Anyone been to the Algarve recently? Recommendations please!

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Simon
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Going in 10 days time to a villa near Vilamoura (in between there and Loule). Have looked at many of the guides etc but you cant beat personal recommendations for things or little tips they picked up when there. Have a car but plan to be more relaxed and not travel loads. Lots of great beaches to choose from!
 
What do you want to do? I came back from there a week ago. I know the area moderately well but slightly further west than you. We stay north west of Portimao and go for astronomy more than anything else. We used to sometimes fly into Vilamoura for lunch from Portimao, until they dug up the airfield and built yet another golf course :( Tbh (putting my landscape photographer's hat on) the 'scenery' is a bit boring and the south coast is just one high rise after another. Putting my wildlife hat on, there are a lot of birds - waders, flamingoes, cattle/little egrets, white storks to name a few. It's cooling down so maybe not lying on the beach weather, but comfortable for walking around and you'll still get a tan.
Places to go - there are a few old Moorish castles around (Silves and Aljezur). Henry the Navigator's fort at Sagres (2 or 3 euros to get in but it's a relaxing sort of place) and just round from there the lighthouse at Cape St Vincent. Look for the fishermen perched on the rocks at both those places. Talk about your life being in the balance - literally :eek:. The west coast is far less developed than the south and gets rougher weather. That's where the surfing beaches are. Further from the coast is where you'll find the 'proper' Algarve restaurants and cafes, along with the roads into the hills and the cork oak plantations (some of the roads are a bit 'interesting'). Alvor beach is worth a visit. Walk west along the beach to the breakwater and there's a track leading to a boardwalk out into the lagoon - water under it a high tide and lots of birds at low tide. Look for the crabs - there's thousands. The other side of the lagoon at Quinta da Rocha (take the road/track down to and over the railway line opposite the Mexilhoeira Grande turn off the N125 and follow your nose) is where the flamingoes hang out. Lagos is nice too - big marina and riverfront. Various boat trips are available in several places. And of course if you want to go to the top of the highest mountain between the Algarve and the rest of Portugal that's Foia. You can drive to the top and there's a 'secret' place, a wind farm, a restaurant/gift shop and a view of most of the Algarve if you're lucky (pick the weather for that one - it's often wearing a cloud but you can see it from most of the coast).
You pay a toll to use the motorways. Your hire car will have a transponder and it's paid through the car hire. You don't have to sort out payment for yourself. I don't think it's very much. We use it to/from the airport but if you want the views use the other roads. People say the driving there is crazy and it is, but tbh it's no worse than here. There'll be a lot of sets of golf clubs on the belt at the airport. It's what people go for this time of year..............
 
What do you want to do? I came back from there a week ago. I know the area moderately well but slightly further west than you. We stay north west of Portimao and go for astronomy more than anything else. We used to sometimes fly into Vilamoura for lunch from Portimao, until they dug up the airfield and built yet another golf course :( Tbh (putting my landscape photographer's hat on) the 'scenery' is a bit boring and the south coast is just one high rise after another. Putting my wildlife hat on, there are a lot of birds - waders, flamingoes, cattle/little egrets, white storks to name a few. It's cooling down so maybe not lying on the beach weather, but comfortable for walking around and you'll still get a tan.
Places to go - there are a few old Moorish castles around (Silves and Aljezur). Henry the Navigator's fort at Sagres (2 or 3 euros to get in but it's a relaxing sort of place) and just round from there the lighthouse at Cape St Vincent. Look for the fishermen perched on the rocks at both those places. Talk about your life being in the balance - literally :eek:. The west coast is far less developed than the south and gets rougher weather. That's where the surfing beaches are. Further from the coast is where you'll find the 'proper' Algarve restaurants and cafes, along with the roads into the hills and the cork oak plantations (some of the roads are a bit 'interesting'). Alvor beach is worth a visit. Walk west along the beach to the breakwater and there's a track leading to a boardwalk out into the lagoon - water under it a high tide and lots of birds at low tide. Look for the crabs - there's thousands. The other side of the lagoon at Quinta da Rocha (take the road/track down to and over the railway line opposite the Mexilhoeira Grande turn off the N125 and follow your nose) is where the flamingoes hang out. Lagos is nice too - big marina and riverfront. Various boat trips are available in several places. And of course if you want to go to the top of the highest mountain between the Algarve and the rest of Portugal that's Foia. You can drive to the top and there's a 'secret' place, a wind farm, a restaurant/gift shop and a view of most of the Algarve if you're lucky (pick the weather for that one - it's often wearing a cloud but you can see it from most of the coast).
You pay a toll to use the motorways. Your hire car will have a transponder and it's paid through the car hire. You don't have to sort out payment for yourself. I don't think it's very much. We use it to/from the airport but if you want the views use the other roads. People say the driving there is crazy and it is, but tbh it's no worse than here. There'll be a lot of sets of golf clubs on the belt at the airport. It's what people go for this time of year..............

Thanks, will try to get out (going as a group of 4 ad and 4 kids) on my own, prefer older towns off the beaten track but not too far from where I am so the castles look interesting.
 
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