MARALVOR APARTMENTS 3*

Situated roughly halfway between Portimão and Lagos is the pretty harbour village of Alvor. Given its position on the Algarve the village is remarkably unspoiled with the old village retaining much of its charm. Unlike many of the resorts along this coast it was the great earthquake of 1755 which did the greatest damage to this village and not the developers. Of course there has been building, but this has been low-rise and has largely left the core of the village and harbour unscathed. As a result Alvor has a calmer, less rowdy feel than some of the regions resort towns, and if you can live without a neon-lined strip of clubs and bars then this could be the place for you. The history of Alvor is long, possibly dating back as far as the 4th century BC. During the Roman occupation of Iberia it was a prosperous port and later became the Moorish town of Al-bur. However, the village's greatest claim to fame is as the place where King João II died in 1495. In more recent years still, it cemented its place in the history books as the venue for the negotiations which brought about the independence of the former Portuguese territory of Angola.