In the mid-12th century, the Moorish occupation ended: the "Al-Gharb" has been since then the kingdom of Algarve. Over the past 50 years the Algarve has seen an increase in development, particularly from non-Portuguese developers. Praia da Marinha, Lagoa was classified as one of the 100 most beautiful and well preserved beaches of the world. The Conii, influenced by Tartessos, were established by the sixth century BC in the region of the Algarve. Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon, which means "the settlement of the Knights".
Being a region of Portugal, and therefore in the European Union, any EU citizen have the right to freely buy property and reside with little formality in the Algarve. The Romans in the 2nd century BC spread through the Iberian Peninsula, and many Roman ruins can still be seen in the region, notably in Lagos. Tourism plays an important role in the economy of the Algarve region. The Algarve region is divided into 16 municipalities:
In addition to the natural beauties and plenty of beaches, the Algarve has invested in the creation of a network of golf courses.
British expatriates, followed by German, Dutch and Scandinavians, are among the largest groups wishing to own a home in this Portugal's sunny region. The region's administrative centre is the city of Faro, which has its own international airport (Faro Airport) and public university (University of the Algarve). The Algarve became the first part of Portugal to liberate itself from Spanish occupation, in the rebellion of Olh�o in 1808. The Carthaginians founded Portus Hanibalis which is known today as Portim�o in circa 550 BC. When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716 it was called Zawaia.
The Algarve is hilly, but traversed with rich valleys. The maximum temperatures in the Algarve fluctuate between 15 and 38 �C, with the temperature never falling below zero in the winter months. The Algarve is the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 170 square kilometres and a stopping place for hundreds of different birds. The coastline is notable for picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat. The Algarve was a semi-autonomous area with a governor from 1595 to 1808, as well as a separate taxation system until the end of the 18th century.
The al-gharb, "the West" is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal, incorporating, amongst others, the cities of Faro, Albufeira, Lagos, Olh�o, Tavira, Portim�o and Silves. The length of the south-facing coastline is approximately 155 kilometres. Traditional agricultural products of the region include fig, almond, medronho, carob beans, and cork oak. The coastline is notable for picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat. It is composed of 5,412 square kilometres with approximately 410,000 permanent inhabitants (density of 76 inhabitants per square kilometre).
Diskwizz is the owner of more than 12 sites websites that cover the Algarve and its regions within the Algarve.
On moving to the Algarve in 2006 I decided to settle in an area called Praia Da Rocha. This is just outside the large town of Portimao and inbetween Portimao and Alvor.
