Set in fertile countryside Loulé (Altitude: 170m/560ft), just 15km/9.5mi northwest of Faro, chief town of the district, is an important market center; its big Saturday market attracts many local and foreign visitors. Handicrafts are also an important part of its economy and the narrow alleys of the old town are full of potters, saddlers and coppersmiths.
Townscape
A detour to Loulé is worthwhile for the many beautifully decorated chimneys on the white washed houses. No two are alike, and most householders have given their imagination free rein to produce minor works of art.
Alte is an extremely pretty village 25km/15.5mi northwest of Loulé, in the midst of some relatively unspoiled and hilly countryside. In recent years, however, increasing numbers of tourists have been attracted here, and it is to be hoped that its appearance will not change too rapidly as a result. As well as its rural setting, the village itself is most attractive, with its white washed Algarve houses, narrow streets, gardens filled with flowers and hanging baskets.
Address: Alte, Estrada da Ponte, 17 8100-012 Alte, , Portugal
2km/1.25mi west of Loulé along the road to Boliqueime stands the 16th C. Capela de Nossa Senhora da Piedade. A pilgrims' way leads up the hill. From the square in front of the church there is a magnificent view of the hilly countryside to the north and the sea to the south.
The town's main claim to fame, however, is its carnival that takes place every year on the four days before Ash Wednesday, and the almond blossom festival.
Part of the walls are all that remain of the old castle complex which probably dates back to Moorish times. Near the tourist information office a flight of stone steps leads up to the castle walls.
Opposite the Convento do Espírito Santo can be seen the simple facade of the Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao. The chapel was built in the mid 17th C. in gratitude for Portugal having regained its independence from Spain.
Close to the ruined castle in Loulé, in a wing of the tastefully restored Convento do Espirito Santo, is the Municipal Museum. The convent, founded in the late 17th century, was partially destroyed by the 1755 earthquake and dissolved in 1836.
Almost as attractive as Alte is the considerably quieter village of Salir, resting on two hills 15km/9.5mi to the east. On the hill to the west there are some scattered remains of a Moorish castle. The Castelo quarter, with its tiny white houses and many flowers, is particularly idyllic. On the second hill lies the larger part of the village, dominated by the water tower and the simple village church.
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Alte, Portugal
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