OLHÃO is the Algarve's main fishing port. It looks tatty from the main road, but it is much more interesting in the town proper and on the waterfront. Follow the signs to the porto if you want to see a colourful array of working boats.

Otherwise, head straight for the municipal market (mercado) where you will see an exceptional variety of seafood for sale. It is situated in a pair of weird-looking brick red buildings on the waterfront boulevard where you will see Olhão life at its busiest and sweatiest on Saturday mornings. There are ferries here to the sand-spit islands of Armona and Culatra. Both have chalet accommodation, but it's very scarce in summer.

Signposted on the N125 just outside of Olhão, Quinta do Marim is the state-run field-study centre of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, an extensive wetland area of sandy islands, salt-pans and marshes important to migrating as well as wintering and breeding birds.

As you would expect, Olhão has many very good yet inexpensive seafood restaurants.

FUSETA resembles Olhão on a small scale. Good for windsurfing. It's a village, but a busy one. So is MONCARAPACHO a few kilometres inland, in the heart of a well-watered and fertile area producing citrus and other fruits. There is a cultural gem here: the Santo Cristo Chuch and a little two-storey museum next door.

The tiles covering most of the church are 17th century. They are unusual in that they are geometrically patterned in the Arab style rather than depicting biblical scenes, and they have bright yellow colouration in addition to the normal blue and white. The most interesting of three 17th century carved wooden figures is a rare example of a sitting Christ.

Next door is a treasure trove of artefacts ranging from the Stone Age through Roman, Visigothic and Moorish times to a remarkable display of 18th century nativity figurines. Everything in the museum was collected by a local priest.

Visit: Câmara Municipal de Olhão