| We write the Year 1974. Portugal has awakened shook up
by a revolution on the 25th of April of that year, a revolution that was going to catapult
this small western European country into the twentieth century. From
this day forth, the country would start to develop in a way that was, in the least
unpredictable. We will focus on the southern region of Portugal known as the Algarve. The
Algarve, due to its de-central location, was one of the most backward regions of Portugal.
All it had to offer were long, sandy beaches and a beautiful, crystal clear ocean all
hidden behind a chain of hills and mountains, shielding it from the rest of the world.
The locals limit themselves to fishing, farming or simple handicraft, showing no
anxiety to accompany the rhythm of the rest of the world. Nevertheless, every stranger
that arrived in their town with a few bags seeking to discover new corners of the world,
they greeted warmly, not knowing that these early discoverers were to be the future
conquerors of their peaceful little corner of the planet.
Praia do Carvoeiro, a small, sleepy fishing village hidden away from the main
roads, in a small green valley on the coastline of the Algarve, secluded and untouched by
the racing development that swept through Europe after the second World War was an
absolutely secret advice for anyone seeking to discover the perfect spot for a vacation,
to settle down and seek refuge from the rest of Europe.
This was to be the beginning of a race to the coastline. At first, the strangers
would buy small plots of land along the coastline and build houses facing the ocean and
the sun, later the plots would become larger, more numerous, destined to become larger
tourist developments. During the 80´s decade the construction fever would reach a peak,
that would slowly start to clog up the small unprepared Algarve. In many areas the
authorities did not react to the dangerous situations that were developing in their
council. Large buildings began to shoot into the sky, towering high over the small fishing
villages. Apartment complexes designed to accommodate the ever-growing crowds of tourists
that began to flow into the Algarve began to appear on the outskirts of all the small
villages along the coastline. All except one: Praia do Carvoeiro was to be shielded
effectively by the Lagoa council, which decreed that no building may exceed the cliff line
above two stories, thus forcing the developers to concentrate on individual villa projects
rather than large hotel complexes. The character of this development can be seen in the
urbanisations around Carvoeiro. These feature some of the highest luxury that can be found
in the Algarve.
The 90´s decade was marked by stagnation in the building industry. This was due
largely to the recession in England end of the 80´s, which forced many house owners to
sell their properties in the Algarve, thus pushing the prices down. Since then the
building activities have reached a "normal" level, also due to the lack of free
plots.
Nevertheless, 20 years were enough to transform the Algarve into a giant tourist
resort that attracts over 3 million tourists per year. Carvoeiro alone has capacities for
over 40 thousand people but has the great advantage of being spread out in a four
kilometer radius around the town.
Nowadays the Algarve can offer everything one can ask for. Its greatest features
are the long beaches and secluded coves along the south and the West Coast and the
beautiful golf resorts spread out across the countryside. The nightlife features a large
number of bars and discos in Praia da Rocha and Albufeira as well as two of the largest
discos in Portugal.
The Algarve has almost 300 days of sunshine per year and 6000 kilometers of
Atlantic ocean supply the freshest, healthiest air in all of Europe.
If you are looking for that little secluded fishing village you just have to
stand at the top of the hill opposite the church and look down upon the bustling square
and the beach, not focussing on the buildings that now cover the sides of the once
secluded green valley....
René Kalkbrenner 26-10-1999 |
