I live in the extreme south west of Portugal – the county is called Vila do Bispo and I am close to the village of Burgau.
The Algarve has a reputation for high end bling golf resorts and mass tourism (not always of the best kind): Most of this is in the central Algarve to the west of Faro. But head east towards the Spanish border and you will find pretty towns like Tavira and the Ria da Formosa national park (a massive expanse of sand dunes and remote islands). Head west and once you pass Lagos you are at the start of the Vicentina national park – a surfing and hiking area with spectacular cliffs and wonderful empty sandy beaches.