Algarve

Monte Gordo 2025: Bandeira Azul / Blue Flag

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Mantendo a tradição das últimas décadas, em 2025, a Praia de Monte Gordo continua a ostentar a Bandeira Azul, um dos galardões mais reconhecidos do mundo, atribuído pela Associação Bandeira Azul da Europa. Para se qualificar para a Bandeira Azul, uma série de critérios rigorosos de ambiente, educação, segurança e acessibilidade devem ser cumpridos e mantidos.

ENGLISH:

Keeping the tradition over the last decades, in 2025, Monte Gordo Beach continues to hold a Blue Flag, one of the world’s most recognized awards for beaches, attributed by the Blue Flag Association of Europe. In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.

Links:

Bandeira Azul / Blue Flag

Monte Gordo 2024: Bandeira Azul e Qualidade de Ouro – Blue Flag and Gold Quality Beach

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Com tem vindo sendo tradição há várias décadas, em 2024, a praia de Monte Gordo continua a ter Bandeira Azul (atribuída pela Associação Bandeira Azul da Europa) e a designação de “Qualidade de Ouro” atribuída pela Quercus (Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza).

ENGLISH:

Keeping the tradition over the last few decades, in 2024, Monte Gordo Beach continues to hold a Blue Flag (awarded by the Blue Flag Association of Europe) and the designation of “Gold Quality” awarded by Quercus (Portuguese Association for the Conservation of Nature).

Links:

Bandeira Azul / Blue Flag

Quercus Qualidade de Ouro / Gold Quality

Guadiana, a river that unites us

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The video below shows several places and activities present along the counties of Vila Real de Santo Antonio (VRSA; where Monte Gordo is located), Castro Marim, all the way up to Alcoutim, along with the Guadiana River. Here are also additional links of interest for this region:

Territory and History: https://www.baixoguadiana.com/en/territorio/

Trails to explore: https://www.baixoguadiana.com/en/percursos/

Culture, Sports & Leisure: https://www.baixoguadiana.com/en/cultura-desporto-lazer/

Local food: https://www.baixoguadiana.com/en/sabores-descanso/produtos-endogenos/

Restaurants: https://www.baixoguadiana.com/en/sabores-descanso/restauracao-cafetaria/

Algarve wins 2023 “Europe’s Leading Beach Destination” award (again!)

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PT (English version below)

Pela décima vez, o Algarve foi eleito o “Melhor Destino de Praia da Europa” nos 2023 World Travel Awards. Artigo: https://jornaldoalgarve.pt/algarve-e-o-melhor-destino-de-praia-da-europa-pela-10-a-vez/

For the tenth time, the Algarve has been voted as “Europe’s Leading Beach Destination” at the 2023 World Travel Awards. Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanneshurvell/2023/10/02/the-algarve-wins-europes-leading-beach-destination-at-world-travel-awards-2023/?sh=677f03ae2c73

Faro Airport now connected to 71 Cities

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Faro Airport (FAO) will have 18 new routes this summer 2023, out of which 6 are new destinations. Consequently FAO will now be connected to 70 European cities plus Toronto in Canada (total of 81 routes). The 6 new cities added to FAO destinations are: Aarhus (Denmark), Roma (Italy), Strasbourg (France), Bilbao (Spain), Jersey (UK), and Exeter (UK).

Destinations from Faro Airport: click here (links to external site: “Flight Connections”)

News Source:

English: click here (links to external site: “THE PORTUGAL NEWS”)

Portuguese: click here (links to external site: “ECO – Economia Online”)

Swimming in December… why not?

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After some rainy days, the sunny weather is back in full blast to Monte Gordo. These are a couple of photos from today, December 27 of 2022. The temperature was about 21 celsius (70F) all day.

December 27 at about 9h30, one of the last traditional fishermen boat arrives at the beach with fresh seafood

December 27 at about 17h30 the sunset is phenomenal and the temperature remains at 20 celsius

December 27 also at about 17h30 I noticed that a couple of young people could not resist going for a swim!

Season greetings!

Monte Gordo: Bandeira Azul e Qualidade de Ouro – Blue Flag Beach and Gold Quality

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Com tem vindo sendo tradição há várias décadas, em 2022, a praia de Monte Gordo continua com a Bandeira Azul (atribuída pela Associação Bandeira Azul da Europa) e a designação de “Qualidade de Ouro” atribuída pela Quercus (Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza).

ENGLISH:

Keeping the tradition over the last few decades, in 2022, Monte Gordo Beach continues with the Blue Flag (awarded by the Blue Flag Association of Europe) and the designation of “Gold Quality” awarded by Quercus (Portuguese Association for the Conservation of Nature).

Links:

Bandeira Azul / Blue Flag

Qualidade de Ouro / Gold Quality

Portugal is World’s 4th Safest Country

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The latest rank Global Peace Index (GPI) elaborated by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), ranks Portugal as the 4th safest country in the world.

The GPI is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness and covers 99.7% of the world’s population, using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, and measures the state of peace across three domains:

– the level of Societal Safety and Security,

– the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict,

– and the degree of Militarisation.

For more details about the rank use this link:

Global indexes

Vamus – the Bus app for the Algarve

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The bus system in the Algarve region has been updated so that now you can not only check the routes and schedules online but also buy tickets and then use your smartphone to scan the ticket on the bus (just like we already do with airline tickets). The brand new App is called “Vamus Algarve” (let’s go Algarve).

Here is the link to the website (the “Vila Real de Santo Antonio” schedules stop in Monte Gordo):

https://vamusalgarve.pt/#/pt/vamus%20algarve/schedules

And here is a picture of the App in google store:

Check these routes (bus goes both ways):

96 Monte Gordo – Vila Real Sto. António

66 Albufeira – Vila Real de Sto. António;

67 Faro – Vila Real de Sto. António.

32 Azinhal – Vila Real de Sto. António

34 Balurcos de Cima – Vila Real de Sto. António

43 Carrapateira – Vila Real de Sto. António

73 Sta. Justa – Vila Real de Sto. António (por Bentos)

119 Sta. Justa – Vila Real de Sto. António (por Soudes)

Algarve wins again: 2021 Europe’s Leading Beach Destination

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The Algarve won the 2021 Europe’s Leading Beach Destination award attributed by the World Travel Awards. This is the 3rd consecutive year that Algarve wins such “oscar of tourism”. Algarve has won 8 times this award so far.

Link: https://www.worldtravelawards.com/award-europes-leading-beach-destination-2021