facts to Know About Algarve and a BONUS!

2. The cradle of wine

The first vines in Algarve were planted in 2000 BC. These vines grow all along the coast from Lagos in the west to Tavira in the east and produce a fascinating variety of red and white grapes. The most cultivated grape is Tartesian red, an ancient civilization based in Tartessos, now Andalusia. They were the first to plant vines in the Algarve, around 2000 BC. Later, the Phoenicians introduced new grape varieties and wine production techniques. Thanks to its exceptional south-facing location, sunny climate and sandy clay soil, Algarve has an excellent terroir for growing vines, something to enjoy once you get there!

>>> Discover Lagos

3. The shock of 1755

On November 1, 1755, at 9:40 am, an earthquake followed by a tsunami and fires that reduced the city of Lisbon to ashes.

This earthquake claimed the lives of tens of thousands of inhabitants, but since it could not be recorded by seismographs, scientists had to calculate its magnitude and epicenter in an imprecise way. This terrible earthquake would have been of magnitude 8.5 - 9 (9 being the maximum on the Richter scale). The epicenter was calculated in the vicinity of Cape St. Vincent, which is today one of the most visited tourist sites in the Algarve. In spite of this sad historical parenthesis that marked the Algarve in the 18th century, the region is today adored by travellers and towns such as Albufeira or Faro, which were also affected, have been able to rebuild themselves and now attract tourists from all over the world who come to discover the jewels of Algarve.

>>> Discover Algarve in Winters

Discover Villanovo's selection of luxury villas for Algarve

Villa Rikana

1 071 € - 2 035 € per night

Algarve - Albufeira

Villa Alvora

674 € - 847 € per night

8 (10 max.)

Algarve - Alvor

Villanovo