Olhao

Olhão is just a 20 minutes, 10km drive away from Faro Airport and is the Algarve's main fishing port and sea food centre. It has an attractive promenade that extends along the harbour and past the vegetable and fish market.

Around 50 years ago, Olhao, was lost to the world, it lived only from the sea. Those who were not mariners, were the sons of mariners and the grandsons of mariners. Some were smugglers whilst some fished off the coast and others fished on the high seas. There was plenty of fresh fish and life was good. Olhao is a town that the sea seems to have spirited over from somewhere in North Africa.

Some have called Olhao the cubist town, in reference to the white square houses, each topped with a terrace for drying fish or figs, with hardly a tiled roof in site. In the summer, the kitchen moves out into the street where the sardines, fresh from the fishing nets, cook on charcoal grills.

The Fish Market is the best and biggest in the Algarve. There are a good selection of restaurants serving a variety of dishes to suit all tastes. Many feature fresh grilled fish and shell fish, with specialities such as "Cataplana" - a delicious mix of tomatoes, onions, fish, clams and sausage all cooked together in a lidded copper pan. It is definitely the place to be if you enjoy fresh sea food.

Pronounced 'ol-ee-ow', Olhão is a busy working town with a gem of a waterfront. Its fishing port is the most important in the eastern Algarve and its fish market is the biggest. It also has many shops, restaurants and an entire summer festival devoted to sea food.Ameijoas - the king of clams - is both grown and eaten in abundance and is a 'must-try' entreé, as are conquilas. Olhão is very Portuguese, very Algarvian and very un-touristic.

The pedestrian shopping area winds in cobbled streets through the moorish-looking old town to the waterfront with its markets (fruit, veg, meat, deli as well as fish), its cafe's, parks and sparkling views out over the Ria Formosa lagoons. From the pier, you can take boats to the island villages and beaches of Armona, Culatra and Farol - all great day trips. The official visitor centre for the Ria Formosa nature reserve is just outside Olhão. Its worth a visit to see: the restored tidal mill (of which there were once many in the Ria Formosa), the bird life, and the chance to spot the very rare symbol of the park, the Purple Galinule.

For the Sea Food festival in August, half of the water front gardens are closed off and turned into a massive gastronomic and entertainment delight. The sea food is plentiful and excellent, the entertainment is top class and the organisation great. Its a hugely popular event and deservedly so. Don´t miss it if you are here at the time.