What to see in Vilamoura ?

Vilamoura is not a city in the traditional sense: it's a planned seaside resort built in the 1960s around a marina that remains its true gravitational centre. Along the port, between pleasure boats and lively terraces, the town reveals its avowed nature as an upmarket leisure destination, making no attempt to mimic authentic Portugal with its narrow lanes and azulejo tiles. Two kilometres away, the Roman site of Cerro da Vila recalls that Romans occupied this coast long before golf courses and hotel complexes.

The best period runs between May and June, before summer crowds saturate beaches like Praia de Vilamoura. Count two to three days, especially if you're coming for beach or golf-beyond that, cultural offerings dry up quickly. You move easily by car from Faro, some thirty kilometres away. Avoid restaurants directly on the marina: prices there are inflated and quality rarely matches the bill.