Villas Journal 27

I have always found it interesting to explore the residential areas in the Algarve.  It is one thing to visit the villages where the majority of the Portuguese live such as Estombar, Parchal, Tunes, Algoz, Pera. Sao Bartholomeu de Messines and dozens of others.  The architecture has a Moorish feel about it but moderated by other influences.  Although the Moors from Africa dominated what we call Spain and Portugal from 700 AD to 1200 AD their influence has stubbornly hung on.

Leaving the Portuguese aside one cannot notice the Moorish influence on most of the early villas built by the British when the Portuguese currency was worth very little and the pound was booming.  They came here is droves and built what I call 'donkey trail' subdivisions around the fishing villages as well as on the south side of the mountains with an ocean view.  Most of the building during the latter part of the 20th century was of simple angular buildings with fireplaces for heat.  Even now many apartments are still heated by wood although it is changing rapidly.  Heat exchangers are the major source of heat and cooling now.

As you look further you'll notice the new generation of building.  Much of it has lost the softness of the Moorish feel and is being replaced by a hard edged look with less block (main building material here) and more glass.  Here is an example of two villas on opposite sides of the street right beside us.  The first is probably 1980's and the bottom one has just been finished.  The glass doesn't show in the photos but it is being used for railings, stairways, large windows, etc.  The old building used very little glass and went so far as to have metal shutters to keep out the summer heat.

Notice the woodburning chimney and the rounded arches.  Automated gates are ubiquitous here.

Houses are almost always white or a light pastel to keep out the heat. This house is certainly in the two to three million range.