Algarve, baby! Boom!

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Read about the real estate market in the Algarve, Lisbon and Portugal. As the leading estate agents on the Algarve and in Portugal we can help you find property for sale in Portugal and find a mortgage.

March 26, 2014

As a growing number of the baby boomer generation reach retirement age and start looking for retirement homes in the sun, increasingly it is the warm climate and beautiful landscape of the Algarve, in Southern Portugal, that is attracting the greatest numbers.

With all the horror stories about, land grabbing, inheritance taxes, high buying costs and ghost town developments coming out of Spain these days, it seems that the Algarve is the number one choice for people wanting a short haul destination holiday or retirement property. But what makes the Algarve so special?

Firstly, the Algarve currently has 73 blue flag beaches dotted along its coastline and, with more than 300 days of sunshine per year to lie on them, it`s certainly a big attraction.

For those who prefer walking on to lying on the beach, Falesia beach is the longest in the Algarve at over 15kms, backed by stunning, red sandstone cliffs, it`s a fabulous way to spend a morning. Cycling is also a very popular way to get around and discover some of the cove beaches and beautiful nature reserves along the southern coast. The Vilamoura Nature Reserve has cycle routes, however, to see the UNESCO protected Ria Formosa Nature Reserve you will need to take a boat tour. The Castro Marim Nature Reserve in the Eastern Algarve is where you will find the white flamingoes!

Golf is, of course, a very popular pastime for Algarve residents and tourists alike.

There are currently 34 golf courses in the Algarve catering for all different levels of expertise. As well as golf there are tennis academies, rugby, football and American football clubs and Crown Green Bowling clubs to be found. Horse Riding is also popular, with beautiful inland routes to discover as well as beach riding, and, for the really brave, you will find surfing of every kind toward the west of the region!

For those who wish to take life at a more leisurely pace, the Algarve is steeped in history and has many beautiful, historical sites to visit, from the well known areas like Lagos, home of the Discoveries, and Silves, the old Moorish capital, to the lesser known roman sites like Milreu, just 10 minutes from the capital Faro with its ancient city walls and fascinating Chapel of Bones.

So, add all of that to a very relaxed way of life, climate equal to that of California, lovely people and great food and wine and it`s really not difficult to see what makes this fabulous region so popular as a retirement destination. If you`ve not considered it, or never been, you really should.

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