| The most popular arrival point for British visitors is | | | | region, with more than 20 courses vying for business. |
| Faro, which is served by flights from all major UK | | | | Tennis, horse-riding and all manner of water sports |
| airports. Accommodation in the resort varies from | | | | also draw visitors to the country year after year. |
| value apartments to three and four-star hotels, and | | | | There are also enough water parks and theme parks |
| can be arranged on self-catering, bed-and-breakfast, | | | | to help keep the whole family happy for days on |
| half-board or all-inclusive bases. | | | | end. |
| A town of whitewashed buildings and cobbled | | | | A strong respect for the country's history means |
| streets, Faro boasts popular archaeological and | | | | that most towns and villages in Portugal hold regular |
| maritime museums, the country gave us Vasco da | | | | celebratory festivals, so you might also find that your |
| Gama, the first European to sail around the Cape of | | | | Portugal holiday coincides with one of these events, |
| Good Hope and establish a trading route to India, and | | | | and gives you the chance to join the party and |
| Ferdinand Magellan, leader of the first successful | | | | celebrate by experiencing the local culture and cuisine. |
| mission to circumnavigate the Earth, who also gave | | | | Bringing the appeal of the Iberian peninsula right up to |
| his name to a newly-discovered direct route across | | | | date, it was chosen for the first time as the |
| South America linking the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. | | | | backdrop for several shoots in the compilation of the |
| Faro is also the stepping-off point for numerous | | | | Sports Illustrated 2010 swimsuit issue, the highest |
| destinations along the country's Algarve coast, where | | | | selling edition of any magazine on the planet, with |
| 300-plus annual days of sunshine guarantee a regular | | | | more than 60 million readers. |
| flow of visitors, but it's always possible to find a quiet | | | | You can find out more details about holidays in |
| beach among the 100 or so spread throughout the | | | | Portugal and all the favourite destinations elsewhere |
| region. | | | | on this website, and the Portuguese National Tourist |
| For many visitors though, Portugal, and the Algarve in | | | | Office also has an information-packed website. |
| particular, has become known as a major golfing | | | | |