A visit to the Loule Farmers market is a must if you are in the Algarve. Even if you don’t buy anything just go to see the hustle and bustle of the market. The vibe is fun and entertaining.

The stalls inside are filled with nuts, olives, beautiful little honey pots, containers of Olive Oil, bottles of Port and Wine. The bread and bakery stalls are always favourites and some of them were empty by the time we got there at 11:30. Our first stop was for a lovely latte and some people watching. There was also an oyster bar, definitely a little too early for me to try (at least that was my excuse).

The fish stalls are always a highlight for me. I can’t resist them. The smell, trying to guess what some of them are and watching the patrons picking out the perfect catch for their dinner underlines the importance of the ocean in their lives. As much as I am trying to eat more fish, I prefer them cooked for me and with no heads, tail, skin, bones or eyes lol. Octopus seems to be a fresh from the sea favourite. These stands sell out quickly too.

Outside the vibe changes again as people pick through the lovely produce available. Every vegetable imaginable. I picked up some lovely little tomatoes, onion and garlic to go with our olive oil for a pasta dinner. Bright beautiful flowers for planting or to brighten up your room were plentiful and lots of stands with vegetable/herb pots for growing your own.

The noise, the smells, the colour all make for a memorable experience.

Every time we have been here a motorcycle club has also been here, they don’t have as hard a time parking as we do. A friend told us that there is a high school just north of the market which you can get to without going through the centre of town with lots of parking. Will definitely have to try that out. Either way, take your time, parking spots are constantly appearing as people leave with their treasures for the day. Enjoy