DESTINATIONS EUROPE | ALGARVE
ENTRY PROTOCOLS
E For mainland Portugal, all travellers over the age of two must show proof of a negative PCR test, taken within 72 hours before travel, on boarding (NHS tests aren’t accepted). They’ll also need to order a PCR test to take on day two after their return, and proof of this booking reference is required when boarding the return flight.
E In addition, all travellers over 11 need to take a lateral flow, antigen or PCR test before returning to the UK. Some airlines, such as Ryanair, need this to be taken by a medical professional, so check with the airline.
E Some hotels offer antigen tests and the tourist board lists testing sites on its website. Lateral flow tests are also offered at Faro airport (administered by a professional) with results in around 30 minutes for €30. Travellers can’t check in until they have proof of the negative result, so it’s recommended they arrive four hours before departure.
E Clients also need to fill in a Passenger Locator Form before flying to Portugal and before returning to the UK.
E Masks need to be worn inside and outdoors in busy areas where social distancing is not possible.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Tertúlia Algarvia taverna; bell atop Faro Cathedral; writer Laura French walking the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail PICTURES: Market Iniciative/Carlos Duarte; Laura French
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pink and yellow house one-off craft shops (it’s a hub for creatives, I’m told by a painter) and sleepy boutiques. It’s an idyllic scene and, bar the face masks, it doesn’t
feel far removed from pre-Covid normality – albeit with a lot more locals than tourists. That’s a feeling I get used to over the following days, as I explore the highlights in and around Faro and Albufeira, discovering a more ‘authentic’ side to the region best-known for its beaches, golf courses and big-name resorts.
FARO
My exploration begins in Faro. While the capital of the Algarve is generally seen as the entry point to the region rather than a destination in its own right, I quickly discover it’s more than just a gateway. Wandering its walled Old Town reveals shiny cobbled lanes and dainty archways, colourful buildings and tree-lined plazas. Intricate Arabian patterns hark back to the city’s 500 years of Moorish occupation, while half-crumbling houses recall an 18th-century earthquake that damaged many of its buildings. At its heart is the cathedral, an imposing feat of
Olhao fish market 34 3 JUNE 2021
Gothic, Renaissance and baroque influences first built in the 13th century and restored several times since. Here, gold-strewn interiors, ornate statues and blue-and-white tiles are topped by a huge bell tower that visitors can ascend for panoramic city views.
We stop for lunch at local taverna Tertulia Algarvia to sample the region’s specialities – including cataplana, a tomatoey concoction of razor clams, king prawns and monkfish – before wandering over to the ‘new town’, a network of manicured cobbled lanes lined with high-end boutiques and outdoor cafes, where locals sip Sagres lager and wine. But it’s not just about the culture here. Boat trips take
visitors around the nearby Ria Formosa Natural Park – a cluster of islands, lagoons, marshes and reefs that stretches nearly 40 miles along the coastline. We hop over to Faro Island (the only one accessible by car) to see exotic birds soaring above the sea – this is a migratory route from Europe to Africa – and flop on a beach that we have almost entirely to ourselves. I get the feeling this is because the beach is something of a locals’ secret, popular with Faro’s city dwellers who cycle its boardwalks and sail between its isles, and is set largely off the main tourist trail.
COASTAL HIKES
I get a similar sense when we venture over to the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, a 50-minute drive west of Faro (or half-an-hour from Albufeira), for a hike along the coast. Considered one of the country’s most picturesque walks, this dramatic trek from Praia da Marinha takes you meandering along reddish sandstone cliffs to see
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PICTURE: Shutterstock/John Dory
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