What to see and do in Carvoeiro
It is a long time since the fishermen readied their nets for the fray and set off from Carvoeiro beach in their boats to hunt for tuna. But the houses still curve around over the port where the colourful fishing boats chug back and forth and the fishermen continue to eke out a living as they have done since time immemorial. But toady's Carvoeiro is also an international tourist resort. Perched on the top of a cliff are the vestiges of the walls of the fort of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of the Conception) (17th century).
Inside the fort lies the hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Encarnação (Our Lady of the Incarnation), revered by fishermen. Nearby are the rock formations of Algar Seco; strange shapes and profiles sculpted by the wind and sea; and the romantic Lovers' Balcony. On days when the tide is high, the sea turns the many fissures and hollows into booming organ pipes. A naval battle took place off Cape Carvoeiro in 1574. A Portuguese flotilla attacked the Turkish corsair karamet, who was ravaging the Algarve coast, and destroyed his fleet.
Lagoa
A hill rises above flat lands where in days gone by, as tradition has it, there was a lagoon. At the top, the tower of a church is visible, above a labyrinth of whitewashed houses. This is Lagoa, where Manueline doorways, windows edged in blue and the imposing turret of the monastery create a feeling that time has stopped and suggest ways of life now long forgotten.
Historical centre
The town grew up around its main church. There is still a feeling of the past in the streets of white houses where, here and there, it is possible to spy a chimney trimmed with the delicate decorative filigree typical of the Algarve. The winding streets are dotted with altars marking the stations of the cross used in the old Holy Week ceremonies, and more) than a dozen Manueline doorways and windows (16th century).
Main Church
All that remains of the place of worship built in the 16th century is a Nianueline doorway to the bell tower. The current building dates from the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, and has an attractive baroque facade with neo-classical elements. Beneath its three naves; the chief point of interest inside the church is the retable on the main altar, with a perfect 18th century representation of Nossa Senhora da Luz (Our Lady of Light), the church’s patroness, attributed to the sculptor Machado de Castro, and A São Sebastião (St. Sebastian). On the other altars, and in the upper choir and the registry office are to be found a large number of icons and reliquaries from the 17th and 18th centuries, including an interesting Baby Jesus lying on a wooden bed in the "rocaille" style (end of the 18th century). The sacristy houses a magnificent chest in Brazil wood; valuable religious objects (an 18th century silver incense boat and other items) and stones from the original Manueline building found in the church.
Misericórdia (Mercy) Church
Plain fronted and small in size, this church has a carved main altar dating from the 18th century, with a statue of the crucifixion and two other art works from the 18th century. The walls are covered in patterned tiles dating from the end of the 17th century.
Monastery of São Josè (St. Joseph)
Built at the beginning of the 18th century in a sober, rural style, it has been rebuilt and repaired on many occasions since. It boasts a chapel with carved altars from the former Chapel of the Compromisso Maritimo (Maritime Agreement), in Lagoa, and an 18th century depiction of São Josè(St. Joseph) with the infant Jesus. There is an interesting belvedere with an arch over the street. At the entrance to the monastery there is an "outcast hatch", which was once used for receiving abandoned children. The cloister is plain, with four arcades and a cistern in the centre. In the garden there is a menhir from Porches (5,000 to 4,000 BC)
Ferragudo
A fishing village since time immemorial - there were Roman salting tanks next to the Fort of São João de Arade, it had defensive walls in the Middle Ages, vestiges of which are still visible today. It has preserved its original character, with rows of houses cascading down to the river, crowned by the outline of the church high on the hill, and pretty streets of whitewashed walls and roofs intersected by decorated chimneys. Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our lady of the Conception) - The architecture of this building is typical of a country church. Fort of São João de Arade
With the facing fortress of Santa Catarina, this foil constituted the main defence of the Arade estuary. It began life as a lookout tower in the 15th century and was extended in the 17th and 18th centuries. A great deal of work was done at the beginning of the 20th century to turn it into a home, at the initiative of the poet Coelho Carvalho; and it is to this that it owes its current romantic appearance. It is now private property. Along the coast, where tiny beaches of great beauty are tucked away between looming cliffs, the remains of two medieval watchtowers, which were once used to give warning of attacks by pirates and corsairs, can be seen at Ponte da Atalaia and Quinta da Torre.
Porches
A short way away from this typical Algarve village sitting atop a hill, there stood an old Roman and medieval settlement known as Porches Velhos which possibly gave rise to the present community. In one of its narrow streets a chimney of monumental proportions, two storeys high is to be found, and this has become a symbol of the village as a whole.
Main Church The church was built in the 19th century on the site of a previous edifice dating from the 16th century, of which the main chapel remains.
Hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Rocha (Our Lady of the Rock) - Built on a narrow tongue of rock extending into the sea, its origins are lost in time. The hermitage used to be surrounded by an old coastal defence fort (built in the 15th century) which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755.
