Algarve Holidays: Where to go in the Algarve

The Algarve can be all things to all people; a romantic getaway, a youngster’s delight, a sun worshipper’s joy, a late night/early morning party or an adrenaline junkies dream vacation. Whatever type of holiday you are looking for, you will find it here in Portugal’s Algarve and the best part of it is, whatever time of year you choose to visit, the weather will not disappoint.

Many people have different ideas about what makes their perfect Algarve holiday. For some it is finding that perfect secluded spot on a beautiful beach with breathtaking views and a warm sea breeze. For others it’s a safe haven in which the kids can enjoy themselves making sand castles and eating ice cream. Others still, will prefer lazing on a beach catching the sun’s rays between liberal applications of Tropicana sun tan lotion. Some will prefer to sleep for large parts of the day, waiting for the lights to come on and the DJ’s to start working their decks whilst others, will want nothing more than to down some red bull and catch the next big wave.

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Where to go for romantic Algarve holidays

Coastal Algarve is full of romantic spots; secluded beaches that are not so easily accessed, making them ideal for couples who are unencumbered by the paraphernalia associated with children and who are intent only, on whiling away a few uninterrupted hours in glorious solitude.

If you are looking for the perfect spot to share precious romantic moments with your partner, then you should check out some of the beaches in the eastern region of the Algarve, around the town of Tavira. The beach at Tavira is known as Ilha de Tavira, or Tavira Island. It is 14 kilometres of offshore sand spit which, whilst it is easily accessed via ferry from the mainland, has a good number of isolated, romantic spots for you and your partner to share.

Also in the east you’ll find romantic beaches in the Vila Real de Santo António region, look out for the beaches of Cabeço, Gancho, Monte Gordo, Santa Luzia, Verde and Barril. Praia Verde, so called due to the forest of Pines that forms its backdrop, is simply stunning. If you can imagine it, a painter would need just three colours to conjure this setting; crystal blue, golden yellow and deep, dark green. It is beautiful and relatively uncrowded too.

Where to go for family holidays in Algarve with younger children

Having decided to bring your young family away with you to the Algarve, you will want to know, where’s best to take them. East central Algarve is our tip. Here you’ll find beaches of soft golden sand which is ideal for building sand castles and digging large trenches or holes for Dad to sit in while the kids try to bury him.

East central Algarve, between Albufeira and Vilamoura is home to the rubber ring, the water wing, the lilo and the peddaloe but most importantly, it is also home to the life guard, leaving you able to relax and sunbathe or lose yourself in a good book, at least until someone wants an ice cream or to play with the bigger bucket and spade.

Where to go for an Algarve beach holiday

If your idea of an Algarve beach holiday is doing nothing more that finding a relatively quiet spot on a beach, laying out your towel and sunbathing from dawn till dusk, then you’ll be wanting to head for the beaches between Carvoeiro and Albufeira. The centres of these resort locations tend to get a little crowded, especially in high season, but head between them and you’ll find just what you’re looking for.

Check out Praia de São Rafael, here you’ll find two beaches both with bar/restaurant facilities which serve excellent food. Even in high summer, these beaches are relatively quiet. There are stunning panoramic views of the steep cliff lined coast and the more determined among you will stumble across the beach nirvana that is, a secret area totally screened from view from the sea with a small but natural lagoon. Also look for the Praia do Castelo. This sandy beach nestles between cliff walls and is full of hidden nooks and crannies and small creeks. The beach is reached by wooden steps or a wooden ramp.

Of course the Algarve beach experience would not be complete without the peddaloe, the inner tube, the banana boat the jet ski and water skiing and all of these can be found in central Algarve. Here the water is not too choppy, it is in fact quite calm though not as flat as in the east. This makes the conditions are ideal for messing about on the water and with full time life guards in peak season, it’s really quite safe too.

Where to go for nightlife in Algarve

Mention nightlife in the Algarve and those in the know will tell you, Praia da Rocha is the place to go. Lagos, Portimao, Vilamoura, Albufeira and even Vale do lobo, all have their musical highlights but Praia da Rocha is the daddy. There’s a long esplanade crammed with glitzy bars and trendy nightclubs in which you can party the night away. Lagos comes alive at night to the tune of smooth soul and sexy jazz funk and the live music on offer in the town often comes with a Latin twist. Vilamoura marina features a multitude of bars and eateries and the long hot summers evenings are often finished off in style with a spectacular fireworks display. Albufeira is famed for its “strip” with loads of clubs and bars to choose from. Among them, Lineker’s and Cafe del Mar stand out alongside some of the smaller bars like Alberto’s and Devlins, the Mustang bar, Paradise and Liberto's to name but a few. Even the Vale do Lobo gets in on the party act, with beach parties often going on well into the night.

Where to go for Algarve activity holidays

For high octane, no nonsense water sports and great diving, head for western Algarve to the waters off Sagres and Vila do Bispo, here you’ll find conditions ideal for body boarding, surfing and wind surfing as well as water skiing and parascending. For water-skiing and jet-skiing head for the beaches a little further east like those of Albufeira, Vilamoura and Quinta do Lago. For the sailors among you, the marinas of Lagos, Portimao, Vilamoura and Albufeira are the places to be.

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Holidays in the Algarve - Algarve’s Nightlife

The Algarve is famed for its nightlife. From thumping drum and base through to groovy disco sounds and classical jazz the Algarve has it all. There are also plenty of options open to you, if you’d rather just go out for a relaxing evening with a group of friends for a bite to eat. Yes, entertainments wise, the Algarve has it pretty well covered.

Below is part one of guides to Nightlife in the Algarve. Read on for information on nightlife in Albufeira, Alcoutim, Alvor, Carvoeiro, Faro, Ferragudo and Lagos. Part two will follow next month!

Albufeira Nightlife

Nightlife in Albufeira begins and ends with “the strip”. One and a half miles long, it stretches from Montechoro at its northern end to Praia da Oura in the south. It is exactly what you would expect from any of the more popular Mediterranean resorts. It is loud, colourful and busy, thronging with revellers on a nightly basis. At the northern end of the strip, there are lots of smaller, quieter bars and pubs. You’ll not want to stay for too long as you’ll be attracted by the bright lights of the strip proper, but it’s a good place to start.

Cross the main road and this is where you might say, the strip really begins. The atmosphere hots up, the music gets louder and the lights, brighter. Where previously people were mingling in bars, now they are jostling for space. Sports bar follows theme pub, follows fast food restaurant, follows souvenir shop, follows fun pub, follows takeaway, follows theme pub, follows..Well, you get the idea.

Many of these places stay open until breakfast the following morning, when it all starts again. That said Albufeira is not all party, party, party. Off the main strip you’ll find some very pleasant and quite peaceful eateries which are ideal for a family evening out. The best tip we can give you in this direction, is look for those places that haven’t gone to town with neon and that are frequented by the Portuguese.

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Alcoutim Nightlife

Alcoutim is a small inland river town situated close to the Spanish border. It is very popular among the pleasure boat set and as a result, a number of bars and restaurants have grown up on the river’s promenade. If this trend continues, there is no reason to suggest that Alcoutim might not, one day develop a night life, but it’s fair to say that at the moment, it doesn’t have one to speak of.

This is no bad thing though, different areas, attract different people for different reasons. If you are looking for a lovely romantic setting in which you can dine on very pleasant food in relative peace and quiet, then Alcoutim should come close to the top of your list. Add to this its proximity to Spain, its hillside location presenting some wonderful views, its delightful cobbled streets and small squares and you can see its appeal.

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Alvor Nightlife

Originally a small fishing village, Alvor is growing in size and popularity. The
number of bars and restaurants is on the rise and the quality just keeps improving, not that it was ever bad in the first place. Visitors to Alvor are returning time and again for its long sandy beach, great sunbathing and swimming and for its bars and restaurants.

Alvor can boast one of the very first of the now ubiquitous Irish bars to open in the Algarve. A few more have opened in the town since, together with many others that split the difference between bar and restaurant. A number of these provide diners with very pleasant views across the harbour with the added bonus of glorious sunsets come late afternoon early evening.

At present there is no nightlife to speak of. No nightclubs or discos but with the area’s increasing popularity, these are sure to come. In the mean time, the bars and restaurants provide their own entertainments and Irish bars being Irish bars, you can appreciate many of these go on well into the night.

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Carvoeiro Nightlife

There is a good of number pubs and bars in Carvoeiro, many of which crossover from bar to bar/club as the evening progresses, but where Carvoeiro comes into its own is in its choice of restaurants. There are excellent restaurants in and on the outskirts of town where evenings of a more intimate and atmospheric nature can be enjoyed.

The pace of life and the noise levels are geared more towards families with young children than groups of young adults so whilst there is a reasonable nightlife here, it’s fair to say that if you’re looking for clubs or discos, you’re better off looking elsewhere.

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Faro Nightlife

The Portuguese love to party and in Faro, it is no different. The streets of Faro have been likened to those of New Orleans which, in itself, tells you a little of what you might come to expect of the town. It has not for example, been likened to the Albufeiras or the Praia da Rochas of this world, Faro’s brand of partying is somehow more intelligent, more intellectually challenging.

Perhaps is has to do with Faro being the provincial capital of the Algarve and a university town but it certainly seems that here, the art of playing music is more widely appreciated than the art of spinning discs and splicing tunes. That is not to say that it is in any way high brow or pretentious, like any university town, it has its cafe culture but it also has a great nightlife with some fabulous family friendly restaurants mixing cheek by jowl, with trendy dance clubs.

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Ferragudo Nightlife

Just a quarter of an hour’s drive from Praia da Rocha, Ferragudo gives way to its livelier neighbour when it comes to nightlife. Not that it’s given up completely, there are a few local watering holes waiting to quench your thirst but Ferragudo is a town of restaurants and in particular, fish restaurants. As with Alcoutim, a number of fine eateries have grown up around its quay and the sunsets and cooling sea breezes can be quite magical.

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Lagos Nightlife

The main square in Lagos in the evening is where you’ll catch the majority of the nightlife. There is always something going on and because it’s laid on by anyone from the local magician through to street busker's it is free. It’s free also to sit and watch the local artists at work, painting portraits of anyone who’ll pay them to do so.

Shops and cafes in and around the square stay open til quite late, usually 9-10 o’clock or so when the dance clubs and bars start to open their doors and of course the restaurants around and about the square remain open a good deal later.

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