Algarve

The Algarve is Portugal's sun deck — a 200-kilometer-long coast at the southernmost tip of Europe, where dramatic sandstone cliffs meet turquoise waters, hidden coves are only accessible by boat, and over 300 days of sunshine a year are the norm. But the Algarve is much more than a beach paradise: Behind the coast stretches a hinterland of cork oak forests, white mountain villages, and a culinary tradition that ranks among the best in Portugal. From the wild west coast near Sagres, where Europe ends and the Atlantic rages, to the quiet lagoons of the Ria Formosa near Faro — the Algarve offers something for every type of traveler.