Some corners of the world are lucky enough to have a proper local paper. The western Algarve, from Lagos out to the lighthouse at Cape St Vincent and up the wild coast to Odeceixe, has plenty of life but no single place to read about it in English. News sits on one site, events on another, the good tips live in Facebook groups, and half of it is in Portuguese.

The Algarve Monday is our attempt to fix that. Every Monday morning we will publish one readable digest of the week out west:

• News: what actually happened, summarised in plain English, with links to the original reporting so you can go deeper.
• What's on: the events worth planning around this week and further ahead, with dates, places and sources you can trust.
• Food and drink: where locals and long-time visitors actually eat, and what is newly opened or newly wonderful.
• Beaches and the outdoors: conditions, seasons, and the honest word on where to go.
• Portuguese life: the small print of living in and visiting Portugal, explained.
• Community: what people are talking about, asking for and offering across the western Algarve.

Who is behind this

The Algarve Monday is written in Praia da Luz and sponsored by Mark the Concierge, a concierge service for the western Algarve run by Mark, who lives this stretch of coast year round. That sponsorship is the honest engine of the whole thing: the publication earns your attention with genuinely useful writing, and if you ever need a table booked, a transfer arranged or a boat found, you will know who to ask.

The publication's home is a corner of Villa Lux Luz, a 10-bedroom villa in Praia da Luz, which is how we know the difference between a quiet beach and a quiet beach with parking.

What happens next

The first full Monday edition lands on Monday 17 August 2026, and then every Monday after that. In between editions we will publish guides that stay useful all year, starting with the beaches of the western Algarve and where to drink in Praia da Luz, both live today.

See you Monday.