Algarve Villa Holidays - Spotlight on Lagos

If you are thinking about an Algarve villa holiday next summer, then why not come and stay in Lagos? Read on to find out more about this popular Algarve villa holiday destination.

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Lagos Town

The A22 motorway now takes you all the way from Faro International Airport to Lagos and without pushing it, the journey should take about an hour. You’ll pass some lovely scenery en-route but don’t worry; there are many more photo opportunities to come. The historic town of Lagos is now a lively and very busy place, popular among tourists and holidaymakers. This belies its quiet fishing village past, of which there are still plenty of reminders.

Lagos is in the western Algarve, not the point breaks and craggy rock faces of Sagres, where all the adrenalin junkies hang out, but a chilled out, more grown up version of its loud and kiddy-centric neighbour in central Algarve. The town is guarded by a 17thC fort, which was erected to protect the town and their piece of the coast. The building now houses a small museum with information about Portugal's maritime history and is worth a look if you’re into that sort of thing.

The third largest town on the Algarve, Lagos is a maze of winding cobbled streets, lined with pavement cafés, restaurants and bars. Some dimly lit, brooding and seductive, others laced with neon and pumping out eurotrash. Antiques and art shops abound here in a town desperate to cling onto its culture and history. Somehow though, this quaint old fishing manages to serve both masters, combining the charm of it's past, with the demands of a modern and popular Algarve holiday destination.

One of the ways Lagos manages this juxtaposition of both age and style, is by staging street entertainments on a regular basis. Throughout the year you will find buskers (some paid, some not) and performance artists displaying their skills, eager to pose for a photo or two. You’ll find street markets and a whole calendar full of festivals and many times the two will clash, filling the main square and streets with revellers. The Portuguese are also passionate sports fans, especially when it comes to their football, so if a high profile game were also to coincide with a festival, as often happens, there’ll hardly be room to move on the streets – It’ll be fun though.

The Accommodation

At Villa in Algarve we have a wide selection of Algarve villas and apartments for rent in Lagos, sleeping up to 10 people. Villas to rent and apartments for hire in Lagos in Portugal are extremely popular and are sure to suit almost everyone. In the beautifully landscaped Jardim da Meia Praia, development for example, you’ll find superb 2 and 3 bedroomed townhouses, sleeping 4 to 6 people respectively. Elsewhere in the town, you’ll find self-catering apartments for rent with fully equipped kitchens, comfortable beds and balconies, some affording superb views of the countryside, whilst others present breathtaking views of the coast. You’ll find individually styled Algarve holiday villas which offer a luxurious base, from which you can either explore the beaches or simply lounge around your own private pool surrounded by lush green gardens.

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The Beaches

Lagos lays claim to eight beaches, namely; Batata, Estudantes, Camilo, Dona Ana, Luz, Meia, Pinhão and Porto de Mós, though, it should be said that 1 or 2 of them are shared with the neighbouring town of Luz. Meia is by far the largest and most popular beach in Lagos, stretching from the edge of the bay, to the Alvor estuary. The beach presents miles of soft white sand and crystal blue waters, and there is a wide range of beach bars and restaurants to choose from.

The Marina

The recently constructed marina is postcard pretty and a wonderful place to while away a few hours people and boat watching. Besides its permanent moorings, many of which, themselves are not cheap, it is usually full of expensive yachts passing through on their way to or from the Mediterranean and the Americas. From the marina you can book boat tours, hire yachts and go on deep sea-fishing outings. Or if you’d rather stay on firm land, you could climb the steps of the 17th Century “Forte da Bandeira" which guards the entrance to the harbour. If you climb the steps, to the top of its outer perimeter the view from there is amazing. The Fort houses a small but very interesting museum which is dedicated to the Portuguese Discoveries.

The Coastline

The coastline here in Lagos is a great mix of soft sanded beach and rugged rock formations, making this location ideal for families and groups of mixed ages. You can choose between laying on a beach, reading a book and sunbathing, or clambering around the rocks, looking for sea creatures in the small pools of water left behind by the tides.

If you fancy going on a boat trip, pop down to the harbour at Lagos, you’ll find several guides there that will be only too pleased to take you for a tour to the many caves along the coast. They are very friendly and will happily regale you with stories of pirates and smugglers, some true, some maybe not quite so true. Other guides will give you a running commentary on the different rock formations, their names and the folklore that goes with them. These interesting and informative tours tend to last for around three quarters of an hour but the guides are more than happy to extend this, stopping to explain some of their favourite features in detail. They will navigate around and in some cases, under the intriguing rock formations and take you into caves, pointing out the many secluded beaches that surround the town.

The Dolphins

If you do decide to go on the dolphin safari you really need to book the day before, as they tend to be very popular. Your party will be taken out in a rubber inflatable boat, with an outboard engine. The captains are very experienced and you are issued with life jackets so it is very safe. The boats can get up to about 40knots (46mph) which is great because even if its really hot, the breeze will cool you down. Remember to take lots of sun cream with a high spf number though because the sun reflects off the water, intensifying its power.

Dolphin watching is a truly exhilarating experience. The dolphin's relationship with man has been well documented throughout history and many stories are told of how these magnificent creatures have saved lives by protecting people from sharks and guiding lost ships to safety. Sadly, most people only ever get to see the dolphin in captivity but on a Dolphin safari, you get the opportunity to see the dolphin in its natural environment.

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Algarve Villa Holidays - Spotlight on Luz

Luz is a great all round Algarve villa holiday destination in western Algarve. Read on to find out all about Luz town and the accommodation, beaches, coastline, sports, shops, restaurants and nightlife in Luz Algarve.

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Luz Town

Luz is a resort town close to Lagos but a little further west along the A22. The motorway leading from Faro International Airport to the town of Sagres on the Algarve’s western tip, will connect you to Luz in a little over an hour, which is good news if you have youngsters because they won't have time to get fractious. They’ll be too busy looking out of the car windows and too excited about their holiday to worry about anything else.

Once you arrive in the town, you’ll notice how really quite different it is to the towns in central Algarve. Here it seems, there’s more going on. The sea is a little less quiet, not choppy or rough but just that bit more exciting. You can wind surf here and there are rocks to climb. The beach is clean and tidy and the waters are still very safe, but there’s more action here. There are banana boats and huge rubber rings, which get towed behind boats and there’s water-skiing and jet skiing.

It is a lively and popular tourist location, close enough to central Algarve not to be too rough and rugged and yet far enough west to be interesting. There is more to Luz than laying on a sun bed catching some rays while the kids play in the sand. You can do this of course, there’s nothing to stop you, but if you want to explore and clamber about the rocks and caves or go wind surfing then it is all here for you to do.

The Accommodation

Luz was once a quiet fishing village but over time it has become recognised as a favourite holiday resort and as a result, there has been some extensive development, particularly to the west of Luz Beach

At Villa in Algarve we have a wide selection of Algarve villas and apartments for rent in Luz, sleeping up to 10 people. Villas and apartments for hire in Luz are extremely popular as is the wonderful purpose built development called Estrela da Luz, which has a range of different sized apartments to suit couples, groups of friends and families alike.

Elsewhere in the town, you’ll find self-catering villas, townhouses and apartments to suit parties of up to ten people. Many of them are beautifully furnished and decorated to the highest standards, coming with their own, private pools. Some afford superb views of the countryside, whilst others provide wonderful coastal views. You’ll find unique Algarve holiday villas in Luz, which offer a luxurious base, from which you can explore the beach and the surrounding countryside or where you can simply lounge around poolside and get lost in that book you picked up at the airport.

The development of Luz, around the central beach or “praia”, is almost exclusively 'low rise', consisting of apartments and villas of all sizes with facilities principally aimed at family holidays. Many of our villas in Luz are beautifully located in the village itself so they are perfect if you are looking for a resort, which blends character and history, with the demands of a modern holiday destination. Luz has something for everyone and its safe, sandy beaches are a real boon for many visitors.

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The Beach

The beautiful beach at Luz boasts miles of soft white sand and crystal blue waters and there is a wide range of beach bars and beachside restaurants to choose from, serving up tasty lunches and evening meals.

The Coastline

The coastline in Luz is a mix of soft-sanded beach and rugged rock formations, making this location ideal for families and groups of friends of mixed ages. You can choose between laying on the beach, reading your book and sunbathing, or clambering around the rocks. Many young adults take this past time very seriously and you’ll often see them in Luz, as they prepare their kit for the rocks and rougher waters of Sagres and points further west.

The Sports

Water-sports are available including windsurfing and boating. Tuition is available for water skiing and diving if you fancy learning something new. The key to getting up out of the water, as the Luz water skiing instructors will tell you, is straightening your legs out in front of you. Sounds easy doesn’t it! The area is also good for surfing. The Luz Ocean Club offers tennis courts, a fitness gym and swimming pools, and the sports centre in Burgau offers squash, tennis, aerobics and other facilities as well as evening barbecues and live music.

The nearby riding centre in Bensafrim offers rides, instruction and day-long picnic rides. Bird watching can be arranged at various protected reserves in the area guided by experienced ornithologists. The Luz Water Sports Centre offers scuba diving, windsurfing, fishing, sailing and snorkelling. There are also 3 excellent golf courses nearby at Parque de Floresta, Bela Vista & Palmares.

The Shops

Luz supports quite a good range of shops that will provide for all of your shopping needs, whether that’s day-to-day food shopping or present buying for the folks back home. There’s a small café and cake shop on the left hand side (coming from the 'square') just past the Ocean Club, which is the best place to get bread and croissants first thing in the morning. There’s a bookstore, for those essential holiday novels and they will even do exchanges, so you can give them the one you bought for the plane, in exchange for something else. There are boutiques, fashion shops and beachwear shops for your flip-flops and beach towels. There is a butcher for all your barbecue meat and there are a number of craft shops selling genuine, and not quite so genuine, original artworks. There’s a car rental office in case you decide you want to trip around a bit and they also hire out quads, scooters and pushbikes too. There are furniture and soft furnishing shops as well as interior designers too. Luz also has two dentists as well as a pharmacy and opticians. There are supermarkets, a post office and a fresh fish, fruit and veg market, in fact, if you can imagine living here full time, which won't be difficult, you’ll have everything here that you’ll need for the home, and if its not here, its a quarter of an hour away in Lagos.

Restaurants and Nightlife

There are a number of very good restaurants in the village serving a variety of local and International dishes, There’s Italian and English as well as Portuguese. Check out Lote 1, Pastelaria Chicca, Cafe a Fabrica and Jake's Bistro, they all come highly recommended. As well as restaurants, there are some great beach bars too and in the centre, some lively pub type bars that turn into small discos or clubs later.

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Autumn and Winter in the Algarve

Arguably one of the best times to visit the Algarve, the autumn and winter months of September through to December are never what you’d call cold. They are at worst warm and you can still get a good colour with temperatures reaching the mid 30’s at times. This time of year many of the tourists and holidaymakers of the summer have disappeared, leaving miles of golden sanded beach for you to explore, at your leisure.

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Flights to the Algarve, from the UK and other parts of Europe are that much cheaper at this time of year, making for a great value break. There’s also less traffic on the roads so your trip along the A22, that glorious stretch of tarmac leading out from Faro Airport, will be a breeze and when you get to your destination, whether it’s a villa in the eastern Algarve town of Tavira or an apartment in the central Algarve golfing resorts of Quinta do Lago or Vale do Lobo, you’ll feel nicely refreshed from your journey.

The same is true if you’ve taken a villa in the western Algarve town of Sagres, or made it round the point to Castelejo or Arrifana, or stopped anywhere along that piece of the coast at Zavial, Mareta, Tonel or Beliche. Here the journey time from the airport might be that bit further, but it is well worth it, especially if you are into action sports like surfing and climbing or just prefer the more rugged scenery that this part of the Algarve is famed for.

During the autumn and winter months, there’s increased availability in terms of accommodation. You’ll find that you’ll be able to look at hiring a villa or renting an apartment that, during high season, might have been out of budget. You’ll find also, that pretty much everything else, drops in price too. You can hire cars and motorcycles cheaper, your can get a table at a restaurant more easily and the service is likely to be better, since they’ll have more time. This is great because you’ll often get an impromptu lesson in Portuguese thrown in to the bargain.

If you’re into bartering, you won’t have to barter quite so hard and if you do, you can often come away with some good deals. The only price you pay for this increased flexibility and friendliness is the risk of the occasional shower and temperatures that are not quite as hot but it is still shorts and T-shirt weather here, most of the time.

Some people prefer the lower temperatures, making for a different style of holiday. Sports such as tennis are great played in the lower temperatures – and for golf enthusiasts lower green fees are charged out of season and there are fewer people to ‘play through’. This even applies to the championship courses of Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago.

If golf is not your thing; how about a pleasant stroll in the Algarve countryside? At this time of year, tramping around the Ria Formosa Natural Park is lovely and there is lots to see. The forty four thousand acres of wood and park land are largely protected by a string of islands that form a natural barrier against the off shore elements. This barrier shelters a large, tidal salt-water lagoon which is home to a diverse mix of wildlife, both animal and vegetable. The vast green space is of particular importance to numerous wintering waders and ducks and the reed beds here form important nesting sites for many of them.

During the autumn, the lagoon regularly attracts 20,000 or so water birds including; Eurasian Wigeons, Greater Flamingoes, White Storks, Eurasian Spoonbills, Little Bitterns, Purple Swamphens, Black-winged Stilts, Pied Avocets, Grey Plovers, Common Ringed Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Ruddy Turnstones, Dunlins, Little Terns and the bird that has become the symbol of the Ria Formosa, the Collared Pratincole.

If you are in Portugal and the Algarve for Christmas, you are in for a real treat. Things get started as early as December the 8th, that’s way before most of us in the UK have even got into the festive mood! Festivities and firework displays will generally happen throughout December but Christmas proper is celebrated on the evening of December 24th. This tends to be a comparatively quiet, family affair, but the celebrations kick off again afterwards, in the run up to New Year when there are yet more firework displays, culminating in the big ones which take place over the water.

All of the main resort towns will have their own highlights and the shopkeepers make a special effort with decorations, lights and trees. Goods wise though, you’ll find nothing much changes, there isn’t the big Christmas consumer push that there is in the UK. In Portugal, and even in the most Anglicised parts of the Algarve, Christmas is still, first and foremost a family affair. That’s not to say, they don’t like to party, of course they do and they love their festive treats too, but when it comes to buying presents and in particular, Christmas cards, the Portuguese are a little more, reserved.

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Algarve’s “Golden Triangle” Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Almancil - See It To Believe It

The Golden Triangle is the name given to the area between Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Almancil. This area, located barely 20 minutes drive from Faro International airport, contains some of the richest real estate in Europe with studio apartments priced at a cool quarter of a million Euros and villas available at anything up to six and a half million. Here at Truly Algarve, we specialise in Algarve holiday villas and Algarve apartments to let throughout the Algarve, including the prestigious resorts of Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Almancil.

Our luxurious Golden Triangle Algarve villas and apartments are ideally placed for playing at some of the best golf courses in Europe. But if you disregard the golf, what is it about this location that makes it so special?

Algarve Villas - click here to view our full range of Algarve holiday villas and apartments or browse for villas in the Golden Triangle resorts

Villas in Quinta do Lago | Villas in Vale do Lobo

Property

Property in the Golden Triangle is highly regarded and sought after because of its build quality and location. The Portuguese government have long since known that the Algarve is their country’s crowning glory and their best hope of attracting tourism, holidaymakers and serious external investment. The Golden Triangle is the jewel in that crown and for that reason; property development has been very closely monitored and restricted. These restrictions ensure that any development in the area, is carried out sympathetically, so as not to adversely affect the intrinsic beauty of the area.

Landscape

The beauty of the landscape is here for all to see and the villas and apartments have been thoughtfully designed to complement their surroundings. Most of the villas for rent in the Golden Triangle are offered with beautifully landscaped gardens and even those that have not been professionally landscaped are so well and regularly tended that you would think they have been. This attention to garden detail means that you can relax in very beautiful surroundings with lush green, manicured lawns, amid colourful flowerbeds and verdant trees.

Shopping
No holiday destination worth its salt, would be complete without some decent shopping and the Golden Triangle is no exception. What is exceptional about the Quinta shopping centre in Quinta do Lago, is its range of fashionable boutiques and wonderful restaurants. There is a choice of excellent Chinese and Italian food along with a traditional English pub, just in case you fancy a little taste of home. Quinta shopping offers a host of other delights and is well worth your perusal. The centre has some lovely open air terraces and wide esplanades lined with designer fashion, jewellery and cosmetics emporia. Also for your day to day shopping needs, for bread and eggs rather than designer handbags or watches, there’s the Bougainvillea Plaza, just next door. Here you’ll find all the super markets, banks and newsagents necessary to keep life ticking along as usual.

In Vale do Lobo there is a small shopping area in the main square that overlooks the sea and there are a number of others in and around the resort entrance. The most widely used supermarkets and shops and the local chemist is at Almancil. Slightly further afield, but well worth a visit for souvenirs and gifts is the Forum shopping centre on the outskirts of Faro. It has in excess of 120 shops and around 20 restaurants and there’s a hypermarket for your groceries.

Weather

The Algarve’s climate is one of year round sun. It’s going to be warm-hot whenever you go, it’s just a matter of how hot. August and September are usually the hottest months with temperatures rising to the mid to late 80’s, but even if you were to take a holiday villa in the Algarve in January, you’d still experience temperatures in the 60’s.

Facilities

The facilities on offer in the Golden Triangle are second to none. There’s world-class golf here, and lots of it. The Golden Triangle boasts no less than 6 championship courses, the 'Royal' and 'Ocean' courses at Vale do Lobo and the 'Pinheiros Altos' and 'San Lorenzo' courses as well as the 'North' and 'South' courses at Quinta do Lago. There’s the fabulous shopping we’ve already touched on, but there’s far more than that. There are salons and health and beauty spas, there’s tennis and a wealth of other sports available including water sports either in the ocean, or on one of the many man made lakes in the area.

Restaurants and Eateries

As you would expect, there is a great choice of restaurant in the Golden Triangle. Not least of which, is La Terrazza in Vale do Lobo. This stylish Italian serves up pizza and pasta dishes as well as meat and fish specialities, all prepared and cooked in an open plan kitchen so you see the chefs at work. Other restaurants and eateries in Vale do Lobo include; Amore, a modern pasta and pizza restaurant, La Place, which serves up gourmet French cuisine in very elegant surroundings and provides stunning views of the sea from most of its tables. There’s Ken Lo’s “Memories of China” in Tennis Valley. Here, the late Ken Lo, has set up this refined eatery with a wonderful view of Tennis Valley. Monty’s is still another recommendation, dishes include tempura prawns, lamb shank and seared salmon and they do a great cumberland sausage and mash for those less adventurous souls.

The Breeze Papagaio Beach Restaurant overlooking the beautiful Vale do Lobo Beach has been refurbished quite recently and now looks much more contemporary with its aluminium and white resin furniture. This gives the place a wonderfully relaxed holiday feel. If you’re watching your diet, or just want to eat more healthily, Spikes in Vale do Lobo, is the restaurant for you. They serve up appetizing salads alongside fresh vegetable soups and grilled meats served with vegetables. In Quinta do Lago some equally tasty treats await and you can pop along to any of half a dozen or so very tempting eateries, among them Koko Lane, Casa do Lago, Gigis, Casa Velha, Koko Beach and The Quinta do Lago Clubhouse, all of them with delightful menus of fresh meats and fish cooked to order and served at your table.

Bars and Night Life

Much of the night life in Quinta do Lago is based around the stylish shopping area known as Quinta Shopping. Here you’ll find “De Barra”an Irish themed bar, you’ll also find Master Pub and The Melting Pot. Elsewhere in Quinta do Lago there’s the T Club piano bar and disco and in the Bougainvillea Plaza you’ll find Bar DCK and Trigonometria.

In Vale do Lobo check out the Beach Bar. It's right on the beach, so you can’t miss it! This place turns from a great stop off for a tasty light bite during the day, to a sports bar/night club in the evenings. Another great nightspot is the Gecko Club in Vale do Lobo. Here the music is a mixture of everything from the latest dance tunes to some of the all time great classics.

Language

Another reason The Algarve is such a popular holiday destination, particularly among the British, is that English is so widely spoken here. You can quite happily ask a bar steward or a member of the waiting staff for your favourite drink in English and they will understand you perfectly. Their response will doubtless be in English too, albeit, with a Portuguese lilt. That said, as with anywhere in Europe, if you make an effort to speak the language, the natives will respond with an encouraging smile and maybe even a brief language lesson to help you on your way.


Algarve Villas - click here to view our full range of Algarve holiday villas and apartments or browse for villas in the Golden Triangle resorts

Villas in Quinta do Lago | Villas in Vale do Lobo