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Valter Jacinto | profile | all galleries >> Places to visit in Algarve >> Olhão tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Olhão


To discover the hidden charm of Olhão you have to go up to the top of the main church tower, the higher point. Only then you can see the hundreds of roof terraces - the "açoteias" -, typical of the Algarve, which create a unique urban panorama, as if a multitude of cubes had been scattered across a flat surface, their regular shapes repeating each other in three dimensions.

Back at the ground level it is worth wandering trough the fishermen's quarter, which stands between the quay on the Ria Formosa and the earth of the city defined by the main church. The houses here are small and white, their walls topped with bands of geometric decoration that are in effect the verandas of the roof terraces. The streets that border the Avenida da república, itself a symbol of the urban development that took place at the turn of the century, reflect a city of industrials and ship-owners who grew rich from the fish processing business and trade, displaying their wealth by decorating their homes with verandas, tiles, carved stonework and wrought iron.

Any tour of Olhão should end among the refreshning gardens and open air cafés to be found along the long quayside. But first, take a few minutes and plunge into the colourful atmosphere of the market, where the stands sell fish straight from the sea, fresh vegetables and sweet fruit from the farms of the interior.

If you still have time, there are regular boat connections with the islands of Armona and Culatra which provide an opportunity to take a trip along the Ria and visit its attractive beaches.


Der geheime Zauber von Olhão offenbart sich am ehesten, wenn man die Stadt von einem erhöhten Punkt, z.B. dem Turm der Pfarrkirche aus, betrachtet. Dann erkennt man, dass die Dächer der Häuser zu Terrassen, den für die Algarve typischen "açoteias", umgestaltet sind. Wie verschieden hohe, verschachtelte, auf das flache Land geworfene Würfel wirken die Häuser, die sich je nach Blickwinkel zu immer neuen Formen zusammensetzen.

Spazieren Sie durch das Fischerviertel zwischen dem Kai Ria Formosa und dem Stadtzentrum, das man an der Pfarrkirche erkennt und das durch seine kleinen, weissgetünchten Häuser mit geometrisch gestalteten Schmuckfriesen sehr malerisch wirkt. Die Seitenstrassen der Avenida da República, die Anfang des 20. Jahrhundert als Symbol des städtebaulichen Fortschritts angelegt wurde, zeigen das Olhão der Industriellen und Seeleute, die durch den Handel und die Konservenfabriken reich geworden sind.

Was wäre ein Besuch von Olhão ohne einen Spaziergang über die lange Uferpromenade, an der Grünanlagen und Strassencafés zum Verweilen einladen. Zuvor jedoch sollten Sie sich die Markthalle anschauen. Lassen Sie sich einfangen von der bunten Atmosphäre, in der fangfrischer Meeresfisch, frisches Gemüse und die süssen Früchte aus dem Hinterland der Algarve feilgeboten werden.

Falls die Zeit reicht, lohnt sich ein Abstecher zu den dem Haff vorgelagerten Inseln Armona und Culatra mit ihren wunderschönen Sandstränden. Es bestehen regelmässige Bootsverbindungen.


Para descobrir o encanto oculto de Olhão é necessário subir à torre da igreja matriz, o ponto mais alto. Então o segredo desvenda-se nas centenas de casas com o telhado substituído por um terraço: a típica açoteia algarvia. Criando um panorama único de ruas que se assemelham a uma multidão de cubos espalhados sobre um horizonte plano, juntando-se e sobrepondo-se em perspectivas múltiplas.

Percorra o bairro dos pescadores, situado entre o cais da Ria Formosa e o coração da cidade definido pela Igreja Matriz, onde ainda se mantém o pitoresco das pequenas casas brancas com platibandas decoradas com motivos geométricos. As ruas que ladeiam a Avenida da República, símbolo do urbanismo do princípio do século, mostram a cidade dos industriais e mareantes enriquecidos pelas conservas e pelo comércio.

Uma visita a Olhão deve terminar no longo cais refrescado por jardins e esplanadas. Mas antes não deixe de entrar no ambiente colorido do Mercado, onde se vende o peixe acabado de sair do mar, as frescas hortaliças ou a doce fruta vinda do interior algarvio.

Se ainda tiver tempo, as ligações regulares com as ilhas de Armona e Culatra possibilitam um agradável passeio pela Ria para conhecer os seus bonitos areais.