Quarteira

Quarteira
Parish

Coat of arms
Quarteira
Coordinates: 37°04′08″N 8°06′11″W / 37.069°N 8.103°W / 37.069; -8.103Coordinates: 37°04′08″N 8°06′11″W / 37.069°N 8.103°W / 37.069; -8.103
Country Portugal
Region Algarve
Subregion Algarve
Intermunic. comm. Algarve
District Faro
Municipality Loulé
Area
 • Total 38.16 km2 (14.73 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 21,798
 • Density 570/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Postal code 8125
Area code 289
Website http://www.jf-quarteira.pt/

Quarteira (Portuguese pronunciation: [kwɐɾˈtɐjɾɐ] or [kwɐɾˈtejɾɐ]) is a Portuguese civil parish, in the municipality (concelho) of Loulé in the Algarve.[1] The population in 2011 was 21,798,[2] in an area of 38.16 km².[3]

History

The Roman ruins of Cerro da Vila located in the area of Vilamoura

The settlement of the region dates back to, at least, the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula (at one time confused with the village of Carteia).[4] There are still other authors who suggest that settlement of the region may have remoted to the period of Phoenician or Carthaginian traders.[4]

For several centuries, Quarteira was a modest fishing village, situated on the edge of a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) beach, encircled by pines.[4] King Denis authorized a foral (charter) for the settlement on 15 November 1297.[4]

In the 15th century, King John I of Portugal ordered the first cultivation of sugar cane in continental Portugal.[4]

Created in 1916, the civil parish quickly became known for its beaches, fishing and its forests of pine.[4]

Quarteira was elevated to the status of cidade (city) on 13 May 1999.[4]

Geography

Quarteira is a coastal civil parish, located along the southern extent of the Algarve fronting Albufeira Municipality to the west (in the parish of Olhos de Água). In addition, the local area authority is bordered in the east by Almancil, northeast by São Clemente, north by São Sebastião and Boliqueime.

From the Atlantic coast, the frontier with its neighbours extends northwest along the Ribeira de Algibre, before following the M526 municipal roadway to the Estrada Nacional EN125 in Maritenda. From here, the border travels southeast along the EN125 until just after the N396 motorway, where it then divides along a ravine southwest towards the Atlantic Ocean, alongside the Royal Golf Course. The coast includes 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) of normally-classified Blue Flag beach.

Economy

Promenade and hotels in Quarteira
The Vilamoura-Marinotel

Golf, continues to represent for this parish, municipality and region, with five separate golf courses contributing to the economy, especially during the low season.[4]

Related to this sport, the parish is the home of the largest private tourist facility in Europe: Vilamoura.[4] In addition, the region accommodates various tourists with two hundred hotels and residences, including casinos, bars and discos.[4]

Architecture

The modernesque lighthouse of Vilamoura

Archaeological

Civic

Military

Religious

Culture

Among other festivities attracting tourism to the region is the Marchas Populares in June.[4]

Town Twinning

Twin towns — Sister cities

The following place is Sister City to Quarteira :

References

  1. ↑ Detail Regional Map, Algarve-Southern Portugal, ISBN 3-8297-6235-6
  2. ↑ Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  3. ↑ Direção-Geral do Território
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Caracterização da Freguesia" (in Portuguese). Quarteira (Loulé), Portugal: Junta Freguesia de Quarteira. 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Quarteira.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/8/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.