Alte

Holidays to Alte provide picture-postcard views of whitewashed houses and hillside waterfalls, with lively nightlife, pristine beaches and coastal day trips not too far away.

A picture-postcard village

Alte is a quiet and peaceful inland village in the Algarve. It’s dotted with whitewashed houses topped with traditional chimneys, and cobbled alleys wind their way to the village’s sparkling springs and plunging waterfalls. The idyllic setting continues as orange trees line the roads leading to the beaches, shops and nightlife of nearby villages.

Pristine sands

Alte’s nearest sandy stretch is a 30-minute drive away at Albufeira’s Praia dos Pescadores, aka Fisherman’s Beach. This Blue Flag beach is one of the Algarve’s cleanest, with gently shelving sands and shallow waters. Fresh fish is served up at the beach-side bars and restaurants, while an escalator takes you up to the top of the steep cliffs for blue-sky views.

Waterfalls and springs

Alte’s springs, at the eastern end of the village, make a pretty place to picnic while you watch the locals taking a dip. A bridge across the river marks the beginning of a series of waterfalls, where water flows into crystal clear pools. The tranquillity can be enjoyed from the riverbank or the garden of the Fonte Pequena Inn, dedicated to local poet Cândido Guerreiro.

Daytrips and 4x4 tours

Silves, with its huge Moorish castle and Gothic cathedral, is about half-an-hour from Alte. You can stroll along the town’s riverbank then make your way up shady cobbled streets for some wide-screen views of the town from the battlements. Or for something completely different, an hour’s drive gets you to Praia da Luz, starting-point for 4x4 tours of South Portugal.