One region. Every side of it.

Algarve
Unlocked.

Almost 80 towns, villages and neighbourhoods explored on foot, on camera and without the tourist-brochure gloss.

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≈80place guides
2001living in the Algarve since
1extraordinary region
100%independent & honest
The Algarve most people miss

Beyond the beaches and postcards.

Algarve Unlocked is Nick Robinson’s ongoing journey through the towns, villages and local communities that make southern Portugal far more varied than it first appears.

“I wanted to answer the question people always ask: where in the Algarve would actually suit me?”

From lively Lagos and working-city Faro to tiny mountain villages and border towns on the Guadiana, each film gets beneath the surface: what the place feels like, who it suits, where it struggles and what daily life could really look like.

Nick Robinson — Algarve Addicts
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Pick a place. Press play.

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The complete series • Select any episode inside the playerYouTube playlist ↗
Explore the series by location

Every film.
One Algarve map.

Travel from the Spanish border to the wild west coast. Select a pin to find the Algarve Unlocked films for that place.

A pin may lead to more than one film where a place has been revisited. The complete series remains available in the playlist above.

Coast to countryside

Four Algarves.
Dozens of different lives.

01 / WEST

Wild & dramatic

Big Atlantic landscapes, historic towns and a freer, windswept edge.

Lagos · Aljezur · Sagres · Salema · Vila do Bispo · Burgau · Praia da Luz · Bensafrim
02 / CENTRAL

Connected & cosmopolitan

The Algarve’s busiest hub, balancing resorts, working towns and village life.

Faro · Loulé · Almancil · Vilamoura · Albufeira · Quarteira · São Brás · Olhão
03 / EAST

Slower & more Portuguese

Lagoon islands, whitewashed towns, broad beaches and life beside the Guadiana.

Tavira · Fuseta · Moncarapacho · Cacela Velha · Altura · Monte Gordo · Castro Marim · Alcoutim
04 / INTERIOR

Quiet & unexpected

Cork country, castle towns and mountain communities well away from the sand.

Silves · Monchique · Messines · Alte · Salir · Querença · Estoi · Cachopo
Walking beside the Algarve coast
What makes these films different

Not a listicle. A lived-in look.

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Honest, not promotional

The charm, the compromises, the traffic, the seasons and the things estate-agent copy leaves out.

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Made for real decisions

Useful context for people exploring where to visit, rent, buy or build a new life.

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Local perspective

More than two decades of living here, backed by conversations with the people who know each place.

Explore the films

Where does your Algarve begin?

Start with a town you know, then follow the road somewhere you don’t. The complete journey is waiting in the playlist.

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Nick Robinson and the Algarve Addicts team
The people behind the project

Algarve Addicts

We live here. We travel it. And we help people understand what moving here really involves.

Algarve Addicts is a registered real estate agency and tour operator based near São Brás de Alportel. Algarve Unlocked began as a passion project and grew into one of the most detailed video portraits of the region — a practical starting point for anyone trying to find their place in it.

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A few useful answers

About the series

Is Algarve Unlocked only for people moving to Portugal?

No. The films work equally well for curious travellers, Algarve residents and anyone who wants to see beyond the region’s best-known resorts.

Does the playlist cover the whole Algarve?

It stretches from the far western Atlantic coast to the Spanish border and north into the hills. New and updated films continue to fill in the gaps.

Are the videos sponsored by the towns?

The editorial perspective is independent. The aim is to show the character and reality of each place, including its drawbacks.

Can Algarve Addicts help me choose where to live?

Yes. The team offers planning calls, scouting support, property search and practical relocation help for people moving to the Algarve.