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Sao Bras de Alportel – a corker of a place?The town of Sao Bras de Alportel is quiet and peaceful and lies just over 20 km north of Faro. It was once an affluent town in the days when it was the busy cork producing capital of Portugal. That was many years ago now. Today life is more tranquil, but you can still see around you the trappings of wealth in some of the larger houses, with intricate stonework and decorated in tiles. If you’re looking for a simple existence along side the traditional white houses, narrow cobbled streets and the remaining local craftsmen, it may be a good choice for your Algarve holiday this year. Click here to see a selection of Sao Bras de Alportel villas to rent Things to do in São Brás de AlportelLet’s be honest, there’s not a huge amount to do here. It is certainly not the place to stay if you have children who demand constant activities to keep them amused. It is more suited to those of you who want to get away from it all and disappear back in time, in a traditional Algarve village. If you like walking, eating good food and want a bit of history, then you’ll like the place. If you want more from your holiday, as long as you have a car, then rest of the Algarve is waiting for you.Many people come to this part of the Algarve for walking tours and holidays. Basing yourself in São Brás, you are ideally positioned for walking in the Barrocal region. This region consists of the plains, which lie between the Atlantic Ocean and the hills to the north. It is a barren region mainly populated by traditional farmers living in their small, isolated hamlets. In the town, there are a few sites of historical value worth visiting. The first is the Church at Sao Bras de Alportel. Dating back to the 15th Century, it was destroyed in the earthquake of 1755, after which it was rebuilt. Not the most exciting church in the world, but the Chapel of Senhor dos Passos is worth visiting to see its carvings, paintings and statues. If churches aren’t your thing, you can at least enjoy the great views here, of the surrounding countryside to the north and the sea to the south. Then there’s the Episcopal Palace, the former summer residence of bishops and built in the 17th Century. For a taste of more recent history, then visit the António Bentes Cultural Centre which houses the Algarvean Costume Ethnographic Museum. Guided tours are available if you want to get the most out of it. The museum has typical 19th/20th Century Algarvean costumes. There is also an exhibition of farm implements and a number of old vehicles, from wagons to carriages. It is open weekdays, although closed for lunch and only open afternoons at the weekend. Rua Dr Jose Dias Sancho 61 8150 Sao Bras de Alportel If you’re here at the right time of year there are a couple of Festivals to be enjoyed. The first is at Easter, where people come from all over and there is an Easter Day parade. The second is the Festival of the Mountains (Feira da Serra), which takes place each year at the end of July, with food and drink, music, dancing and displays of local crafts and horsemanship. There are a couple of markets to visit; the Gipsy Market on the 3rd Sunday of the month and a weekly market each Saturday. Restaurants in Sao Bras de AlportelIf you like food, then São Brás will not disappoint. It has a large number of restaurants in a relatively small area. The food is good and you certainly won’t baulk at the price (particularly if you have had meals at some of the coastal resorts).While fish and seafood are readily available, being in the country, you’ll find more meat on the menu, particularly chicken and kid. The area is well known its almonds, so you’ll find specialities such as almond cakes and almond sweets. Here is a selection of restaurants you might like to try in the local area: Churrasqueira Sao Bras - Good grilled food, which if a little basic is tasty and very cheap. It is closed Wednesdays. Rua 5 de Outubro, Lote 3 Sao Bras de Alportel 8150-114 Contact Tel: 289 842 873 Churrasqueira Paraíso (Luis dos Frangos) - This is known as Chicken Luis. It is famous for its Chicken Piri-Piri and very popular with the locals and tourists alike. It Closed on Mondays. Rua Dr. José Dias Sancho, 132 Sao Bras de Alportel, 8150-142 Contact Tel: 289 842 635 O Graciano - 3 km out of town. Great for meat-eaters with the house speciality being steak on a stone. They do have a vegetarian menu also. Closed Wednesdays. EN 270, Mesquita Alta Sao Bras de Alportel 8150-047 Contact Tel: 289 841 846 Fonte de Pedra - Good food from an International style menu. Closed Tuesdays. Campina São Brás 8150-022 Contact Tel: 289 841 413 Rocha Da Gralheira – Portuguese cuisine in nice surroundings. Closed Mondays. Rocha da Gralheira, CP 10 São Brás 8150-039 Contact Tel: 289 842 394 The Avenida - good food cooked simply but well. House wine by the "Jarra" jug is worth it too. The locals reckon this is the best Chicken Piri Piri too. We reckon this is the best value in town too! Closed on Mondays. Avenida da Liberdade, lote 7 São Brás 8150-101 Contact Tel: 289 843 606 Bom Amigo - Chinese Restaurant behind Luis de Frangos. Great food, especially the aromatic duck. Rua Aníbal Rosa Silva, Lote 10 São Brás 8150–116 Contact Tel: 289 841 438 Xangai Gourmet - Sao Bras gets another Chinese! The food here is excellent. Rua Gago Coutinho, 45-47 São Brás 8150-151 Contact Tel: 289 841 277 Pizzaria Mama Mia - This is an Italian pizza and pasta restaurant.Sometimes you just need a Pizza! Closed on Tuesdays. Avenida da Liberdade, Lt 6 Esq. São Brás 8150-101 Contact Tel: 289 845 901 Restaurante Savoy - International and Portuguese cuisine. Closed Thursdays. Rua Luiz Bivar, 40 São Brás de Alportel 8150-171 Contact Tel: 289 842 346 Sao Bras de Alportel HotelsThere are a small number of Pousadas in the Algarve. One of them is here; the Sao Bras Pousada, with 33 rooms, a swimming pool and a tennis court. This was the first one to be built in the Algarve, although it looks relatively modern, so not as pretty as some. There is a restaurant here which is quite good, but there are so many more in the surrounding area, you’re spoilt for choice. It is actually about 2km from the town, so you’ll really need a car.For more information about this hotel please click the Sao Bras Pousada link. Useful InformationDistance from Faro: 22 kmTourist Information Office R. Dr. Evaristo Sousa Gago, 1 8150 São Brás Contact Tel: 289 842 211 Return from Sao Bras de Alportel to Eastern Algarve page
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