"Worst of Algarve"

It's very subjective.

Some people like the developed tourist areas with lots of tourist amenities (restaurants, hotels, vacation rentals etc) while others prefer the less touristy areas.

I believe that's what Rick is referring to.
From watching his tv show I believe his preference is less developed tourist areas.

We stayed in a tourist area ( Vilamoura) for the winter and really enjoyed it, but we enjoy tourist amenities as opposed trying to figure out if a specific location has restaurants, hotels, medical care, etc.

Some of the areas to which he is referring have many high rise condos filled with British stag parties, etc. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t nice places west of Lagos. Tavira is quite nice. But then Rick loves Salema and I think it’s pretty awful! All about what you like.

Why not just go to Florida? It is nicer...

We stayed in a condo overlooking the ocean about 10 minutes east of Carvoeiro one September for a couple of days in the middle of our vacation. Sept is quieter (fewer tourists) but weather still good. We enjoyed dinners in Carvoeiro, some beach time, and hikes along the cliffs. It was a nice break from the pace of sightseeing.

We stayed in Carvoeiro for three nights in June of last year. We saw it as a great three-day beach break after Lisbon and Alentejo and before heading to Coimbra, the Douro Valley and Porto. The drive into town is not ideal -- think typical strip malls and overdevelopment -- but we stayed in a lovely guest house on the cliff directly overlooking the beach. We walked 30 seconds and could be on the beach, or another two minutes and be on the Algar Seco. We caught a cave tour directly in front of our hotel and had lovely seafood. I think WHERE you stay in the town you visit is more important than what town you stay in, if that makes any sense. We didn't get in the car the three days we were there aside from taking a quick 20-minute drive to see Silves, which was also wonderful.

If you like stunning beaches, being able to walk to restaurants and want a break from museums and typical sightseeing, I'd say go for it. I would not make a trip to Portugal specifically to go to the Algarve, but I definitely think the Algarve is worth including in a trip to Portugal.

I’ve been to that area several times and it’s only ‘worst’ in that it’s developed for tourism. Outside of Albufeira it’s all pretty low key, family focussed and relatively upmarket. You’re not going to find nightclubs and stag dos in Carvoeiro or Ferragudo.

I love going there for sunny holidays. The Portuguese visit too. There are some stunning beaches, good food, friendly people and a full range of accommodation options. It’s definitely not full of high rises, but yes, it’s primarily a holiday area.

It really depends on your travel style and what you want from a vacation. I LOVE Rick for his recommendations on what to do and see at many locations. I do NOT like Rick's hotel style. Give me a Hilton or a Marriott any day, haha! Definitely look at photos and other review sites in addition to RS to see if it matches what you want to do, and don't feel guilty if you disagree with Rick every now and then. :)

In my opinion the Lisbon and Porto areas of the country are much better than the Algarve.

Some of the areas to which he is referring have many high rise condos filled with British stag parties, etc.
But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t nice places west of Lagos. Tavira is quite nice.

Isn’t Tavira well east of Faro, in the Eastern Algarve? We are considering a hiking tour there, so I am curious about that area.

Tavira is east of Faro, and all those towns around (Tavira, Olhão, São Bras etc) are worth seeing. They aren’t made for tourists but more for the locals therefore keep the beauty of the amazing Algarve culture, they’re way more affordable then the tourist areas of the Algarve and have amazing beaches, food and mountain scenes. Being from the Algarve the áreas I tend to recommend are the east algarve (Tavira, Olhão, Fuseta etc), and the far west side (Monchique, Aljezur, Sagres etc), and would steer clear of the middle (Albufeira, Quarteira, Portimão) as they are tourist traps.

I would however recommend a day trip to the middle (Albufeira etc) because the beaches are beautiful and they have the unique caves which you don’t see much of elsewhere, but if you don’t like party strips, overpriced food, high rise all inclusive hotels and stag do style groups, give it a miss.