Dolphin watching in the Algarve

http://www.mydestination.com/algarve/travel-articles/72554/dolphin-watching-in-the-algarve

The Algarve has long been famed for its beautiful coastline, with endless stretches of sand, red cliffs and a sparkling sea; it is often tipped as one of the best locations for a  beach holiday.

With such a stunning coastline it is no wonder boat trips and tours are a popular pastime in the area, but as an added bonus, the Algarve is home to one of earths most loved and intelligent creatures, the dolphin.

The waters in this region are populated by various whales, dolphins and porpoises at different times throughout the year. The most common species are the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) - so these are the ones to watch out for.

Dolphins are widely recognised as social animals and their behaviour is a constant source of fascination with both biologists and dolphin fans alike. Holidaymakers will be delighted by the level of interaction from the animals as the dolphins are perfectly content swimming and diving around the boat, unfazed by people and flashing cameras.

Dolphins generally don’t get too close to the shore, so Dream Wave offer visitors to this region trips in customized RIBs, which venture out to deeper waters and get closer to the much loved species. The trips are run by an experienced crew who know all the best spots for meeting dolphins.

 Each boat has its own marine biologist on board, on hand to answer any questions you might have and to give an insight into the behaviour and key characteristics of the dolphins. This provides the ultimate experience for dolphin lovers and a great chance to learn something new.

Dolphin watching excursions depart from Albufeira marina all year round, and last from two to three hours. These outings always prove to be very popular so it is worth booking in advance to avoid being left on the shore.

As well as dolphin watching, the Algarve is able to provide the chance to get even closer to the animals, at Zoomarine. A park with a difference, Zoomarine’s biggest appeal is the presentations showing off the abilities of their dolphins, birds and sea lions, and an opportunity to swim with dolphins.

Dolphins are one of the world's most-loved animals and the chance to swim with dolphins rates highly on pretty much everyone’s wish list....  and this is exactly what Dolphin Emotions delivers. Visitors are treated to a talk about dolphins from an expert, followed by a lesson in dolphin training and communicating, a swimming session, and probably a very treasured collection of pictures and memories.

After becoming properly acquainted with the Algarve’s dolphin population be sure to keep an eye out for the rest of the region’s wildlife. Whales have been spotted on occasion and there are countless tropical birds to be seen, making the Algarve much, much more than your average beach holiday.

To find out more on the beaches, wildlife and dolphin watching on the Algarve check out MyDestination.com/Algarve

Tiago Duarte Almeida Moura e Sá

Marine Biologist,  Universidade dos Açores.
October 2011

Benefits of Walking on the Beach

http://www.discoverwalking.com/blog/benefits-of-walking-on-the-beach.php

Aside from the beautiful view of the ocean and the great people watching there are many benefits of walking on the beach. Walking in sand requires a greater effort than walking on a hard surface. Your muscles and tendons will work harder as your foot moves around.

Walking at a slower pace requires more effort than walking fast or even jogging. Walking in sand requires 2.1 to 2.7 times more energy than walking on hard surfaces. Jogging in sand uses1.6 times more energy than jogging on hard surfaces.

For most of us burning calories is one of the benefits of any exercise. One the primary benefits of walking on a beach is that you will use 20 to 50 percent more calories than you would walking at the same pace on a hard surface.

For a short stroll down the beach bare feet are fine, but if you are going to walk a longer distance then make sure you walk in shoes. Put on your favorite walking shoes or better yet your Teva sandals so you do not have to worry about getting your shoes wet. Walking too far in sand in bare feet can result in shin splints or a sore tendon in your heel.

As always, if you are walking in the heat take the normal precautions: wear a hat, take a bottle of water and don’t forget to put on your sun screen. Of course, if you get too hot you can always jump in the water to cool off.

Since we all want to protect our walking areas for future generations don’t wander into environmentally sensitive areas such as dunes.

Of course you gain the same benefits by walking in sand in any form. So you could trek across a desert but given a choice most of us would choose to walk on a beach. In fact many of us would choose to spend our time walking on beaches even if there were no health benefits.

Don’t forget that one of the many benefits of walking is that walking is relaxing so don’t forget to stop and pick up a pretty shell, look for porpoises playing in the surf, and notice the always changing colors of the water and the sky.

Tourism satisfaction survey returns top results

http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=1134-7
15th October 2011
A survey, commissioned by Turismo de Portugal from market survey company GfK Metris, has returned very positive levels of tourist satisfaction.

A total of 95 percent of the 800, tourists interviewed from Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Brazil, reported that their holiday experience had corresponded to or exceeded their expectations.

Over half of respondents reported that they were extremely satisfied, while the percentage reporting high satisfaction reached 87 percent of all tourists with a similar figure (86 percent) stating that they planned to return.

The Turismo de Portugal survey was carried out during the peak of the 2011 season and also found that 54 percent of international visitors were young couples while 47 percent were travelling in a group with friends.

The factors identified for such high levels of satisfaction were natural and cultural features such as beaches, landscapes, gastronomy and monuments with destination safety, restaurants and accommodation meeting or exceeding the expectations of over 90 percent of tourists.

Interviewed in Lisbon airports prior to their departure, tourists chose “climate, hospitality and beaches” as the words best defining the Portuguese tourism industry.

Furthermore, at a debate entitled ‘Lisbon - a competitive and innovative city,’ City Council President António Costa identified the mournful musical genre, Fado, the city’s patron saint, Santo António, and the poet, Fernando Pessoa, as the best symbols for boosting its profile.

Costa highlighted Moda Lisboa fashion week and Experimenta Design as key events on the city’s calendar, while the writer and Casa Fernando Pessoa director Inês Pedrosa suggested inviting the director Woody Allen to make a film about Lisbon.

Antes da Primeira Guerra Mundial já se jogava golfe no Algarve!

in http://blog.turismodoalgarve.pt/2011/10/golfe.html, 7/10/11

É comum referir-se o surgimento do golfe no Algarve a partir da década de sessenta. O campo de golfe da Penina, desenhado por Henry Cotton e inaugurado em 1966 é tido como o primeiro do Algarve.

No entanto, muito antes disso, antes da primeira Guerra Mundial já se jogava golfe na Praia da Rocha, onde existiu um campo de 9 buracos inserido nas margens do Arade.
Encontram-se referências a esse campo de golfe em vários textos de divulgação turística publicados em pequenos guias da primeira metade do século XX. Por outro lado, já em 1918, Tomás Cabreira, escrevia na sua obra “O Algarve económico” que “Na praia da Rocha, principal estação algarvia para o turismo, deve haver mais um campo para o jogo do golf …” fazendo pressupor a existência do primeiro.

O golfe tornou-se, como sabemos, num dos principais produtos turísticos do Algarve que regularmente vê reconhecida a qualidade dos seus campos. Na mais recente edição da revista britânica “Golf World”, o Algarve conta com cinco dos seus campos no top 100 europeu.