Summer-like weather, golf, hiking by the sea and birdwatching are just some of the Spring-like activities you can enjoy in Portugal’s southern coast at the turn of the season.

If you’re wondering where to go during Spring Break, torn between the lively and the safe, the family and the fun… think no more.

Summer-like Weather

In Portugal’s southernmost coast, there is a place where Spring feels like Summer, and the warm, tranquil waters welcome visits every day.

The Algarve’s mean temperature during the months of Spring varies – but is seldom less than 20 and often close to 30 degrees Celsius. This means you can actually enjoy a beach holiday from March onwards – with the added advantage of lesser crowds and cheaper flights.

World Class Golf Courses

And for those of you looking for a bit more action, you mustn’t forget the golf. Come sunshine or, well, sunshine, golf is the preferred sport of the Algarvian native.

With over 30 golf courses in the region, most of them tucked away nicely inside luxury resorts, you will feel like the whole world has emptied just for you viewing put.

Hiking

But because golf isn’t for every member of the family, you can always go on long hikes by the sea, in famous trails like the Telheiro Beach Trail, the Cordoama Beach Trail, the Castelejo Trail and the Pontal da Carrapateira Trail.

Birdwatching

For those more of an introvert nature, who appreciate the fine things in life and the quiet of their own thoughts, bird-watching is the name of the game.

The Algarve is the best region in Portugal for bird-watching, because it is the one which homes the greatest diversity of avian species. In total, there are close to 400 different birds species and all of them keen on sunshine and warm weather, which makes bird-watching trips pleasant and often rewarding.

The bird-watching hotspots of the region include Cape St Vincent, Alvor Estuary, Cabranosa, Quinta da Rocha, Salgados Lagoon, Castro Marim Nature Reserve and Quinta do Lago in the Ria Formosa.

Portugal’s southernmost region is much more than just fish and chips shops and white sand beaches. There’s history and culture below its clear blue skies, and it’s our duty as hosts to tell you all about it. For the fancy tourist in all of you, here are the top 5 museums to visit in the Algarve.

Museu Regional Do Algarve

To begin at the beginning, as the bard once said. The Algarve’s Regional Museum is a must-stop spot to learn all about the region’s past. From long-forgotten occupiers to the arts and crafts that shaped the Algarve’s many villages, this is your chance to drop some generic culture in an otherwise bucolic destination.

Cerro da Vila

Dating back to the 3rd century, the archaeological findings at Cerro da Vida have become more than just ruins, they’re a proper museum. The spot used to be a village, inhabited during the Roman, Visigoth and Arav occupations. This dates from the 1st century BC to the 11th century AD. All of this sounds way more interesting when you visit this open-air museum, where you get to walk through the remains of the Roman villa.

Museu Municipal de Faro

One of the biggest and most famous museums in the region is Faros’ National Museum. Here you have 5 long-term exhibitions which look back to the city’s past and legacy, dating back from the Roman occupation. But this museum’s best feature is the fact that it’s located in what was once a stunning convent.

Lagos Wax Museum

You might have heard of the Portuguese’s central role during the Age of Discoveries, but now is your chance to really experience it. Well, maybe not ‘really’, but certainly ‘waxy’. Plus, it’s located in the beautiful village of Lagos, so you’ll have your hands full after you leave.

Did you know that Yellowfish Transfers has a long term partnership with AirEmotions? On your transfer voucher you will find an exclusive discount coupon for the Air Race Experience. Don’t miss the opportunity and try a different and exciting experience!

About AirEmotions (website here)

Air Race Experience
Experience the feeling of a ‘Barrel Roll’ or a ‘Loop the Loop’ during your flight at an experienced aviation centre. You will be a part of a spectacular display of grace and elegance, whilst viewing the world from a different angle and defying gravity. Sit back and enjoy the exhilaration as you encounter well-known aerobatic manoeuvres such as loops, rolls, stall turns, chandelles and steep turns. You will fly at speeds of over 100mph, thousands of feet in the air and test your nerves in this adventurous, white knuckle ride.

Location here

What’s Included?
– Aerobatic Flight Experience in an Extra 330LX plane
– 1h Experience, w/ 15min flight
– Personalised Flight Certificate
– A full pre-flight safety briefing to explain principles of an aerobatic flight
– The flight duration includes taxi, take off and landing time

What happens?
Your experience starts with the qualified instructor giving you a pre-flight briefing which will enable you to understand how the aircraft is capable of aerobatic flight. Once in the air, your instructor will accelerate the aircraft to over 100mph before starting a sequence of aerobatic manoeuvres, which may include loops, rolls, and wingovers. Due to the nature of this experience it is unlikely you will be able to take the controls, so just sit back and enjoy the ride. This experience is not for the faint hearted and is definitely not recommended with a hangover. Please note that the manoeuvres described above are only an example of what you may experience and can differ depending on the location.

Did you know that Yellowfish Transfers has a long term partnership with Skydive Seven? On our vouchers you will find an exclusive discount coupon for the Tandem Skydive experience. Don’t miss the opportunity and try a different and exciting experience!

About SkyDive Seven (website here)

Skydive Seven, based at Portimão Municipal Aerodrome, is the Tandem Skydiving leader company in Algarve, at Portugal south coast. We provide an Unbelievable, Exhilarating, awe Inspiring and mind-blowing beautiful jump, on the most incredible view. Definitely the most happiness team in Europe, safe and well-cared. We jump all-year-round (7 days a week) on great weather conditions, even during winter.

Location here

Tandem Skydiving:

What Is a Tandem Skydive?
Tandem skydiving is when a first time passenger is harnessed to a licensed, tandem instructor. No experience is needed for people who want to try first time tandem skydiving. Read our step-by-step process for going on your first skydive!

Harness Up & Training
Airplane Ride
Harness: Adjusted to passengers body shape/size. Instructor reviews free fall body position – ‘arch’ and ‘lift legs’ for landing. Look out the window – relax, smile and enjoy the Algarve view! 10-15 minutes depending on aircraft.

Skydive seven algarve
From 15,000ft – the top experience
Jump from the highest altitude in Europe – up to 15,000 ft with a 70 second freefall. Skydive with your buddies! Safety record that is second to none! Best Tandem Skydiving prices in Algarve – get the most bang for your buck!

Exit and Freefall
Instructor double checks harness to ensure it is hooked up properly and secure Airplane door is opened by skydivers Passenger and instructor walk towards door and exit! Freefall Free fall lasts 20-60 seconds depending on exit altitude Free fall reaches speeds upwards of 120-140 mph Feels more like floating than falling – no stomach drop sensation

Parachute Ride and Landing
Deployed at 5,500 ft by instructor. Lasts 5-7 minutes depending on weight of passenger/instructor/size of parachute. Passengers can fly the parachute with the aid of their instructor. Instructor will fly a landing pattern just like an aircraft would use for landing on a runway with a predetermined downwind, base and final approach calculated based on the given wind direction and speed. Passenger will be instructed to lift legs so that both can slide in on the ground. A slide in landing is the safest way to avoid injury to ankles/legs.

Is Skydiving For Everyone?
A Tandem Skydive is something that most people can do and requires no prior experience. If you can jump off of a dinner table and land on your feet without any trouble then you are most likely physically capable of skydiving. Skydiving center’s have restrictions based on age and weight for tandem skydive passengers. Weight restrictions are in place to with customer/instructor safety and to meet requirements made by tandem harness manufacturing companies.

There is much to discover, old castles such the one in Paderne, amazing landscapes and places like Alte natural springs. There’s a lot to explore if you venture inland.

Why not take the opportunity and go on a off-road guided tour with Yellowfish Adventure to experience a bit more of what the Algarve has to offer you?

Drive along dirt/muddy tracks, enjoy magnificent natural landscapes, typical villages, vineyards, orchards and places of historical or cultural interest. During the experience you will also have the opportunity to stop in several places for a few minutes to take pictures of the landscapes and locations.

These are low-speed tours, so you can safely enjoy the sites and landscapes of the course and avoid disturbing wildlife and local residents as much as possible.

Get to know the Algarve from a different perspective at the wheel of a Buggy or Quad tour.

It’s fair to say that, if you’re planning to head to Portugal’s southernmost coast, you’re probably considering swapping your walking shoes for flip-flops and Hawaiian shirt for, well, no shirt at all. But what if we convinced you that there is more to The Algarve than just sea and sand?

Located along the southern coast of the Algarve, Benagil sits between two of the most sought-after beaches in the region. With Carvoeiro on one side and Pera on the other, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the small fishing village of Benagil. But you shouldn’t.

Sounds like an odd bag of gifts, but the fair somehow makes them work together, morphing into a place where young and old (let’s say, older) mix together, looking for different things but getting them all nonetheless.

“Fatacil showcases the dynamism of the municipality and the region, where agriculture, which has always been one of the foundations of the fair, continues to play an important role,” the Portuguese Agricultural minister said.

In addition to more equestrian treats, the highlights are the musical concerts and the art shows, performances by folkloric ranches and other genuine interpreters of Portuguese culture.

Fatacil usually kicks off mid-August and runs for around a week, offering you a chance to find the best the Algarve has to offer all under the same roof.

There’s traditional food, handmade arts and crafts to take as souvenirs, and shows from live bands – ranging from the unfamiliar Portuguese traditionalists to the more familiar world music and live DJs.

Tickets cost around €4 per person and €14 for a family ticket.

Ready for the summer, hungry for music but looking for chills rather than thrills? We’ve got you cover. These two music events in the Algarve will sort you out.

Summer in the Algarve starts at Carvoeiro. What? You’ve never heard of Carvoeiro? Well, that’s alright. Not many have. It’s a rather picturesque beach town, sitting along a beautiful, golden coast of white houses and green hills.

Carvoeiro is where beachgoers go to relax, enjoy the scenery and the Mediterranean delicacies the south has to offer. But there’s another side to Carvoeiro…

Every June, there’s an annual party night of live entertainment dubbed Carvoeiro Black & White. Don’t worry, it’s not a drive-in of old Portuguese movies. It’s a place where live bands go to find a small, engaged audience looking to have a balmy night out with a cold drink in hand.

It’s a beach party without the moonlight madness of southeast Asia. Why Black & White, you ask?

Well, if you want to take part, that’s how you’ll have to dress. Having said that, we haven’t seen anyone being left out for not partaking in the dress code.

The event usually runs from 8pm to 3am for those brave enough to stick around. You’ll have your mellow starters, warming up to the more edgy DJs of the evening.

But, if Carvoeiro is not on your roadmap, fear naught. There are other places to conquer.

Taking place in the later days of June, the Lagoa Jazz Fest is an international event, which features the coolest of the cool, from Solo to Big Bands, from sax to piano…

Names like Stanley Jordan (USA), Richard Galliano (France), Concha Buika (Spain), New York Voices (USA), Lokomotiv (Portugal) have all climbed the groovy stage of Lagoa.

The festival attracts an eclectic crowd, both in age and attitude, and it’s ample enough for everyone to have its thing going. After all, isn’t that what Jazz is all about?

Have a great summer!