There are about 100 sandy attractive beaches washed by the Atlantic Ocean and due to the maritime shelf and water currents the sea temperature can be often be surprisingly warm even in some of the winter months.

Located on the tip of Europe with the vast ocean of the Atlantic as its southern and western border, this enviable position gives this region possibly the most unpolluted climate in the European continent.

The beaches vary from the small sheltered coves to broad endless stretches of sea washed sand. Equally the sea bed near to the beach can vary from a comfortable shallow shelve to a more sudden drop! In general, the rule is that as you travel from east to west along the coast, the beaches become more subject to seasonal currents. As some excellent beaches are not immediately accessible from the holiday towns we recommend that these are very worthwhile to seek out.

The exception to the above is the coastline running from the west point of Sagres up to the north. This coast is very variable and being open to the winds and Atlantic Ocean waves from the west it normally presents different conditions to those found on the same day along the southern coastline. This area has a rugged atmosphere and the at times the winds can be biting. The sea is many times choppy with big waves and often combined with a dangerous fast undercurrent.

Golf is an all-year-round sport in the Algarve, though the main season is from late autumn to late spring.

So many courses have been opened in the Algarve during the past few years that golfers, even if they know the region fairly well, may not be acquainted with all of them

None of the existing courses is more than 15 km from the coast. Yet the terrain varies from the steep hillsides of Parque da Floresta to the near sea-level flatlands of Vilamoura III and the recently opened course at Salgados which, in common with Palmares, includes links holes. The terrain typical of most courses, however, gently undulates through copses of attractive umbrella pines.

The Algarve is blessed with the perfect climate.  Pleasantly warm in winter, the temperature rises steadily to it´s peak in the summer months.

The Algarve has the mildest temperature of Europe, with little rainfall and plenty of sunny days,  it has more than 3000 hours of sunshine annually.

Like almost anywhere in the world the weather varies from year to year; however, in general one can expect the months of December and January to be the colest and wetest, February to June the temperature is mild, with some rain. June to September rainfall is rare  these are hot and sunny months, with peak temperatures in July and August. October  to November  is more or less the same as February  to June.

Weather Information for Faro