1In March 1916, Germany declared war on Portugal, which, fixed in a century-old alliance with Great Britain, entered the heart of the war : Flanders (France). Portugal, however, had already been fighting in Africa (Angola and Mozambique) since 1914, and with the intervention into the European conflict and the consequent dispatch of thousands of men, the political conflicts in Portuguese society were accentuated. Economic and social problems, due to lack of subsistence and increase in the cost of living lowered, dramatically, the standard of life of the population. Agitation among the workers increased throughout the country.

2Modern tourism blossomed during the nineteenth century. Railways, steamboats, the gradual expansion of the automobile, travel agencies; in all, the culmination of the transport revolution of the nineteenth century resulted in liberation of tourism. Portugal and the Algarve were still somewhat behind, both economically and touristically. This period is distinguished, fundamentally, not only from the point of view of tourism, but also by what could be termed country excursion and leisure. An article of July 1916, in the weekly The Algarve, recommends the practice of excursions to beaches, thermal springs, theatres and even spas to « well-off people ». Enumerated advantages of this practice include personal, spiritual and economic aspects (« a development of the circulation of capital »¹). The municipal administrations, however, have neglected the promotion of the riches of Algarve « to a broad invitation to rich and well-off foreigners »². Everyone, or nearly everyone, who wrote about Algarve during these years, did so in a romanticized and idealized style, exaggerating many times over the distinctive riche people.

3Many articles about tourism have been published in A Capital – an expanding daily national –, in the weekly O Algarve and in Magazine de Turismo. The writers, e.g. Tomás Cabreira, Luís de Mascarenhas, Guerra Maio, covered a wide range of subjects, praising, but not failing, here and there, to enlarge upon in their critique, the richness and beauty of the beaches, marveling at the climate, admiring the countryside and describing the cultural-historical patrimony. In their articles and reports, journalists and publicists who wrote about the Algarve had the virtue of building tourism in this region. They understood, and this is praiseworthy, the enormous possibilities the province had to offer in terms of tourism and, obviously, economy, and the future would prove that in many cases they were right. There was some utopia, but much of what came to be tourism in Algarve was already at their fellow feeling.

4Tourism in this period, or rather, during the First Republic (1910-1926), was seen by republicans as a form of education. Republican belief was also nationalist, and the purpose of tourist activity was to make known not only the richness of Portugal and, obviously, of Algarve, but also to exalt the cultural values of the nation. We can say that all those, including Algarvians, who wrote about tourism, were also creating a form of national identity. It was not unexpected that Algarve tourism, not in terms of numbers of visitors, who were scarce, but with respect to divulgation there would have been time for an enormous impetus during the First Republic, and especially during the terrible years of the world war for the role that tourism played in the area of republican nationalist ideology, as in an attempt to attract potential visitors from areas swept clean by the carnage of war.

5In fact, with the bursting out of war, there appeared a glimpse of a possibility for Portugal and for Algarve to catch tourists fleeing from regions, such as Italy, where war had arrived in 1915. The Algarve, as we have pointed out, had much to offer in terms of tourist potential, in spite of important gaps in almost all aspects of infrastructure.

Advertising to the Algarve tourism during the First World War

6Because of the exceptional climate, the Algarve showed great potential for its economic development. In many localities, the press did not fail to make intense publicity about the advantages respecting tourism. Many newspapers contained a column on « Correspondence from the bathing resorts ». To promote tourism in Portugal, the role of publicity, carried out with distinction, fell to the Portuguese Propaganda Society, created on July 4 1906. This institution also fought for the development of tourism in Algarve. In 1913 it organized a visit of English journalists to Portugal, which did not fail to visit the Algarve.

7One of the founders of this society was Jaime de Pádua Franco, which advocated for the development of tourism in the Algarve and abroad. In the Algarve, was the driving force in 1912, the meteorology stations, which aim to observe in detail temperatures and weather in a particular place and held the position of secretary at the Regional Congress of the Algarve, mentioned below.

8In Lisbon on May 12 to 16 1911, the realization of the IV^th International Congress of Tourism was an event for development which resulted in several recommendations for improvement. For Algarve, the realization of the Algarve Regional Conference³, held at Praia da Rocha in 1915, instigated by Tomás Cabreira, deserves attention. Tourism was much discussed.

9In the period before the war, and just after the start of the conflagration, legislation proposing development of tourism was published. Thus, on May 16 1911, a Division of Tourism of the Ministry of Fomentation was created, with financial autonomy⁴. The tourism advertising appears newspapers and magazines of Algarve, long before the period considered here, as well as engravings of landscapes, locations and places. In newspapers, photographs were normally lacking, but in specialist magazines, such as Revista de Turismo, published in 1916, the articles were profusely accompanied by photographs.

10The use of modern means of providing information and entertainment were justified in the « sale » of tourism, an economic activity to be implemented, aiming at the north-american tourist holidaying in Italy, Egypt and Greece. In order to attract tourists to Portugal and, obviously, to the warm beaches of the south, nothing was better than good propaganda, mainly the film « que na America é uma perfeita loucura ! » (« which in America is perfect madness ! »⁵). In fact, in 1917, the So iety insisted that the producer Gaumont makes films about the province. In August, his operators had already filmed around Portimão, Lagos and Faro. Other localities were included in the project. The aforementioned Jaime de Pádua Franco accompanied the filming⁶. The same society, always with the intention of contributing to knowledge about Algarve, was preparing, in April 1918, a Regional Guide to Algarve, appropriately illustrated and containing all indispensable informa information necessary to those visiting the region⁷. We do not know if this guide has been published.

11On September 22 1918, the weekly O Algarve published a translation of an article which, under the title « Britain and Portugal », had been published in the magazine Le Sportif de Rennes, nº29 of June 1918. Praia da Rocha was mentioned in this article⁸. In February 1918, at the initiative of two algarvian academics, a group from the province met in Lisbon to discuss holding a fraternization party which would strengthen the ties among the students of the region and would make « this land of love and legend, unfortunately almost ignored, better known ». This meeting resulted in a committee of eight members, the purpose of which was to advertise the marvels and the exceptional beauty of Algarve⁹.

12One of the wealth of this province was its mild climate. Tomás Cabreira, deputy, senator and finance minister during the First Republic, characterized the climate of Algarve as Mediterranean, to which can be added « similar, in every aspect, to the French Côte d’Azur, the Italian Riviera and Andaluzia east of Malaga »¹⁰. The Algarve was magnificent for summer tourism, but equally pleasant in winter, considering the agreeable temperatures registered. Winter temperatures were higher than those of many famous tourist resorts of the time, such as « Côte d’Azur, Nice, Menton, Cannes and others »¹¹. Even Biarritz had a winter climate inferior to that of Algarve, namely Praia da Rocha¹². The mildness of the climate in winter was favorable for a large number of illnesses consonant with the climatic zones into which Algarve is divided¹³.

13If this province can compete with these international resorts, it is necessary to implement a number of measures which Tomás Cabreira lists as :

« 1° Good and agreeable communications within the province and with the rest of the country and Spain ;
2° Organization of hotels which complies with modern rules ;
3° Rigorous adherence to hygiene in the whole population and the organization of parks and public gardens in all districts and resorts ;
4° Organization of sport and regulation of games¹⁴ in these resorts ;
5° Dredging of all silted watercourses near to settlements, in order to give them better appearance ;
6° Planting of trees along tourist routes and flowers in house windows ;
7° Listing and declaration as national monument of all ruins and buildings of historic or scientific interest »¹⁵.

14And also installation of equipment for the practice of tennis, football and golf.

15The whole program had not been completed in Algarve at the time, and it will took many decades to materialize. Also according to Tomás Cabreira rest stations, sanatoriums stations and tourist stations existed, each with specific regulations and own equipment. The Algarve would look like two different people, « one that is looking for its sweet climate, a relief to their ailments or comes to rest excessive fatigue, and another who just want to have fun, looking for distractions and pleasures of all kinds »¹⁶.Tomás Cabreira considered that the high illiteracy rates (82,12 % among men and women) of the Algarve population curbed the development of tourism, because tourists do not like to « live among ignorant people. All countries with famed tourist seasons or recovery seasons, are highly educated, such as Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Italy ; Spain, Russia and Turkey, where instruction is lower, have no major tourist stations or sanatoriums »¹⁷.

16When it comes to climate, particularly during the winter season, the Algarve was warm compared to other parts of Europe and even the country. The almond blossom that seemed « a snowfall », is considered as a show and a tourist attraction. The most important Algarve tourist triangle comprised Praia da Rocha, Lagos and Monchique. The main Algarve’s beaches, the most visited, the most publicized, were the Praia da Rocha – the « Portuguese Biarritz » Quarteira, Albufeira, Monte Gordo¹⁸, Lagos, Armação de Pêra, Fuzeta and Cacela. On September 14 1918, decree n° 4 819 was published, naming Praia da Rocha a first-class resort and Monchique and Lagos second-class resorts. Their frequency begun in the early nineteenth century, with rich people of the Algarve, Alentejo¹⁹ and Andalusia and other regions of the country, which took place to enjoy the pleasures of the sun, the warm waters and long beaches. It was a spin to rental homes, having even registered a relative urban boom in some of them.

17Praia da Rocha was the great ex-libris of the Algarve. It was that reaped more favors, were written numerous praise items to their beauty, their attraction found itself in its warm waters, but also in its casino, opened on August 1 1910, in which unfolded seething and polished festivities always crowded by the best families and, like Monte Gordo, full of players.

18The summer activities comprised river trips on the River Arade, regattas, concerts, festivals, fairs, dances, opera, theater, poetry recitation competitions, all narrated by the newspapers, and provided with pleasure the names of wealthy vacationers.

Prai da Rocha (Illustracao Portuguesa, n°502, October, 1915)

Quarteira 1916

19However, it was no longer under the most critical eye, though with some exaggeration concerning their equipment : « the little man has done for her. Hotels for rich foreigners are not there. Casinos, they do not have them. Play fields, don’t exist. Everything there is rudimentary »²⁰.

20Already in this studied period, there is information on the urban development of Praia da Rocha and even Portimão. In the Summer of 1917, « the hotel, transport vans, tenancy, everything had an extraordinary demand and who came here was not badly amused... though so much that we lack from the devastating war ! And when will it end ? ». Devastating in Praia da Rocha, as well as throughout the province, would be the « pneumonic / Spanish flu »²¹.

21The absence of young people, especially soldiers who had gone to war, to liven up summer activities, did not fail to have some impact. Although we do not know the number of tourists who have visited the Algarve in these years, we know that in May 1918 at the Hotel Viola, the US consul and his wife, traveling the Algarve, were lodged there.

22The most important spa resort in the Algarve was located in Caldas de Monchique²² – the « Algarvian Sintra » – to windward, in the foothills of the Serra de Monchique, the highest peak of the province. These very rich spa functioned for centuries, but with great development since the seventeenth century, which were well attended by wealthy people, but also by facilitating access and treatment to other social strata with less possessions²³.

23The thermal competition was a fruitful yield with non-negligible economic impact²⁴. The « aquistas » in the suggestive name given by Poinsard, consuming local products and employed villagers as guides as well as their animals (donkey) as a means of transport for treks²⁵.

24Monchique, back then and today, was a pleasant place, mild temperatures, possessing lush greenery and boasting a magnificent landscape. It had some equipment to provide the still scarce travelers that ventured there, since it was not easy to reach the region. In addition to two hotels, offering a club, a theater, good shopping and, of course, the renowned spa26.

25The journalist Adelino Mendes, visiting the Algarve in September-October 1915, criticized the pitiable state that the spa had succumbed and the management of their dealership doctor João Bentes Castelo Branco27. In a trip made in January 1918 to this region, whose carriage ride from Portimão to Monchique, Guerra Maio made some criticism of Caldas de Monchique that had little to offer but « the resort, two hotels, one tavern and yard, where that night we almost doubt if it was Portuguese earth »28.

26Neither First World War trail of difficulties nor the pneumonic outbreak at the end were enough to ward off the well-heeled and not only from the Algarve sea delights. Albufeira and Monte Gordo were also very popular beaches, thanks to its accessibility, rail or boat on the Guadiana.

27Two other reasons of great interest to visit the Algarve, according to its promoters, in this troubled period, were the natural beauty and rich historical heritage built in its main locations and even out of them.

The limited tourist facilities offered

28The number of hotel units in the Algarve stood away from the number that currently sprinkled the province. They were scarce and without sophisticated amenities : Hotel Viola in Praia da Rocha, two hotels in Monchique, some pensions that fell short in terms of quality. In his tour by Algarvian cities, the journalist Adelino Mendes argues about the lack of conditions of the scarce hotels / pensions in the province. These are you feel the lack of water and a bathtub. And not only : « Let no one venture to travel in the province without a good sponge ». Only in Faro, he found « a splendid English bath » in which he took a « long bath »29.

29On December 2 1914, by decree n° 1 121, the government granted a number of benefits to businesses which within a 5 year limit would construct, on the mainland, on Madeira and the Açores, buildings for the installation and exploitation of hotels, subjected to a number of conditions. For the development of tourism, came new equipment, such as the Grand Hotel Faro, just opened during the visit of the President of the Republic Sidónio Pais to the capital of the Algarve in February 1918.

30The delay in its construction and the joy for their openness would lead to a poetic moment :

The Grand Hotel will open…
Among in little, briefly
For well serve
Who wants to come to Faro?
And like decent hotel.

They say open without fear
To meet the parish
With good manners, very neatness,
And sissy Prize
In fancy costumes,

Will open. But now,
It seems to be solved
Let there be no further delay
If it is not, more deploring
The new lost warning.

Which will open soon
Again note.
Let this be settled
And good people frequent it...
We only wish!
Dr. Mostarda

31In late 1918, still under the impact of the war in almost all hotels, there were huge refusal to receive guests by difficulties in getting food to provide. Some would only rent rooms³⁰. The Algarve gradually began to attract what we could designate as study visits. Students came from Pedro Nunes High School in Lisbon, Fialho Liceu de Almeida, Beja and the Modern School, also in Lisbon. The sites visited were the usual, Faro, Lagos and Praia da Rocha.

32Concerning to the lines of communication and transports, the statistics for the Algarve are very poor. The province did not possess road companies and referred to 1912, had 2 352 beasts, 337 vehicles and only 4 cars. Certainly during the war period, these number would have increased. Passenger transports were carried out by « truck », « a carriage, mounted on an axle with two wheels, pulled by a small horse, trotting indefatigably »³¹.

Dr. Sidonio Paes, illustrious president of the Portuguese Republic, to the balcony of the Great Hotel Farense, in Fara.

Grande hotel rua Infante

33The railroad path was the most important means of transportation of the province that connected to the rest of the country and along the coast, between Vila Real de Santo António and Portimão. It is unknown the number of tourists that could possibly travel on it, although the movement of passengers in 1914, for example, were in a very significant number³².

34As we have noted before and while not recording the intense tourist movement of our day, the Algarve and its beaches were already relatively frequented by Spanish, Algarve and Alentejo families with some affluence. But there was an obstacle to its development : roads. The main Algarve roads were still inherited by the monarchy period. Rare were the macadam roads in the province. The civil governor reports of the seventies of the nineteenth century, many debates in the Chamber of Deputies and of the Court, in charge of Algarve deputies and periodicals of the region then published, provide us with an image of a region with a deplorable road network, isolating populations and so hindering the movement of people and goods. The construction of good roads would give an important contribution to the prosperity of the province.

35During the Great War, the construction of roads in the region stopped completely. Many were in terrible condition.

36The road linking Portimão to Monchique (n°78), showed structural problems, criticizing the « very sloppiness on the part of those who directed its construction not only because the stone is badly crushed as well as not laid enough land or steamrolled much as they should have which resulted in the new road with a few months of work being in a truly pitiable state and quite harmful to the circulation »³³. But not all roads were in poor condition. The chairman of the executive committee of the city council of Faro, reported to the Automobile Club of Portugal due to the Chamber’s effort on the country roads both the state roads and the city roads were now « in a relatively good condition »³⁴.

37However, the main means of communication in the region was the railroad that ended in the Leeward in Vila Real de Santo António and the one in the Windward in Portimão. The train had whistled for the first time in Faro in 1889. It would come to Vila Real de Santo António, in 1906, and would stop in Portimão in 1903.

38In June 1917, it was stated with conviction that railway extension between Portimão and Lagos³⁵ was almost completed, already having raised the station of this last local and housing for staff and employees³⁶. However, only in 1922 it would come to Lagos. During the First World War, a time marked by the great conflict that tore the world, criticism of the malfunctioning of the trains either in the province or in connection to Lisbon and vice versa were numerous.

39In late 1911, Carlos Calixto stated in the House of Members that :

« a driver that went from Madrid to Granada, Malaga, Cadiz, Seville and wanted, after visiting this region, so full beauty and historical memories, enter Portugal to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of our Algarve or the richness of our Alentejo, doesn’t have a single road that can’t be used. Because, Mr. President, these two provinces are entirely isolated from the rest of the country. Yes, Mr. President, strange as this may seem to some of my colleagues in this House, it is certain that the Alentejo is not connected with Extremadura and that the Algarve is separated from the Alentejo ! »³⁷

40This situation does not change the following years. And so that the road network was essential for the development of tourism in 1916, visiting the Algarve, the Minister of Public Works authorized the study of a road between Praia da Rocha and Alvor. This construction thus facilitated « the beautiful tourist route by the heights of the lush hills in which is distinguished, in that place, a part of our province and where the sea and the bay of Lagos is the best charms the traveler can find »³⁸. However, in March 1918, as was proverbial, for lack of money, the work had not been done.

41In addition to other projects that have been defended in this period, there is one that we believe it would have been of vital importance for the development of the Algarve both in economic terms and for tourism. We refer to an article from 1^st of May which defended the construction of a layover port for transatlantic voyages. It would not be necessary to build docks or berths to attract large packet-boats from the Mediterranean that were heading to North America and other ports of the American continent. It would suffice if the government would constitute or facilitate « the establishment of a coal deposit » and become « free, to vapors of 5 000 tons for passengers, all port services such as piloting and expenses that they are subjected ». The importance of Lagos would reveal to be greater when it concluded the iron railway line of Sado Valley and the extension of Portimão, leaving the « important seaport linked to Lisbon by a direct line to a fast train could concur in 7 hours… » Lagos was the epicenter of these tourists’ arrivals which would branch to Ayamonte, Huelva and then to Seville and Madrid. In the end, connecting the Algarve to the rest of Europe³⁹.

42Guerra Maio would return to allude Lagos, considering it « dull and trivial », although the bay was an « admirable and grand » scenario. A city « destined to be the great sea port, which will come the big transatlantic stretching through the Mediterranean. Its huge bay, its splendid situation in the south of Portugal will soon give it place to be a major strategic tourist port ». The dream would be « to become a major sea port, where one day – and not too many – to land the US vessels, with lap dogs to enjoy the Algarve’s mild climate »⁴⁰. In the future it would be a major tourist center, but it would not build a major sea port. It stayed as a large marina.

43If this province was sparsely visited between 1914 and 1918, the design of what this activity in the future would be was almost complete. They did not only address climate, beaches and hydrotherapy.

44To these two dimensions, we can add, completing the discovery of tourist geography in the sense of the word, often detailed by the curiosity of the landscape, the towns and places and the people, as well as the lifting of the communications that were almost nonexistent, contributing to the restricted movement of people. Aspect also to stress is that the zone of the Algarve which was being deepened in terms of tourism was the windward side – Faro to Sagres and vice versa –, while the look on the leeward was fainter. This is much more recent.

45During the First World War, newspapers and magazines printed great advertisement for tourism in the Algarve. However, there was, in fact, major constraints to the international movement of people which combined with political instability at household level in gradual pace until the end of the republic and beyond, quite conditioned the increase of tourists looming in 1911, when the huge success that was the Fourth International Congress of Tourism held in Lisbon, and in 1915, the Regional Algarve Congress.

46Although the Portuguese territory had not been a battlefield, we would expect that the tourists who fled the war-torn countries were channeled here, via Spain, we would find elements that confirmed such visits, with rare exceptions. Beaches and spas were primarily frequented by Algarve, moneyed elites, as well as theaters, namely the Lethes Theater and some selected clubs (Club Farense). Only a minority of privileged surrendered to the practice of tourism, or big city retreats. The same attending some international tourism sites of that time. The province still struggled with a huge lack of infrastructure and essential equipment, despite the opening of some.

47Algarve is still away from tourist routes, either domestic or foreign, being more a « home tour », based on the local population and for wealthy people. The war and the intervention of Portugal in the fields of Africa and Flanders, the political, socioeconomic and financial problems, were brakes for the small tourism that would eventually have existed. The tourist boom would have to wait a few decades.