Posh in Portugal
We collected our pre-booked hire cars and set off from the airport. Our journey time to the resort took about one and a half hours, with all but the last 20 minutes on a very good Motorway. The resort reception staff were very friendly and efficient and we were soon unpacking in the magnificent villa we had been allocated.
Parque Da Floresta (PDF) is a secluded, exclusive, luxury resort located near the village of Budens right off the N125 main road which runs from the town of Lagos 20 minutes away, to Cape St Vincent 30 minutes away at the Western most point of the Algarve. The village of Salema, 5 minutes away on the coast has a superb beach and several restaurants.
Accommodation at the resort is available in two or three bedroom village style houses or three, four and five bedroom spacious villas set in their own landscaped gardens with private swimming pools. Some have a golf course view with others looking out on to the countryside. Due to the elevated location most properties have a view of the sea away in the distance.
Our luxury four bedroom villa, each with en suite bath/shower, also had a large lounge with dining area, well appointed kitchen and upstairs and downstairs patio areas for al fresco dining. There was a superb sized heated swimming pool with electric cover, plenty of quality sun loungers for use on either the patio or the lovely gardens, a heated Jacuzzi and a brick built barbecue.... stunning
We had breakfast and lunch at the villa with provisions from the supermarket in Budens which has most of the things you might want. We ate out most evenings at a variety of local restaurants. All were really good and had been recommended and booked for us by the Resort Reception staff who also arranged taxis for us when required. There are lots of other restaurants to choose from all over the area and especially in the main town of Lagos.
The golf course on the resort is spectacularly undulating, interesting and very challenging and residents enjoy reduced green fees. Use of a buggy is recommended! At the clubhouse there is a spike bar serving snacks throughout the day as well as a restaurant which is open for lunch and dinner. Also in the area are the golf courses of Boavista, Palmares, Penina, Morgado and Silves which are 20-45 minutes away.
Situated next to the clubhouse is the Spa where facilities include treatments rooms, gym, steam room, sauna, indoor pool and solarium and large outdoor heated pool. Other resort activities include tennis, bowls and horse riding while mountain biking, jeep safaris and various water sports and excursions can be arranged through the reception staff.
The western end of the Algarve is well worth exploring as it is quieter and much less commercialised than the tourist resorts that have been established elsewhere. We visited Lagos the main town which is steeped in maritime history and now has a modern marina where many luxury yachts are berthed. It also has a magnificent stretch of beach known as Meia Praia. In the centre of town is a labyrinth of cobbled streets with numerous shops and restaurants which in the evening is really buzzing with atmosphere.
The fishing villages of Burgau and Salema are quaint and relatively unspoilt and you can watch fishermen tending to their nets and bringing in their daily catch.
We loved the spectacular scenery at Sagres and nearby Cape St Vincent where we visited the Beliche Fortress.and the famous lighthouse both situated on cliffs high above the pounding Atlantic sea. Sagres also has a harbour and several picturesque beaches. North of Sagres we discovered an amazing expanse of almost deserted sandy beach at the village of Carripaterra before reaching Aljezur a market town steeped in history dating back to the tenth century and dominated by a Moorish castle on top of a hill overlooking the town.
Parque Da Floresta is an excellent location for a luxury villa holiday with a choice of on site facilities and activities as well as nearby beaches, restaurants and shops and places of interest to explore. We can’t wait to go again!