This is the most Moorish part of Portugal, the rich plain south of the Serra do Caldeirao, scalloped by the beaches and headlands of the Algarve. It is where, in early spring, blossoming almond trees carpet the still-brown hillsides with drifts of snow-like flowers, and the plain white facades of little houses are topped by intricately pierced chimneys that look like ice-cream cones. In Faro, the provincial capital of the Algarve, baroque and rococo churches vie for your attention with the ornateness of their interiors and richness of detailing in their blue azulejos tiles. In inland villages like Loule, Moorish-style villages are surrounded by terraced fields of flowers, orange groves and garden crops. And in the coastal estuary, the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve harbors numerous bird species.