In the 15th century, Henry the Navigator based himself in Sagres and conducted various maritime expeditions which established Portugal as a colonial power. Traditional agricultural products of the region include fig, almond, medronho, carob beans, and cork oak. The coastline is notable for picturesque limestone caves and grottoes, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by powerboat. The Romans in the 2nd century BC spread through the Iberian Peninsula, and many Roman ruins can still be seen in the region, notably in Lagos. Praia da Marinha, Lagoa was classified as one of the 100 most beautiful and well preserved beaches of the world.

There are Algarve-based English-written publications and newspapers specifically addressed to this community. The Portugal News being the most popular. Over the past few years many tourists visiting the Algarve have moved away from the resorts, and have chosen the comfort of a traditional Algarve guesthouse, many of these run by ex-pats from England, Holland, and Germany who have escaped to the Algarve for a quieter life.

The al-gharb, "the West" is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal, incorporating, amongst others, the cities of Faro, Albufeira, Lagos, Olh�o, Tavira, Portim�o and Silves. The Algarve region is divided into 16 municipalities:British expatriates, followed by German, Dutch and Scandinavians, are among the largest groups wishing to own a home in this Portugal's sunny region.

In addition to the natural beauties and plenty of beaches, the Algarve has invested in the creation of a network of golf courses. The Algarve is hilly, but traversed with rich valleys. Its highest point is the mountain range of Monchique, with a maximum altitude of 906m (Peak of the F�ia). Due to the Moorish occupation of Iberia, the region was called "Al-Garb Al-Andalus". When the Moors conquered Lagos in 716 it was called Zawaia.

Faro, which the Christian residents had called Santa Maria, was renamed Faraon, which means "the settlement of the Knights". 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 the home of the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve of over 170 square kilometres and a stopping place for hundreds of different birds. 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). The Phoenicians had established trading ports along the coast circa 1000 BC.

The Carthaginians founded Portus Hanibalis which is known today as Portim�o in circa 550 BC. There are many other beautiful and famous summer places such as Albufeira, Vilamoura, Portim�o, Lagos, Arma��o de P�ra, Quarteira, Monte Gordo and Tavira. Over the past 50 years the Algarve has seen an increase in development, particularly from non-Portuguese developers. 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). 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.

Diskwizz is the owner of more than 12 sites websites that cover the    .