The village of Alte is known as "one of the most typical and unspoilt villages" in the region of the Algarve in Portugal. The Algarve is located in the southernmost area of mainland Portugal. Algarve means "The West" in Arabic. I'm told that James Michener's The Drifters, which is set in part in Alte captures very well the sense of place. I've added the book to my wishlist (I like the idea of reading about some of the places I am getting to visit via postcards), and may have to pick up a copy for my summer reading.
The stamp on the back is marvelous. It's one of a series in the History of Freedom stamps. Click through to see the rest--they're all great.
Many thanks to José for swapping!