Almancil
- Written by Come to Portugal
Almancil comes under the district of Loule with nearby Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Largo. Nicknamed the Golden Triangle, this is one of the most expensive areas of the Algarve, yet the shame is whilst house can sell for well into the millions, Almancil seems to be a town forgotten from the tourist map. Many web sites mention the 18th century church of Sao Lourenço (Saint Lawrence) which sits on the outskirts of the town with the EN125 dual carriageway running along the side.
The church is featured on many postcards as it has a spectacular hand painted tile interior with a hand carved wooden gilded altar. The church has an entry charge and forbids the use of cameras, but it is still being used by the faithful and you may be lucky and fine a wedding or christening taking place in which case the large main door remains open with free entry.
As you head out of Almancil along the back road towards Quarteira, the are some good shops which offer hand made tiles for which the area is known. At one layby, there is a picnic area with an old water nora which donkeys circled endlessly in order to draw up water from the well below. The hand painted tiles that decorate the layby show how life was in the older days; it is hard not to notice the large palacial houses in the area, each with individual architecture.
Nearby Vale do Lobo is the closest beach for the town along with nearby golf courses and nature park. Almancil has two monthly markets as well as two monthly fleamarkets that are very popular for those looking for a bargain to take home with them.
