Located in the very heart of the Algarve, the city of Loulé is the seat of the region’s largest municipality, comprising 11 civil parishes and consisting of four areas with distinctly different characteristics: the Serra (uplands), Beira Serra (edge of the uplands), Barrocal (a transitional area between the uplands and the coast) and Litoral (the coastal area).

The city of Loulé is today considered to be one of the Algarve’s main urban centres and a landmark on the national panorama due not only to its excellent accessibility, countless social, cultural and sporting infrastructure and commercial areas, but also for its sustainable urban development.The renown currently enjoyed by Loulé derives, in part, from the colourful, century-old Carnival parade, held every year along the city’s main avenue, the Avenida José da Costa Mealha.

The historical city centre is an obligatory stop for visitors to the city. Characterised by its narrow streets and whitewashed houses, it occupies an area stretching between the Castle Walls and the Main Church (Igreja Matriz).

Of Arab origin, the Castle, which was rebuilt in the 13th century, has impressive walls, parts of which can still be seen today, and three masonry towers. Loulé was originally surrounded by the walls and, at that time, the space within constituted its political, religious and residential nucleus. However, the growth in the population led the town to expand beyond the walls, forming the pillars of the city as we know it today. Next to the walls was the Alcaidaria, the residence of the Alcaide (or Governor) of the town. Today, this building houses the Archaeology Museum.

The coastal area of the municipality is of fundamental importance for the tourist business in the entire Algarve. Vilamoura’s renown has no little bearing on this fact, as it is one of the most highly-reputed holiday resorts both in Portugal and abroad, having made its mark due to its status, natural attractions, extensive sandy beaches and high quality support infrastructure such as the marina, the casino and – of course – the golf courses. The same can be said of the resorts of Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago in Almancil.