Olhão is a former fishing village that offers a glimpse into authentic Algarvian life. It’s an unpretentious, affordable, working town with a Moorish-influenced centre, a sprawling fish and produce market, and a busy marina where ferries hop across to the unspoilt island beaches of the Ria Formosa lagoon. It serves up some of best seafood in the Algarve, and is simple to get to from Faro Airport: a 15-minute drive along the N125, or two stops on the train from Faro’s central station.

From Olhao marina, a quick (and cheap) ferry or taxi boat ride will whisk you to the unique island beaches of the Ria Formosa. The pristine white sandbars of this sheltered turquoise lagoon are breathtaking. Shores are untamed and beautiful, largely deserted save for a few clusters of simple seafood restaurants, holiday homes, and cute and colourful houses where a handful of islanders live.

From Olhao, you’ve a choice of three island beaches: Armona (the closest – 15 mins), Culatra or Farol. Together they offer over 10km of sand, accessed via boardwalks that take you across wild dunes and scrubland inhabited by birds and reptiles. If you choose Farol, have lunch at MarAmais beach hut, a laid-back shack with a shady terrace looking straight out to sea.

For a stretch of the legs, head 3 kilometres out of town to the Quinta de Marim, a coastal wilderness of woodland, freshwater lagoons and salt flats. If the coast is more your thing, there’s plenty more to see. Rather conveniently, there’s a railway station in the middle of Olhao, so hop on a train to neighbouring Fuseta, a 5-minute journey, to spend the day on its stunning island beach. A little further along the line is Tavira, another of our favourite fishing towns in the Algarve.