Vilamoura

Customs / Culture / Traditions
The history in the Algarve is less known than the one in the northern part of Portugal, however it has its local history. Originally the area was ruled by the Romans and Phoenicians. The latter when the trading ports were established the Algarve was ruled by the Moors, which left a mark on the local architecture, culture and community. These include the typical white houses, whitewashed chimneys, or even flat roofs. In 1212 an alliance of Christian kings came to the center of the peninsula. By the thirteenth century the Portuguese occupied the Algarve region.
The mentality of the local community is rather relaxed, friendly and very open. IN Portugal the mentality is very peaceful. Visitors are expected to feel like they are welcomed guests. The locals have a very encouraging way of living, the do not stress. Vilamoura has developed into more of a hotel and resort area in comparison to the traditional local areas. However from Vilamoura it is possible to visit other areas as other cities do not lie too far from Vilamoura.


Religion
The most part of the Portuguese are Catholics.

Events
Amongst the regular events taking place within the Algarve it is worth going to: Festival Med in Loulé (23-26 June), "World music" (including oriental, Arabic, African, Latin American, Balkan music).

Culinary Specialities
culinary specialties As Vilamoura is situated at the coast the traditional cuisine is mainly fish and seafood. For starters it is a specialty to have carapaus alimados which is also a typical fish dish. Other local dishes are: caldeiradas, or stewed fish which seafood lovers should try and arroz de lingueirao (stewed rice with shellfish, tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic).

Lifestyle
The inhabitants at the coast are somewhat different to those living higher up in the mountains, due to the development in Portugal over the past few years. The ocean is louder, time passes by faster, people are more spontaneous, and impulsive.

Sights
When going to Vilamoura, one can see the surrounding sights of the Algarve region in particular:Albufeira is currently the most popular and famous coastal town.Costa Vicentina which is at the west coast has a beautiful landscape park.Faro, the capital of the region has medieval walls of the Sicilians and numerous monuments of a unique architecture which are worth a visit.Cerra da Vila Museum is located in the heart of Vilamoura, in which you can see some history of the Romans, Visigoths and Moors. And of course being at the coast the famous port of Vilamoura should be paid a visit.