Extracts, reports and photos from our editions from the 1970 and 1980's. These are PDF scans of sections from old file editions, so please understand that the quality will not be as good as modern technology now permits. This page is still under construction and more items are being added constantly. Do you have old menus, photos or other items from the 70's and early 80's. Please send us a scan in PDF or JPG and we will see if we can integrate them in this important & growing archive of Algarve 'as it was in the beginning'. Please call 707 500 655 if you need help or information

Sander Van Gelder & Vale do Lobo, Front Page February 1979
The controversial character Sander Van Gelder bought Vale do Lobo in 1978, and he had ambitious plans for this originally Costain's owned developments future. This is the earliest article we could find, entitled "They said he was crazy, but look what he's done". Now, over 30 years later, the article makes very interesting reading. Be sure to send this on to friends from or connected to Vale do Lobo, its unique. Be sure to check the 1980's pages (above) for the November 1980 front page when some extraordinary goings on were revealed. The first of many that would continue over the years..
Front Page Page 15

We liked to complain, this time "Too Many Tourists" - September 1979
A complaint we would like to hear this year, it looks as if the expat community of the time would complain if there were ANY tourists. How attitudes have changed in 30 years, now we all realise how important our visitors are.
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

A classic! A menu cover from one of the first TAP 747 New York flights
Thanks to one of our readers, we have a menu cover from one of the first TAP Boeing 747 flights to New York. Its though to be very early 70's possibly 1972. If you have memorabilia to share with readers, please send us a copy
Read

Massive price increases, Fuel had gone up to 19 cents a litre - October 1979
This is a wonderful source of prices in October 1979, and we were complaining? Packed with prices of everything from gas, fuel, food, drink (remember to divide everything by 200 to get a Euro price.
Page 1 Page 2

A new highway, Front Page April 1979
British Consul Dr Jose Azevedo laid out his dreams for the Portimão harbour and predicted the day when "Portimão will be jam packed with free spending trippers from ocean going cruise ships". It took a few more years (over 30) but his dream is starting to come true
Front Page

John Goodchild on eating out in July 1979
John Goodchild was a popular writer for the Algarve News, normally on furnishing, but as a great 'foodie' this time he wrote about eating out.
Read

Investing abroad wasn't so easy in the 70's but started to change in 1979
Few people will remember the infamous 'Dollar Premium' a device by which Her Majesties Treasury forced you pay up to double to invest outside the UK. In 1979 they started to relax the rules, though what £100,000 would buy was another matter.
Read

Albufeira in 1978 - you wont recognise it
Albufeira is where it all started, and here you will find some of the original expats and those who gave Albufeira its original character. Can you believe that in most restaurants (read the reviews) the main dish was under 1 Euro, and a desert less that 25 cents. This one is a must, its 7 pages of pure discovery
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7

Business is booming, Front Page August 1977
Optimism was high in 1977 as Portugal emerged from its 1974 revolution. Quite a lot of facts and figures, even talk of overbooking.
Front Page

Extensions to Faro Airport, August 1977
Faro Airport was to get 12 check in points (it has over 40 these days), but that was in the old airport building. 164,045 passengers came through the airport in the first 5 months of 1977. Nowadays its over 5 million
Read

Henry Cotton returns, Front Page September 1977
World famous golfer Henry Cotton returned to the Algarve to visit the Penina Golf Course which he designed in 1963, and which opened to world acclaim in 1966
Front Page

A report on the very early days of the Algarve Tourist Board, October 1977
Sr Cabrita Neto had just been appointed the new President of the tourist board and laid out his plans for the future of Algarve tourism in this interview conducted in 1977
Read

British pensioners living here were in uproar, October 1977
Once you had moved to Portugal, at the time, your pension was frozen at the rate of the date you moved. A Mr F W Adams was a great campaigner to get this changed, and eventually it was changed.
Read

Luz Bay, what was it like in 1978? - May 1978
A fascinating 7 page feature with photos and the people and businesses of the time. Essential reading for anyone who lives in, or regularly visits Luz. You wont recognise it!
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7

Bridge over Guadiana, Front Page October 1977
Can you believe that the first announcement of the building of a bridge over the Guadiana was made in 1977? It was many years before it came to fruition.
Front Page

Foreign residents help Portuguese Orphans, Front Page February 1978
Foreign residents helping Portuguese charities is nothing new. They have been doing this since 1976. This story is about an orphanage for girls in Lagos
Front Page

Quick the candles! Its starting to rain, Front Page March 1978
These days our electricity supply can withstand most storms, but back in the 70's it went out for hours if there was even a drip of rain.
Front Page

What was Faro like in 1978?
This 2 page feature looked at Faro. It starts wonderfully "If you'd visited Faro 10 years ago, you'd have found two way traffic in what is now (1978) the main shopping street. Over 30 years since this was written, things have changed a bit! Note that at the time, the Casa de Lumena was the  local'
Page 1   Page 2

Do you remember the wrecked Super Constellations at Faro Airport? June 1978
This one is a real memory test. For years two Super Constellations and a Dakota stood over at the side of the runway. Did you know they were gun running planes flying in and out of Biafra. Here is their story.
Read

Praia da Rocha, its changed since this article in July 1978
This was the Algarve's first 'resort' but read through this two page article, and you will see how much difference over 30 years have made. This is nothing like today's Praia da Rocha, and that's an understatement
Page 1 Page 2

Burgau to Sagres September 1978
This article starts "The towns and villages along the western end end of the Algarve have yet to feel the real impact of tourism. That might of been true in 1978, but things have changed! See how much
Read

Almancil - May 1978
This report by the late Jim Player starts, "It may surprise many readers of this supplement to see that we are devoting space to a small village like Almancil". Jim saw it change over the years, but here are his original comments.
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3