Love blossoms

Published on 9th February, 2021

The Algarve in early spring is delightful! Everywhere you go you can’t fail to see the beautiful almond trees with their delicate pink and white blossoms bringing the region to life; painting splashes of colour wherever you go.

Almond trees bloom throughout February and March. And huge vats of almonds are on sale at every market with almond-based colourful sweets at pastry shops and cafés. 

But why are there so many almond trees here?

Legend has it that a long, long time ago before Portugal was Portugal, there was a young Moorish king, Ibn-Almundim, who reigned in the Al-Gharb (which later would become The Algarve). This king had never known defeat.

One day, among the prisoners of a battle, he set his eyes upon a lovely tall blonde, blue-eyed Nordic princess called Gilda. Impressed, the Moorish king gave her her freedom.

They fell in love, got married and made their home in the Varandas Palace in Silves and the king loved her very much. But gradually as each day passed she became more depressed and she would sigh and shed tears of longing for her homeland. The king vowed to find out how he could cure her sadness and according to the tale, an elder told him that the Nordic princess missed seeing the snow she was so used to in her home country. 

The king ordered that thousands of almond trees were to be planted outside the palace so that when they were in bloom, she would look out of her window and see the landscape covered in a blanket of white petals, giving the appearance of freshly fallen snow. The princess was cured of her sadness almost immediately.

The perfect love story this Valentine’s weekend! Contact our team of experienced and knowledgeable Property Advisors and let us help you fall in love with your perfect Portugal property: info@portugalproperty.com or call us on +351 308 800 878 or 0800 014 8201 free from the UK.

Published in: Guide to Portugal / News and Updates / Portuguese Life / Property for sale in Portugal / Site News