One of the details I like most in old Algarve houses is the chimney.
Many traditional houses have tall white chimneys decorated with small geometric openings. Some are quite simple, while others look almost like stone lace.
They are usually called chaminés rendilhadas, or lace chimneys.
For many years, the chimney was not only practical. It could also show the status of the family living in the house. A more detailed chimney took more time and skill to build, so richer families could afford more elaborate designs.
This is why you can find so many different shapes. In the past, local builders often created their own patterns, meaning that two chimneys on the same street could look completely different.
You will sometimes read that these chimneys came directly from Islamic architecture. The Algarve was under Muslim rule for several centuries and this influence is visible in many parts of the region, but there is no clear evidence that the lace chimneys themselves came directly from minarets.
There are also regional differences.
In Monchique, for example, you can still find the traditional chaminés de saia, or skirt chimneys, which have a wider and heavier shape.
Some good places to see old Algarve architecture are Alte, Querença, São Brás de Alportel, Loulé and Castro Marim.
It is a small detail, but once you start noticing these chimneys, you begin to see them everywhere in the older parts of the Algarve.
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