In place since 1297, the border between the two countries of Iberia is one of the oldest in the world. Locals and tourists travel back and forth daily across the Guadiana Bridge that connects Castro Marim on Portugal’s Algarve with Andalusia’s Huelva province. Alternatively, a 10-minute ferry journey facilitates a quick aperitivo and tapas in Spain followed by a seafood lunch at Pezinhos N’Areia on the beach at Praia Verde.
These are two relatively affordable regions, although life is generally a little more rustic on the Portuguese side, where the authenticity of the Eastern Algarve has been increasingly attracting French, British and Scandinavian buyers. The Moorish-style town of Tavira and the beach village of Cabanas de Tavira are the sought-after spots.