Cacela Velha
Vila Real de Santo António municipality, Portugal
Cacela Velha concentrates much of the eastern Algarve’s character into a small historic settlement. White houses, a church and the old defensive setting overlook the Ria Formosa, with the lagoon and barrier landscape providing the real sense of scale. Choose it for a quiet architectural and landscape visit rather than a long checklist of attractions. A slow circuit of the village and its viewpoints lets the changing water and light do most of the work.