Amazing Algarve
The Algarve stretches most of the southern coast of Portugal and provides something for everyone. Hot days and warm evenings and welcoming temperatures from Easter through to November.
I would highly recommend a car for this holiday, it’s the best way to get around and discover so many places, neighbouring towns and beautiful fishing villages, a drive up into the mountains or a medieval town (my favourite, Silves, is delightful).
For the 1st week I made arrangements locally for a car hire with a difference and had one day with a Mahari jeep and had great fun taking it to the westernmost point of Portugal where we visited the fort at Sagres. The 2nd day we hired a Citroen 2CV and moved from beach to beach in true retro style! It’s affordable, great fun, affordable and a little bit different! Our ‘normal’ Seat Ibiza for week 2 was perhaps more practical, but comfortable and cheap to run, and I would not have been without it. Taxis are cheap, but in the height of the season you can have a long wait, and it’s not always straight forward to flag them down if you are not staying in the main towns. So it’s car hire everytime for me.
Day to day if you want to stay on dry land, enjoy long lazy days at the beach, but if you get restless, activities are too numerous to mention but range from horse riding or go- karting? The beaches, again, there are too many to mention here, are nestled amongst the stunning rocky coastline, they are amongst some of the most beautiful I have ever visited and plenty offer the opportunity to swim in the sea. Most have a small café / restaurant on them but it’s normal for families to take picnics and an umbrella and stay until the sun sets.
After a long day at the beach why not follow this with a sand free day and visit one of the large waterparks. They have excellent facilities whether you have infants or have taken the grandparents (you’re never too old) and again you can take your own food and set up camp for the day as they provide lockers, it’s easily a full day out. I mention the umbrella again, you can place these on the grassy area and they are a welcome shelter from the midday sunshine.
There’s Zoomarine too – watch and swim with the dolphins, visit the aquarium, relax at the man made beach and waterslides and much more – but in August just be aware it’s the busiest month by far, and these places do get very busy.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the golf, as the Algarve offers a great selection of champion golf courses, the pick of the bunch being in Quinta da Lago. These are getting more popular with golfing pals, but also group trips, so if you’re looking to head for a short break with your golfing buddies, it’s ideal.
For water sports lovers, areas of the coast offer a constant breeze and windsurfers and kitesurfers will be spoilt for choice too. For a family activity why not kayak to a secluded beach on an organised trip, accessible only from the sea and snorkel and discover sea life with an expert guide.
But to get away from it all, there are many places to drive to off the beaten track and enjoy some peace and quiet.
In general, it’s a slower pace of life than many of us experience in the UK and I'd advise you stay couple of weeks if you can as for those of us leading such busy lives here, I think it can take a couple of days to get used to!
But wherever you choose, and I am more than happy to share my advice and recommendations, I am sure it is a place you will want to return again and again.