Privacy Policy
This site is run by one person, and the approach to your data is just as simple. I do not sell it, I do not run tracking ads, and I do not collect anything beyond anonymous analytics, and only if you agree to that first.
The short version
If you do nothing, no analytics run and nothing about your visit is measured. If you accept cookies, I see anonymous numbers about which pages are popular, never who you are. There are no accounts, no newsletter, no contact forms, and nothing for sale. The rest of this page is the detail behind that.
Who runs this site
AlgarveLocalGuide.com is written and run by André F. Sampaio, an independent publisher based in the Algarve, Portugal. For data protection purposes I am the controller of any personal data this site handles. You can reach me through the About page or by email at andre@algarvelocalguide.com.
What I collect, and when
Analytics, only with your consent
If you accept analytics cookies, the site loads Google Analytics 4. It tells me which pages people read, roughly where in the world visitors come from (country or region, not your address), what kind of device and browser you use, how you found the site, and how long you stayed. Your IP address is anonymised. None of this identifies you by name, and I never use it for advertising. If you do not accept, none of it runs. You can read exactly which cookies are involved in the Cookie Policy.
Hosting and security logs
The site is hosted on Vercel. Like any web host, its servers keep short-lived technical logs of requests, which can include IP addresses, so the site can be delivered and kept secure against abuse. This happens for every site on the internet and does not depend on your cookie choice. I do not use these logs to build any profile of you.
What I do not collect
There are no user accounts, no sign-up forms, and no newsletter. The Trip Planner runs entirely in your own browser and sends nothing back to me. I do not knowingly collect any sensitive information, and I do not buy data about you from anyone.
Cookies
The only non-essential cookies on this site are the Google Analytics ones above, and they are set only after you agree. A single value in your browser remembers that choice. The full breakdown, and the controls to change your mind, are on the Cookie Policy page.
The legal basis
Under the GDPR, I rely on your consent for analytics cookies, which is why nothing loads until you choose. For the basic hosting and security logs I rely on legitimate interest, namely keeping the site online and protected. You can object to that, and you can withdraw consent for analytics at any time.
Who else is involved
Two companies process data on my behalf so the site can work:
- Google, for analytics, but only once you accept. Google may process this data outside the EU, including in the United States, under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses. See Google's Privacy Policy.
- Vercel, for hosting and delivery, which handles the technical logs described above. See Vercel's Privacy Policy.
Beyond these, I do not share, sell, or rent your data to anyone, and I never use it for marketing.
How long it is kept
Anonymous analytics data is retained by Google under its standard retention settings, after which it is deleted automatically. Hosting and security logs are short-lived and rotate out on the host's normal schedule. Since there are no accounts, there is no personal profile of you stored here to keep or delete.
Your rights
Under the GDPR you have the right to access the personal data held about you, to have it corrected or deleted, to restrict or object to how it is processed, and to ask for a copy in a portable form. You can also withdraw your consent for analytics whenever you like, through the Cookie Policy page or the Cookie preferences link in the footer of any page. To exercise any of these rights, email me at andre@algarvelocalguide.com.
If you believe your data has been mishandled, you have the right to complain to a supervisory authority. In Portugal this is the Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados (CNPD), and you may also contact the data protection authority in your own country.
Children
This is a general travel guide and is not aimed at children. I do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided data through this site, contact me and I will remove it.
Changes to this policy
If the way this site handles data changes, I will update this page and the date at the top. Nothing here is set in stone except the principle behind it, which is to collect as little as possible and never at your expense.