Algarve Villa Holidays – All About Monchique

If you are thinking about an Algarve villa holiday either this autumn or next summer, Monchique is a great Algarve holiday destination or place to visit during your stay. Read on for more information on our guide to Monchique in the Algarve.

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The first thing you’ll like about the Monchique is how very easy it is to get to. From Faro International Airport, head west along the A22. This four lane motorway is a delight to drive and affords some breathtaking scenery along the way. Take Exit 5, then at the roundabout, simply follow the signs to Monchique. Pick up signs for the N124 and follow that north, to a split in the road. Take the left hand fork and soon you’ll be climbing the hill to the village of Monchique.

The narrow, winding road, lined with tall eucalyptus and groves of orange and lemon trees, will take you past the Omega Park Zoo. You might want to make a mental note to pop back there at some point during your Algarve villa holiday. It’ll take a few hours to properly enjoy the park and you’ll get to see a number of endangered species like the crowned sifaka, which is a kind of lemur, the bamboo lemur, the oryx, which is a member of the antelope family and the cheetah. The zoo is run very much with the animals in mind. They are not confined to small spaces, but have plenty of room to move about and their environment is kept as close to “natural” as possible.

On your way to Monchique, you’ll pass several little villages with shops and stalls selling pottery, cork and leather goods and the Caldas de Monchique, which often gets confused with the town of Monchique itself. The Caldas de Monchique is a spa town with supposedly healing waters. Just a short drive away fromMonchique proper, they are close enough for you to visit as many times as you wish during your stay.

In Monchique itself, there are a good number of shops offering a great selection of cork, leather and brightly coloured, typically Portuguese pottery pieces. There are many restaurants and bars tucked away down the narrow cobbled streets, along with great little cafés serving tasty pastries and snacks, some of which are only found locally. So, find somewhere to park, either in the main square or further up the mountain and wander down the hill for a leisurely mooch around town.

If you happen to pop into one of the bars or fancy a drink with your lunch or dinner, check to see if they are serving Medronho. Medronho is a locally produced liqueur made from the fruits of the Arbutus unedo or “strawberry tree”, which grows in the surrounding hills. Although their fruits look a little like strawberries, hence the name, they don’t taste anything like as sweet and so, Medronho is an acquired taste. It is, or can be, rather strong though, so if you do acquire a taste for it, go easy!

Another particularly good local product is Monchique honey. It is used in the making of the most delicious cakes and desserts, which you’ll find on sale in the cafes and pastelarias (cake shops) in the region. If you want to take some home though, remember it must go into check in luggage, not hand luggage.

Holidays in Monchique are all about rest and relaxation. They are all about spectacular scenery and history, peace and quiet. There are plenty of walks to go on and lots to explore and discover. You don’t come here for the party atmosphere or for the bars with neon lights that stay open all night; there are other parts of the Algarve for that. You come here to relax, unwind and enjoy life at a slower, steadier, more comfortable pace, in a climate that is never too hot, nor too cold.

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