The Algarve is different. On the coast of the former Kingdom of the Algarve the wind blows stronger, the summer is hotter, the cabbages grow bigger, the fruit ripens quicker and the grilled Sardines taste better than anywhere else in the country. The people are enthrallingly candid, sometimes defiantly stubborn or plaintively silent, but mostly they like to laugh out loud, and are nevertheless entirely conscious of tradition. A trip to the Algarve will take you to a different time zone, away from the constant bustle of middle-Europe to a calmness, typical for the Algarve, that is hard to resist. Inland the clock ticks differently again, and your curiosity for the country and its people will grow with every kilometre. This book will lead you to 111 incredible places off the beaten track.

Catrin George Ponciano has lived in Portimão in Portugal since 1999. Originally from Bielefeld, the former chef has worked as a freelance journalist since 2007, regularly publishing reports on the south of Portugal, as well as occasional short stories and travel books. She also makes use of her knowledge of the country and its people to offer individual trips and tours.