The Algarve is more than beaches and restaurants. The market halls are still working market halls, where the fish comes in of a morning and the vegetables come from a few kilometres away. And when it does rain — it happens — there are two large covered centres.
Loulé market
The finest market hall in the Algarve: a Moorish-looking building with domes, right in the middle of town. Inside, fish, meat, cheese and vegetables; around it, stalls with herbs, nuts and honey.
Saturday morning is the busiest and the best, with extra stalls in the surrounding streets. Go early — by midday the best has gone.
Portimão
Closer than Loulé and a good deal less touristy. The covered market is mainly there for local people, which shows in the prices.
It's also where you catch a boat to the caves or out to see dolphins. Combine the two: market in the morning, harbour after.
Rainy day? Two options
MAR Shopping in Loulé has an IKEA and a designer outlet. Useful when something's missing in a holiday home, and there's a play area for the children.
Algarve Shopping near Guia is closer and has a cinema showing films in their original language with subtitles — Portugal doesn't dub.
A market isn't a sight to tick off, but it is the best hour of the week for seeing how life here actually works. And you'll go home with better tomatoes than you can buy at home.