Local Area
There are 2 towns very near to the apartment, Alvor and Portimao – both very different but both with their own charm. Alvor is primarily a fishing village, where you can still see the fishing boats come in and out and down at the waterfront. There is a fantastic beach which stretches for miles. In the summer you can hire sun beds and there are restaurants dotted along the beach where you can go for refreshments or a bite to eat. At the east end of the beach there is more rock cover but there are several coves where you could picnic or sunbathe. Other outdoor activites which are popular in this part of the algarve are Bike riding, Boat trips, Horse riding and water sports. Or you could make a day of it and take in a Wine tasting tour or visit the Zoo Marine both of which can be found in useful links.
There is a walkway along the waterfront where you can enjoy a drink, snack and watch the sun set over the bay. This is a great place for children as there is lots of room for them to play. There are some fantastic fish restaurants both at the waterfront and in the town where you can relax and eat the catch of the day with a glass of local wine. On the waterfront there is Ababuja, in the town, Adega d’Alvor and Bouganvilla, all of them excellent for both fish and meat and all frequented by locals. If you are looking for a snack both in the day-time or evening then the Albar Café in town is the place to go or Restinga Ria on the Waterfront. There are lots of other good restaurants to try.
Portimao is also a fishing port and is larger than Alvor. Praia da Rocha is an extension of Portimao and there is a famous rocky beach here which is well worth a visit. There is an excellent waterfront at Portimao where you can sit at various restaurants, have a beer and watch the world go by. If you walk along the waterfront towards the bridge you will come across some arches. You can walk through these into a courtyard where there are excellent fish restaurants which are well worth a visit. Portimao is also great for shopping where you walk north from the waterfront to come across the shops. Here you will find lots of designer clothes and shoe shops. Portimao is a historical place with churches and buildings to visit. There is an excellent bus service from the apartment to Portimao and the buses run every 30 minutes. It is very easy to get taxis to and from the apartment and to Portimao it costs approx. 4 euros and to Alvor 7 euros.
Portimao Retail park is a five minute drive from the apartment but is also within walking distance through the village of Chas da Donas from the apartment. Continente, a large French hypermarket is situated here as are numerous other retail stores. LeClerc another Large hypermarket is also within walking distance of the apartment on the road to Portimao. Both of these supermarkets have excellent selections of fish, meat and fresh vegetables as well as all other produce and also have great stocks of wines.
Lagos is about a 20 minute drive from the apartment and again is a town well worth a visit. It has great walkways, restaurants and historic buildings. Monchique and Silves are two very historic places of interest which are about a 30 minute drive. Then of course there is something for the children at the water park Slide and Splash which has a great variety of water slides for all ages and is about a 15 minute drive from the apartment at Lagoa.
If you are a golfer, there is a championship level course and 11 other golf courses within 20 minutes drive. This makes our apartment and ideal location to base yourself for a golfing holiday in the Algarve.
Of course one of the best features about the Algarve is the great weather all year round. This means it is a place you can visit not only in the summer but the winter aswell. The graph below shows average temps and hours of sunshine throughout the year.
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