The little jewel of the Algarve, where time seems to stand still

A fishing port that's enchanted by the rhythm of the tides. There are a few essentials here: a sort of cubist medina in a labyrinth of travessas, an atmosphere perfumed with amêijoas (clams) cooked with grãos de bico (chickpeas), terraced roofs where you can watch the day fade away in a festival of colors.

Then there's Olhão's historic center, where we'll take a few photos to guide you before setting sail for a unique natural park, where a string of solar-powered islands will serve you a dish with a taste of the open sea.

People come here in search of simple pleasures: sunshine, a cobalt-blue horizon, raw nature, a return to the roots of Portuguese culture and the kindness of its inhabitants. It exudes an incredible joie de vivre that the local population cultivates, as does its rich architectural heritage marked by the presence of the Moors until the 12th century.

Olhão is certainly in Europe. Nevertheless, its historic center has its eyes firmly fixed on North Africa. Built like a small medina, this town is made up of a tangle of cubist, whitewashed houses - sometimes adorned with azulejos and bougainvillea - with patios, finely crafted chimneys and roof terraces originally designed to dry fish. In days gone by, it was from up there that women would watch for the return of their fishermen husbands, where people would lounge under the stars, gossip and hatch romances...

A labyrinth of alleyways and cobbled streets, protected since 2017 by the municipality, is today the pride of its inhabitants. For centuries, this locality was inhabited by a community of fishermen living in wooden shacks, transformed over the years and the town's prosperity into humble homes steeped in oriental heritage.

Don't be put off by the arrival of a new community of French, Belgian and English aesthetes, who are scrupulously restoring these buildings. Much remains to be done. Photographs reveal this, as well as the singular complexity of the materials underlying the torn-off exterior facings.

With the first rays of sunshine, everyone heads for the Rio Formosa reserve, a wildlife sanctuary considered one of Portugal's Seven Wonders. A still landscape of salt marshes, oyster channels and sandbanks, some of which form long islands dotted with small bungalows.

Accessible by ferry, this natural park is home to migratory birds, flamingos, kingfishers and the talève sultane - the local mascot, often referred to as the moorhen - as well as the world's largest community of seahorses and 90% of Portugal's clams and oysters.

It's impossible to talk about the lagoon and its islands (Armona, Culatra and Deserta...) without making a detour to its beaches, masterfully lapped by the Atlantic Ocean, which alone are worth the trip. Wild and immense, they are among the best preserved in Europe, far from the cosmopolitan hustle and bustle of Albufeira or Portimão.

Feast on clams with chickpeas and chorizo, pan-fried prawns and homemade aioli, and sauteed cockles with stewed beet leaves, just some of the local iodized specialties. The town boasts the largest fish market in the Algarve, languishing on the quayside right on the water's edge.

As well as shellfish galore, you'll also find the soul of this province, with its taste for sweet potatoes, black pork, sweet juicy oranges, carobs and sun-drenched figs. And, every year, a festival turned towards the open sea and the riches for which we are indebted to it.

In conclusion, Olhão's salvation lies in its topography. As the beaches are accessible by boat, the town has been spared the tourist industry, which prefers the comfort of a beachfront residence to the simple pleasures of hidden beauty.