About Olhão

The status of the town was granted to Olhão in 1808 when 17 fishermen crossed the Atlantic with no papers to announce that the French invading armies had been defeated. The buildings in Olhão show a Moorish flavour. There are many crumbling, empty houses in Olhão which have stood empty for several years. On seeing these beautiful buildings Art in The Algarve set out to restore and preserve some of them.

The town of Olhão is essentially and historically linked to the local fishing industry and only grew into existence in the 17th Century. It has about 30,000 inhabitants and was raised to the status of a town after 17 local fishermen successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1808 in the fishing boat “Bom Sucesso” without charts. Their purpose was to announce to the exiled King of Portugal, Dom João IV, that the French invading armies had been defeated and had returned to France leaving Portugal free for the King to return. It was in this town in 1882 that the first canning factory for tuna and sardines was established. Very soon canning factories spread along the coast and it became the leading industry of the Algarve.

Architecturally the town is well known in the older quarter where the flat terraced roofs and straight box-shaped chimneys show a definite Moorish flavour. The fish market in a long building on the waterfront is a “must” to visitors. Every morning there is a lively noisy atmosphere and the impressively large variety of fish offered by the local catch is displayed to tempt the housewife.

Traditional Algarve crafts such as basket making, weaving and lace making have survived largely due to the increase in tourism. Pottery is seen all over the Algarve. There are a number of artesanato shops and handicraft stalls in the Algarve and they are well worth a visit to take home memories of the Algarve and to brighten up your home.

There are many different festivals throughout the year in the Algarve, The algarve people like to celebrate its past with dances festivals and carnivals, you will usually find one every month. Algarve events are not to be missed, the Algarvios really know how to party and they invest lots of time and effort putting on events that attract residents and tourists alike.