Portugal
Portugal has been a favourite holiday destination for many years especially the Algarve with its stunning scenery, superb beaches and hospitable people. Always popular with families, its appeal has broadened over the years and is now also a real hot spot for golfers, with some of the best world championship golf courses, ideal for spa lovers with a wide selection of hotels with superb spa facilities and perfect for a long weekend break to escape the stresses of everyday life. With a flight time of just over 2 hours, you can’t afford to miss it!
As of January 2008, smoking will be banned in all enclosed public areas.
Albufeira
This is the largest and most popular resort in the Algarve. Once a small fishing village, the area now known as Albufeira stretches along the coastline as far as Falesia in the east and Gale in the West. The ‘true’ Albufeira though is very much the old town with its narrow winding streets and white-washed houses leading down to the main square, around which there are numerous shops, restaurants, bars and discos, many of which party on into the early hours. The wide expanse of beach here is beautiful and decorated at one end with the brightly coloured fishing boats. The ‘new’ centre of Albufeira is around the Arieas de Sao Joao and Oura areas with the famous ‘strip’ with all it’s bars and restaurants leading down from Montechoro almost to the beach at Oura. Here you can find every type of food conceivable and bars, clubs and pubs to please everyone. Quieter areas of Albufeira include Santa Eulalia, Olhos D’Agua, Falesia, Sesmarias and Gale.
Suitable for: All tastes. The quieter areas are great for families and the old town and the Oura and Montechoro areas are perfect for those looking for an active nightlife.
Transfer Time: Approx. 40 minutes...
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Alvor
Alvor is a great resort with a traditional feel and is very popular with the Portuguese themselves and is also one of our personal favourites. The centre of the old village is a maze of narrow cobbled streets and white-washed houses, leading down to the working fisherman’s quay. By day most people head for the magnificent long stretch of sandy beach or take advantage of the sporting activities on offer including tennis, horse riding and of course, golf at one of the courses nearby. In the evening life is very laid back and mostly centres around traditional cafes and restaurants, which undoubtedly serve up some of the best seafood around. For those who want a more up beat entertainment the lively resort of Praia da Rocha is a 10 minute drive away.
Suitable for: Families and couples looking for a relaxing retreat with a local flavour
Transfer Time: Approx. 1 hour 10 minutes...
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Armacao de Pera
Once Armacao de Pera was nothing more than a collection of small shacks where the locals from the nearby village of Pera used to maintain their fishing boats. Nowadays the two meet to form a lively resort with a cluster of tiny cobbled streets and a good selection of bars, clubs and restaurants, especially fish restaurants down on the waterfront. Beach lovers will be in seventh heaven with the stunning beach, one of the longest in Portugal, backed by craggy cliffs and dotted with beach bars and a variety of water sports. As the sun sets there’s a buzz around the restaurants and cafes on the waterfront before heading off to one of the music bars or clubs, whilst those preferring a more intimate atmosphere slope off to one of the charming restaurants in Old Pera...
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Carvoeiro
Carvoeiro is one of the most picturesque and charming resorts in the Algarve. Perched dramatically on cliff tops, overlooking small pretty sandy bays, it has a unique character and charm. Steep winding lanes lead down to the village centre and a small sandy bay where a handful of fishing boats add a splash of colour. Here you get a real feel of what the Algarve was like 20 years ago, the pace of life is slow and relaxed and the community spirit lives on. Evenings are a laid back affair and tend to centre around the local cafes and restaurants.
Suitable for: Families and couples looking for a ‘get away from it all’ holiday with more than a dash of local character and charm.
Transfer Time: Approx. 1 hour...
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Lagos
The historical town of Lagos also has it’s own character and charm. A 17th century fort and much of the wall built to guard the city still stands and protects the maze of cobbled streets that twist through the town, whilst at the sheltered end of the harbour a new marina has been built, offering a sharp contrast to the beautiful old town. In general the resort is tasteful and chic with much of the development taking place outside the town centre, preserving history, charm and tradition. The town has a good choice of restaurants, bars and open-air cafes and also the shopping is good with tourist shops, boutiques and a fantastic monthly market, which is held on the first Saturday of every month and is great for picking up a few souvenirs including hand-woven lace. There are also a number of excellent beaches close by including the long sandy Meia Praia, which is the biggest beach in the area and has excellent watersports and Dona Ana, a lovely cove with towering colourful cliffs.
Suitable for: Couples
Transfer Time: Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes...
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Portimao
Pulsing with energy on the clifftops high above the superb beach lies the town of Praia Da Rocha where you will find restaurants from every corner of the world. Shops selling everything from beach gear to designer wear. Waterparks, horse riding, windsurfing, not to mention the abundance of music bars where you can dance until the early hours. This resort is all about getting out and having fun and appeals to the young and lively crowd and is especially popular with the Irish and the British. In contrast next to Praia Da Rocha is the City of Portimao with its mix of old narrow streets leading down to the sea front and new developments being built at the back of the city. Here you can sample city life Portuguese style with some excellent eating places, shops and bars and the latest addition, the beautiful new marina. To savour the spirit of Portimão, there is nothing better than to sit in the shade of the trees in the Manuel Bívar gardens and forget about time, to watch the fishing boats and yachts pass by and to walk through streets and squares that exude the ambience of an active, hard-working town which has succeeded in keeping pace with progress.
Suitable for: Young and Lively in Praia Da Rocha. Portimao attracts those with more cultural interests.
Transfer Time: Approx. 1 hour 10 minutes...
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Quarteira
Once a peaceful fishing village, Quarteira has developed into a major tourist centre. The local fishing activity, with its boats and equipment stores, continues to exist, but it is now limited to the western end of the beach. Most dining tables in Quarteira would not be complete without a dish of grilled fresh fish and the sea also supplies the ingredients for traditional recipes such as bread soup with banded wedge shells or squid cooked in its own ink. The extensive sandy beach spreads over roughly three kilometres, and is interrupted by a series of breakwaters, next to which the sand tends to accumulate, thus offering holidaymakers the chance to swim in calm water. Running along the whole of the seafront is a busy and lively avenue, known locally as the Calçadão, with sun-filled pavement cafés and restaurants, shops and lots of life and entertainment during the summer season. This is an urban beach and therefore tends to be very crowded during the summer months. For a change of scene just a few km away is the resort of Vilamoura with its fabulous chic marina and trendy shops and bars.
Transfer Time: Approx. 30 minutes...
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Vilamoura
Centred around a huge marina, Vilamoura is a large purpose-built holiday resort catering for a more affluent clientele and is definitely where the ‘in-crowd’ go. As well as having the marina where some seriously luxurious yachts are moored, it is a major destination for golfers with no less than six 18-hole championship courses, which all help provide the stunning lush green backdrop to this fabulous resort. If golfing is not for you there are two superb long sandy beaches east and west of the marina. One is quieter and perfect for getting away from the crowd whilst the other – Falesia Beach – buzzes with life and has plenty of sunbeds, umbrellas and snack bars. There’s a huge variety of cafes, bars and restaurants with international cuisine as well as more traditional Portuguese menus and around the chic marina there are fashionable boutiques and shops, bars, clubs and a casino, all adding to the affluent ambiance. Vilamoura may not be typically Portuguese but it has its own brand of charm and style that ensures it’s unparalleled success and popularity.
Suitable for: Families, couples, singles and those looking for a chic resort with style.
Transfer Time: Approx. 30 minutes...
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