Algarve News Timeline
Key events from 1 November 1755 to present
Discover the key moments that shaped Algarve News. Explore the events that define our community.
1 November 1755
The Great Earthquake and Tsunami Devastate the Algarve
On the morning of All Saints' Day 1755, a massive earthquake struck with its epicentre in the Atlantic southwest of Cape St Vincent. The earthquake, e...
25 April 1974
The Carnation Revolution Ends the Dictatorship
On 25 April 1974, a military coup in Lisbon overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime that had governed Portugal since 1933. The revolution, name...
c. 200 BC
Roman Conquest and the Province of Lusitania
The Romans incorporated the Algarve into their empire during the second century BC as part of the broader conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The regio...
711
Moorish Conquest of the Algarve
Arab and Berber forces crossed the Strait of Gibraltar in 711 and rapidly conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula, including the Algarve. The name Alg...
c. 800 BC
Phoenician Traders Establish Coastal Settlements
Phoenician merchants from the eastern Mediterranean established trading posts along the Algarve coast, drawn by the region's rich fishing grounds and ...
1189
Crusaders Capture Silves
In 1189, King Sancho I of Portugal, aided by English and Flemish crusaders en route to the Holy Land, besieged and captured the Moorish city of Silves...
1249
Afonso III Completes the Reconquista in the Algarve
King Afonso III of Portugal captured Faro in 1249, completing the Christian reconquest of the Algarve and establishing the southern border of Portugal...
1420
Prince Henry the Navigator Establishes His Base at Sagres
Prince Henry (Infante Dom Henrique), son of King Joao I, established his household and navigation enterprise at Sagres and Lagos in the early fifteent...
1444
First European Slave Market Opens in Lagos
In 1444, the first large consignment of enslaved Africans was brought to Lagos by the explorer Lancalote de Freitas, and a slave market was establishe...
1487
First Book Printed in Portugal Published in Faro
In 1487, the first book printed in Portugal was produced in Faro by Samuel Gacon, a Jewish printer. The book, a Hebrew-language edition of the Pentate...
1833
The Algarve in the Liberal Wars
During the Portuguese Liberal Wars (1828-1834), the Algarve was drawn into the conflict between the absolutist King Miguel I and the liberal forces su...
1889
The Railway Reaches the Algarve
The Algarve railway line, connecting the region to Lisbon and the rest of Portugal, was completed in stages during the late nineteenth century. The li...
1900
The Fish Canning Industry Peaks
By the turn of the twentieth century, fish canning had become the Algarve's dominant industry. Factories in Portimao, Lagos, Olhao, Vila Real de Santo...
1965
Faro Airport Opens to Commercial Traffic
The opening of Faro Airport in 1965 marked the beginning of the Algarve's transformation from a remote agricultural and fishing region into one of Eur...
1970s
Vilamoura Resort Development Begins
The planned resort development of Vilamoura, one of the largest private tourism projects in Europe, began in the early 1970s on land that had been par...
1986
Portugal Joins the European Community
Portugal's accession to the European Economic Community (now the European Union) on 1 January 1986 had a transformative effect on the Algarve. EU stru...
August 2003
Devastating Forest Fires Sweep the Algarve Interior
In the summer of 2003, catastrophic forest fires struck the Algarve interior, burning thousands of hectares of pine and eucalyptus forest in the hills...
2012
Golden Visa Programme Launches
In 2012, Portugal launched its Golden Visa programme, offering residency permits to non-EU nationals who made qualifying investments, most commonly th...
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic Halts Tourism
The global COVID-19 pandemic brought the Algarve's tourism-dependent economy to an abrupt standstill in March 2020. Faro Airport effectively closed, h...
2023
Severe Drought Highlights Water Scarcity
By 2023, the Algarve faced its worst water crisis in decades, with reservoir levels at dangerously low levels after consecutive years of below-average...