Vila do Bispo
Encyclopedia
Vila do Bispo (ˈvila ðu ˈβiʃpu) is a municipality in Portugal
with a total area of 179.0 km² and a total population of 5,381 inhabitants.
The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Faro
. To its North there is the municipality of Aljezur
, to its Northeast Lagos and to its South and West the Atlantic Ocean.
The present Mayor is Gilberto Repolho dos Reis Viegas, elected by the PSD
.
The municipal holiday is January 21.
The main square in Vila do Bispo itself has been renamed Praça de Tanegashima in recognition of the twinning of Vila do Bispo with Nishinoomote
on the island of Tanegashima
. It was a Portuguese, Fernão Mendes Pinto
who claimed to be the first European to set foot on Japan and who did so on Tanegashima in 1543.
it belongs to a protected area that covers most of Barlavento Algarvio (the westernmost part of Algarve), so its beaches are famous by their perceived beauty and natural aspect preserved. This area of Algarve is now a place where tourism is the most important source of profits. The most frequent tourists are older people (65 years - or more) who are retired and want to live their last years in this zone, by building new houses themselves, or buying houses in large condominium like Parque da Floresta and Alma Verde.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
with a total area of 179.0 km² and a total population of 5,381 inhabitants.
The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Faro
Faro (district)
Faro District is the southernmost district of Portugal, coincident with the Algarve. The administrative centre, or capital, is the city of Faro.-Municipalities:The district is composed of 16 municipalities:* Albufeira* Alcoutim* Aljezur* Castro Marim...
. To its North there is the municipality of Aljezur
Aljezur
Aljezur is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 323.5 km² and a total population of 5,322 inhabitants. The word is derived from the Arabic word "Aljuzur" , the plural of island....
, to its Northeast Lagos and to its South and West the Atlantic Ocean.
The present Mayor is Gilberto Repolho dos Reis Viegas, elected by the PSD
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
.
The municipal holiday is January 21.
The main square in Vila do Bispo itself has been renamed Praça de Tanegashima in recognition of the twinning of Vila do Bispo with Nishinoomote
Nishinoomote, Kagoshima
is a city located in Kagoshima, Japan on the island of Tanegashima.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 17,666 and the density of 85.9 persons per km²...
on the island of Tanegashima
Tanegashima
is an island lying to the south of Kyushu, in southern Japan, and is part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The island is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands....
. It was a Portuguese, Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto
Fernão Mendes Pinto was a Portuguese explorer and writer. His exploits are known through the posthumous publication of his memoir Pilgrimage in 1614, an autobiographical work whose truthfulness is nearly impossible to assess...
who claimed to be the first European to set foot on Japan and who did so on Tanegashima in 1543.
Tourism
Close to the municipality of Lagos, starting from the small town of BurgauBurgau, Portugal
Burgau located in the region of Algarve, municipality of Vila do Bispo was a fishing village, now living entirely on tourism. Its most important attraction is the small beach of Praia de Burgau surrounded by hills that protect this beach from the frequent strong wind characteristic of...
it belongs to a protected area that covers most of Barlavento Algarvio (the westernmost part of Algarve), so its beaches are famous by their perceived beauty and natural aspect preserved. This area of Algarve is now a place where tourism is the most important source of profits. The most frequent tourists are older people (65 years - or more) who are retired and want to live their last years in this zone, by building new houses themselves, or buying houses in large condominium like Parque da Floresta and Alma Verde.
Towns
- BurgauBurgau, PortugalBurgau located in the region of Algarve, municipality of Vila do Bispo was a fishing village, now living entirely on tourism. Its most important attraction is the small beach of Praia de Burgau surrounded by hills that protect this beach from the frequent strong wind characteristic of...
- Salema (Vila do Bispo)
- Vale de Boi
- Budens
- RaposeiraRaposeiraRaposeira is a civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Bispo in the Algarve region of Portugal, with 25.71 km² and 441 inhabitants .It is one of the parishes covered by the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park....
- Vila do Bispo
- SagresSagresSagres Point , is a windswept shelf-like promontory located in the southwest Algarve region of southern Portugal. Only 4 km to the west and 3 km to the north lies Cape St. Vincent which is usually taken as the southwesternmost tip of Europe. The vicinity of Sagres Point and Cape St...
- Barão de São Miguel
Beaches
- Praia de BurgauPraia de BurgauPraia de Burgau, located in the town of Burgau, is a small but frequent beach during the summer. Because of the hills surrounding the beach, it is protected from the frequent north wind in this area of Algarve making it very pleasant for most of the people...
- Cabanas Velhas
- Boca do Rio
- Praia da Salema
- Zavial
- Ingrina
- Castelejo
- Cordoama
Famous people
- Sousa CintraSousa CintraJosé de Sousa Cintra, known professionally as Sousa Cintra, is a Portuguese businessman. He is a former and 42nd President of Sporting Clube de Portugal.He was born in the village and parish of Raposeira, Vila do Bispo Municipality, in the Algarve region...
, businessman, former chairman of Sporting Portugal, born in the parish of Raposeira, Vila do Bispo.