By February fragrant gardens bloom on farms whose fields run to the cold sea. Winter temperatures average about 16 C.

Since the Algarve draws many thousands of Canadians, Germans and people from Britain, the Portuguese naturally built hotels and resorts to accommodate everyone. Unfortunately some areas became overbuilt and some towns began to look almost like apartment blocks. By 1990, the country saw its error and reduced this random growth to preserve towns with old Algarve character.

With a population of less than 5,000 and a tiny pedestrian-only town centre, Carvoeiro is such a town. Last year, my wife Barbara and I settled there for a month.

Carvoeiro isn't a place for late-night revellers but if you like an easygoing atmosphere, give it a thought. It's poised above a calm inlet nestled between two cliffs. Above each cliff are climbing streets with cafes and inns.

Gaetano Spano came from Florence years ago and has never left. He's the owner and chef of the fine Via Italia Ristorante.

"The world passed Carvoeiro by," he told me one afternoon, "that's what's so good about it. It's for people who like peace and quiet."

We went in March, having booked an apartment in a villa called Casa Limao, which Barbara found on the Internet. It was 20 minutes on foot from downtown, had three well-appointed apartments and a back garden with a large pool and deck shaded by palms and colourful potted plants. Cushioned lounges were welcoming places for reading or dozing in the afternoon silence.

Given its location on a hill, the walk back up after dinner downtown might prove an obstacle for some, good exercise for others.

One day after lunch I picked up a book someone left in our apartment -- Algarve: A Portrait. It was written many years ago, when according to its authors (David Wright and Patrick Swift) the town had 700 inhabitants. "After a few days at Carvoeiro," they wrote, "the neurosis of time completely evaporates ... sunrise, noon and sunset become the markers."

Back then, the day's main event was the fishermen's catch. There wasn't a single policeman. Naturally, time and tourism changed that: The perimeters of the town have sparkling villas and resorts; fine golf courses and tennis courts are nearby.

The hilly main street, Estrado do Farol, leads to restaurants like elegant Via Italia Ristorante, a fine Portuguese eatery Casa Algarvia, and a worthy Indian dining room, O Indiano Tandoori. For good cheer and hearty food, there's Smilers Bar, owned by Robert and Geraldine, a couple from Britain, who once a week post a sign welcoming visitors to Carvoeiro's Canadian Club lunch.

But aspects of timeless culture remain, as if echoes of a never to vanish past. And some stores open and close at random, posting a hand-lettered sign in the window saying: "Not in Now."

IF YOU GO To Portugal's Algarve

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Algarve has always been an economical destination but the recession has made it even more so. Our apartment at Casa Limao cost $1,000 for the month. Our son, his wife and small son came for a week and stayed in a very nice unit for less than $70 per night. 

Algarve Rent a Car - www.Myalgarvecars.com