About Algarve
The Algarve forms the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal, a 4,997-square-kilometre stretch of Atlantic coast spanning 16 municipalities from the Spanish border to Cabo de São Vicente. Honey-coloured limestone cliffs drop into sheltered coves between Lagos and Albufeira, while the eastern Sotavento opens onto long, flat sandbar beaches behind the Ria Formosa lagoon. Atlantic sea temperatures peak between 21 and 23 °C70 and 73 °F from July through September, milder than the Mediterranean but reliably swimmable through early autumn.