Vilamoura

Vilamoura is the largest private tourist complex in Portugal. Vilamoura was developed by Lusotur beginning in 1966, and was planned around the large Vilamoura Marina, the largest in Portugal, which first opened in 1974. A luxury travel destination, Vilamoura is home to scores of four and five-star hotels, six golf courses, two beaches, a lawn bowling alley, tennis courts, a sports club, villas, nightclubs, a casino, and more.

Quarteira and Cavacos

Technically, `Quarteira` also means Vilamoura, as Vilamoura is not an incorporated area and not its own city. Over 20,000 people call Quarteira (including Vilamoura) home, and the city has been inhabited since the time of the Romans. At the turn of the 14th century, the sleepy fishing village of Quarteira became a town, and was elevated to city status in 1999. Quarteira`s economy is heavily tied to tourism, in particular golf. Quarteira is known for its popular June `Marchas` festival, and tourists not only visit its beaches but its historic sights such as the Forte Novo, originally built in the 12th century.

Between Avenida de Sa Carneiro and the beaches of Quintana de Paraiso and Quarteira Beach, these two blocks of trendy beachfront property comprises the neighborhood of Cavacos. Approximately a dozen seafood restaurants are located in Cavacos, as is a large supermarket and a shopping mall.