Faro Sailing School - Sailing Area

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The Sailing Area

The Algarve region, the sun-drenched Southern coast of Portugal and South Western Spain’s Costa de la Luz, offers fantastic sailing due to the predominance of the North Easterly Trade Winds which blow during the Summer months making the coastline very protected with flat seas and offshore breezes.
The coastline between the Western tip of the Algarve, Cabo de São Vicente, and Gibraltar is full of contrasts. The scenery at both ends is spectacular with impressive cliff formations whilst the middle section is mainly fine white sandy beaches, many backed by lagoons and nature reserves which are a wildlife enthusiast’s paradise, full of many different species of birds.

There are many harbours and hundreds of unspoilt picturesque anchorages along the coastline as well as two navigable rivers to explore - the Río Guadiana which constitutes the Portuguese/Spanish border where we are located and the Río Guadalquivir which takes you to the historic city of Seville.

The large sheltered lagoon of Faro and Olhão is a great place for pilotage exercises with its many sandbanks and winding channels to negotiate. The lagoon is protected by sandy offshore islets with wonderful beaches, a great place for swimming. In the evening we can row ashore to the island of Culatra where you can sample superb freshly caught fish with the locals and the trip back after dark in the dinghy is a marvel as the water is rich in phosphorescence.

The tidal range in the Algarve region is a gentle 3 metres at Springs and 1 metre at Neaps allowing for a great introduction to tidal sailing for the novice whilst producing tidal streams strong enough to tax the more experienced sailor.

The climate is idyllic in the Algarve with temperatures averaging in the 30’s ºC during the Summer with virtually no rainfall between the beginning of April and the end of October.

Inland, the region is green and fertile. The nearby Doñana Natural Park is host to a wealth of flora and fauna, being one of the largest and most interesting bird and wildlife sanctuaries in Europe.

The Algarve is steeped in history. The Phoenicians established trading posts along the coast some 3000 years ago, followed by the Carthaginians who founded Portus Hannibalis (Portimão) in 550 BC. The Romans are to be thanked for spreading the cultivation of wheat, barley and grapes and building roads and luxurious palaces during their 400 year stay. After the Romans came the Visigoths and then the first Moors from North Africa. The Moors remained for 500 years having their capital in Silves or Xelb as it was called then. It was not until the first half of the 13th Century that the Portuguese reclaimed their territory. On a nautical note, Prince Henry the Navigator chose Sagres in the West as the base for his school of navigation. He had ships built in Lagos for the Portuguese expeditions to Africa and Asia making Portugal a major imperial power.

On the Spanish side, the city of Huelva is one of the oldest cities in Spain from which Christopher Columbus embarked upon his voyage of discovery to the Americas over 500 years ago in the surprisingly small Caravels - there are 3 full size replicas located on the Muelle de las Caravellas. The final resting place of the intrepid explorer is in the exquisite Gothic Cathedral of Seville.

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The Algarve region, the sun-drenched Southern coast of Portugal and South Western Spain’s Costa de la Luz, offers fantastic sailing due to the predominance of the North Easterly Trade Winds which blow during the Summer months making the coastline very protected with flat seas and offshore breezes. The coastline between the Western tip of the Algarve, Cabo de São Vicente, and Gibraltar is full of contrasts. The scenery at both ends is spectacular with impressive cliff formations whilst the middle section is mainly fine white sandy beaches, many backed by lagoons and nature reserves which are a wildlife enthusiast’s paradise, full of many different species of birds. There are many harbours and hundreds of unspoilt picturesque anchorages along the coastline as well as two navigable rivers to explore - the Río Guadiana which constitutes the Portuguese/Spanish border where we are located and the Río Guadalquivir which takes you to the historic city of Seville. The large sheltered lagoon of Faro and Olhão is a great place for pilotage exercises with its many sandbanks and winding channels to negotiate. The lagoon is protected by sandy offshore islets with wonderful beaches, a great place for swimming. In the evening we can row ashore to the island of Culatra where you can sample superb freshly caught fish with the locals and the trip back after dark in the dinghy is a marvel as the water is rich in phosphorescence. The tidal range in the Algarve region is a gentle 3 metres at Springs and 1 metre at Neaps allowing for a great introduction to tidal sailing for the novice whilst producing tidal streams strong enough to tax the more experienced sailor. The climate is idyllic in the Algarve with temperatures averaging in the 30’s ºC during the Summer with virtually no rainfall between the beginning of April and the end of October. Inland, the region is green and fertile. The nearby Doñana Natural Park is host to a wealth of flora and fauna, being one of the largest and most interesting bird and wildlife sanctuaries in Europe. The Algarve is steeped in history. The Phoenicians established trading posts along the coast some 3000 years ago, followed by the Carthaginians who founded Portus Hannibalis (Portimão) in 550 BC. The Romans are to be thanked for spreading the cultivation of wheat, barley and grapes and building roads and luxurious palaces during their 400 year stay. After the Romans came the Visigoths and then the first Moors from North Africa. The Moors remained for 500 years having their capital in Silves or Xelb as it was called then. It was not until the first half of the 13th Century that the Portuguese reclaimed their territory. On a nautical note, Prince Henry the Navigator chose Sagres in the West as the base for his school of navigation. He had ships built in Lagos for the Portuguese expeditions to Africa and Asia making Portugal a major imperial power. On the Spanish side, the city of Huelva is one of the oldest cities in Spain from which Christopher Columbus embarked upon his voyage of discovery to the Americas over 500 years ago in the surprisingly small Caravels - there are 3 full size replicas located on the Muelle de las Caravellas. The final resting place of the intrepid explorer is in the exquisite Gothic Cathedral of Seville.