Guide to Algarve.

It was not until the 13th century that the Portuguese finally secured the region against subsequent Moorish attempts to recapture the area. 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. 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. 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).

Its highest point is the mountain range of Monchique, with a maximum altitude of 906m (Peak of the F�ia). In March 2007, the Minister of Economy, Manuel Pinho, announced the creation of the "Allgarve" brand, as a part of a strategical promotion of Algarve as a tourism destination for foreign citizens. The Algarve is also host to the annual Algarve Cup invitational tournament for national teams in women's football. The Algarve is hilly, but traversed with rich valleys. The Algarve is a popular destination for tourism, primarily because of its beaches, Mediterranean climate, safety and relatively low costs.

In addition to the natural beauties and plenty of beaches, the Algarve has invested in the creation of a network of golf courses. When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716 it was called Zawaia. The Phoenicians had established trading ports along the coast circa 1000 BC. Tourism plays an important role in the economy of the Algarve region. Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon, which means "the settlement of the Knights".

The Algarve region is divided into 16 municipalities:
The length of the south-facing coastline is approximately 155 kilometres. In the mid-12th century, the Moorish occupation ended: the "Al-Gharb" has been since then the kingdom of Algarve. 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.

Algarve's mild climate attracts interest from Northern Europeans wishing to have a holiday home or residence on the region. The summer months see high temperatures that attract beach-goers and sun-lovers from around the world. It is composed of 5,412 square kilometres with approximately 410,000 permanent inhabitants (density of 76 inhabitants per square kilometre). The coastline is notable for picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat. Over the past 50 years the Algarve has seen an increase in development, particularly from non-Portuguese developers.