Miles
faro car hire gorgeous, golden, sandy beaches, calm clear waters and bays interspersed with rugged cliffs and enchanting grottoes; the Algarve is amongst the top European holiday destinations. The South faro car hire Portugal was the last place to gain independence from the Moors in 1292, conquered by the King Dom Afonso III and even today traces faro car hire the Moorish presence are visible in the unique terraces, chimneys and whitewashed villas. Despite the obvious influence faro car hire tourism, a short drive inland reveals the true Algarve where life goes on much as it has for many centuries. This brightly coloured region with orange groves, almond trees in blossom and fragrant pines is also the most verdant and fertile. Sports enthusiasts will find ideal conditions and top class facilities; the golf courses and tennis establishments have a highly prized reputation. Above all,
the Algarve is a children's haven; several exciting water parks, surfing in Praia da Luz, faro car hire course, plenty faro car hire chicken and chips! Whatever your preference; a secluded hideaway in the hills, a converted cottage in a traditional fishing village or a magnificent mansion in a sophisticated resort, we are certain that you will find your personal paradise in the Algarve.
Albufeira was once a fishing village and is now a popular bustling resort with many restaurants, bars and shops. The old town retains its character with winding cobbled streets and white painted archways. The recently modernised main square has cafés and music bars and, in the height faro car hire the summer, there is live entertainment. Leading from the square are narrow streets where there are stalls and shops selling local pottery, handicrafts and souvenirs, as well as numerous bars. The main town beach is reached through a tunnel and at low tide becomes joined to the smaller beach, once the home faro car hire the local fishing boats, which are now to be found in the new harbour to the west faro car hire Albufeira. Overlooking the old fishermen’s beach are some great fish restaurants including the well known Ruina Seafood Restaurant and the area has a lively atmosphere during the summer with several music bars playing live music until late. To the west side faro car hire the town is the new brightly coloured Marina, which is home to some stylish yachts. Sea fishing trips, dolphin safaris and other water activities are available from the Marina. The Cerro Grande residential area overlooks the harbour/Marina and has a supermarket, café/bar and is a short walk from the town centre. The road around the edge faro car hire Albufeira leads to the newer suburbs, where the fish, fruit and vegetable market is now located. Held daily, it is a hive faro car hire activity and an excellent opportunity to see the wonderful range faro car hire unusual exotic fishes. It is worth making the effort to visit the market early in the morning as the best fish soon sells out. A little further to the east are the areas faro car hire Santa Eulália, Olhos D’Agua and Branqueira which were originally small fishing communities and have since become bustling resorts. One faro car hire the trendiest clubs in the Algarve - Le Club - is located on the Santa Eulália beach, which also has two restaurants. These resorts have lovely sandy beaches with attractive rock formations, creating rock pools at low tide. Most faro car hire the villas we offer here are in prime positions within walking distance faro car hire a beach, shops and all the attractions. Some are set in extensive grounds, allowing privacy even at the height faro car hire the season. Pinecliffs Golf Couse is closeby as is the smart Sheraton Resort, with an excellent (if expensive) restaurant. An added bonus to the general area is the
Algarve Shopping Centre located just to the north faro car hire Albufeira. It has numerous and varied shops, fast food restaurants, cinemas showing English speaking films and ten pin bowling as well as a large hypermarket.
The Herdade da Aroeira is surrounded by 10kms faro car hire some of the best beaches in Portugal; Fonte da Telha has a number of small restaurants and beach bars which specialise in grilled fish - some of them have wonderful terraces - perfect for enjoying a cool glass of wine whilst watching the sun set. After night fall some turn into "discos". About 7kms from the resort there are a wide range of beach bars, all quite different, with something for every taste, from a simple wooden hut to the more sophisticated. The Delmar Restaurant on Praia do Pescador (Fisherman's beach) serves lunch and dinner and has a terrace overlooking the beach with large, colourful cushions providing unusual seating. The development has two golf courses, carved from a dense pine forest with tree lined fairways bordered by water. Aroeira hosted the 1996 and 1997 Portuguese Open, with the Donald Steel course opening in 2000 to rave reviews.
The village centre of Boliqueime is in the hills just behind the motorway but the region extends to the coastal side. Our properties are within easy driving distance of all the excitement and facilities of the seaside resorts. From the middle of Boliqueime, you are only fifteen minutes drive from the centre of Albufeira and about the same to the golf courses at Vilamoura. Further inland is the town of Loulé, with its superb Saturday market, shops and restaurants. Boliqueime is midway between Albufeira and Loulé and has a small village atmosphere. The centre still has some cobbled streets with local shops, a post office, chemist and a couple of cafés. Pride of place in the square is the local Catholic church, the heart of the village. An annual fair is held during the summer in the church square, with stalls selling locally produced handicrafts and food. On the main road there is a well used and authentic café/restaurant, where a Villa Agency director was defeated by a rustic local stew of pig's head, complete with ears! The surrounding countryside is hilly, with pine and almond trees and dotted with gleaming white villas. This is the way to get the best of the Algarve if you do not mind a short drive to the shops, beaches and supermarket.
Flanked by high cliffs, Carvoeiro was, until the 1970's, a sleepy fishing village. Nowadays the steep roads, to the left and right of the main square and town beach, are lined with restaurants and bars. Our villas are scattered around the main resort but are also in the many smaller developments that have sprung up in recent years. Areias dos Moinhos was one of the first developments to be built on the edge of Carvoeiro and is a fifteen minute walk to the centre, there is a reception with a coffee shop and a tennis court (not championship standard). Cabeça de Pias has a couple of local restaurants and is close to Pestana Golf Club with two courses, Vale de Pinta and Quinta do Gramacho. In Sesmarias, there is a good supermarket, restaurants and tennis courts. Poço Partido is a tiny hamlet between Lagoa and Carvoeiro which has a coffee shop, a restaurant and an Irish run pottery. Alfanzina, on the coast to the east of Carvoeiro, is close to the popular development of Rocha Brava. Facilities here include a cyber café, a holistic health centre, tennis club and a small gym. Clube Atlantico is nearby, with two tennis courts (which can be booked and paid for locally), an excellent Italian restaurant, a communal pool, mini-golf and a children's play area. The beautiful smugglers beach is a short walk (although it is approached by over a hundred steps and not for the faint hearted). Quinta do Rosal is halfway between Porches and Benagil, it has a restaurant and café and two tennis courts which may booked be paid for locally. The prestigious Carvoeiro Club, to the west of the town, has tennis courts, a gymnasium, a snack bar/coffee shop and Finisterra, with wonderful views, is on the edge of the club. Nearby Monte Carvoeiro has several restaurants and bars around a central square. They vary and include an Indian and a steak house, where diners are provided with hot stones to cook the meat to their taste at the table. There is also a good jazz club. There are numerous beautiful beaches in and around Carvoeiro, such as Centianes, Carvalho, Benagil, Marinha and Albandeira. There are two waterparks and horse riding within easy driving distance and a lively nightlife in the town centre.
Portimão is an established fishing port and it is worth risking the headache to drink rough local wine while eating sardines in the quayside area. It has some very good shoe shops, selling quality international shoes at very low prices compared to the UK. The nearby Penina has been synonymous with championship golf since the famous course was designed by three times British Open Champion, Henry Cotton in the sixties. The picturesque village of Ferragudo sits on the estuary overlooking the marina at Portimão. The ancient fort, currently being restored overlooks the beach and marina. This is a centre for local artists, with many galleries selling paintings of local scenes and other artefacts. There are several very good fish restaurants, overlooking the waters edge where the fresh fish is grilled to order. There is plenty to do in this area with Portimão and Lagos, both good shopping towns, easily accessible as well as many magnificent beaches for which the Algarve is renowned.
The historic walled town of Lagos was once the capital of the western Algarve. It has a wide choice of shops, bars, restaurants and some good nightclubs. The town has a cosmopolitan atmosphere, with paved pedestrian areas and wide avenues and there is a superb daily fish market together with a weekly tourist market in the summer. The fabulous marina is filled with opulent yachts, and there are some excellent bars and restaurants overlooking the water - the dolphin watching trips from the marina are fantastic. The golden sands of Meia Praia beach stretch around the bay of Lagos and the small, sandy coves and grottoes around the Ponta da Piedade provide secluded and sheltered sunbathing. There are superb sports facilities in and around Lagos including scuba diving, dive instruction, water-skiing, windsurfing, microlite and golf (we can arrange discounts of up to 25% on golf packages, see our website for details). We can also arrange horse riding and lessons at a local estate. The Funchal Ridge is one of the most prestigious, sought after areas in the western Algarve, situated on a hill with fantastic countryside views, yet only five kilometres from the safe, sandy beach at Praia da Luz and from Lagos. There are six or seven beaches within a twenty minute drive, wide stretches of golden sand and steep sided sheltered coves, some busy and some deserted, but all very beautiful.
It is hard to believe that some of the most famous resorts and golf courses are just a few kilometres from Paderne. Despite its proximity to the coast, this is very much a traditional village with the emphasis on agriculture. Local produce is traded in the markets here and in nearby Algoz and Messines. There are several restaurants within the village and in the surrounding area, at prices a good deal lower than on the coast; the black pig at Moiras Encantadas is a particular favourite and for wine lovers, the owner of Veneza has one of the most extensive lists we have ever come across along with a menu offering the best of Algarvean cuisine. Paderne is a thriving village and has a chemist, bank, post office, one or two small shops (which might stretch to be called supermarkets) and a very good fruit shop. During the summer months, there are local concerts and activities held in the village school. More extensive shopping can be done at the hypermarket in Silves.
This tiny village became the centre for ceramics and pottery in the 1960's when Patrick Swift set up the first pottery, using original Portuguese designs of past centuries. Fame has since spread and there are now several "Ateliers" where pottery is made, as well as many roadside shops selling ceramics from all over Portugal. One of the oldest restaurants in the Algarve "O Leão" is also to be found in this quaint village set within the narrow, cobbled streets. It is a beautiful building, with an attractive terrace for dining on hot summer nights. The village has a mini-market, post office, several cafés and a couple of restaurants and is a short drive from several lovely beaches. The
larger coastal resort of Carvoeiro is not far away.