Located on the south west coast of Portugal, Lagos is one of the oldest towns in the Algarve. Just 10 miles from Portimao and 50 miles from Faro, the town is a historic seaport, thriving market town and attractive beach resort. The town itself is a fishing harbour set in a beautiful bay and surrounded by crumbling walls. Holiday packages to Lagos give visitors the chance to enjoy the real Portugal in a vibrant atmosphere together with charm and sophistication. The old pedestrianised old town is a maze of narrow cobbled streets with whitewashed houses, attractive squares, beautiful architecture, cultural and historical attractions including museums and churches.

Lagos

Lagos has a wide range of beaches ranging from small secluded cove to the vast expanses of the amazing Meia Praia. The main Meia Praia beach, to the east of Lagos, is a magnificent stretch of sand and shingle which can be reached by ferry or bus. There are many beaches found on the promontory to the south of the town. This coast offers a mix of tiny coves, caves, grottos and strange rock formations. Read more »

Located on Portugal’s Algarve, just 25 miles from Faro airport, the popular beach resort of Albufeira attracts a wide range of visitors. The beautiful beaches and lively nightlife brings both the young and old, and families with children flocking to the resort on their bargain holidays

Albufeira

to Portugal. The resort has plenty of restaurants serving a choice of traditional Portuguese and International cuisine, cafes and bars. Try some traditional fish and seafood dishes at the restaurants around the Fisherman’s beach for a taste of the real Portugal. Along the seafront, towards Praia da Oura there is no-end of lively music bars which stay open until the clubs and discos open at night. Read more »

Faro is a lively provincial capital which is often overlooked by visitors when visiting Portugal’s Algarve.  Just 5 minutes from Faro airport, this historic town offers a taste of real Portugal in an exciting lively atmosphere. Thanks to dry hot summers and mild winters Faro is a popular choice for holidays throughout the year, including holidays in December when temperatures are still around the 20C mark. Visitors to Portugal

Faro

on their bargain holidays often miss out on this fascinating town by rushing off to the beach resorts of the Algarve.

Faro has an array of restored buildings of varying architectural styles which are surrounded by crumbling medieval walls. The historic old town, the Cidade Velha, has charming cobbled streets with white-washed buildings, a town square lined with orange trees and surrounded by elegant buildings including the Read more »

The old port and fishing village of Alvor sits at the mouth of the River Alvor in western Algarve. Just 5 miles from Portimao, 12 miles from Lagos and about 40 miles from Faro, Alvor is popular with families and couples looking for a quiet resort with uncrowded beaches. The resort

Alvor

is slightly less developed than other resorts on the Algarve, mixing the old with the new. The narrow cobbled streets are lined with the original traditional fisherman’s cottages which are a focal point of the town. Alvor has much to offer everyone on their cheap holidays to Portugal, including a vast sandy beach, a fishing harbour, riverside square, waterfront promenade, the ruins of a 13th century castle and a 16th century church. Read more »

Altura is a purpose-built beach resort on the east coast of Portugal’s Algarve near to the Roman town of Tavira and the busy resort of Monte Gordo. The eastern side of the Algarve is less developed and unspoilt than the other parts, making it an ideal destination for families looking for a relaxing holiday in Portugal. The coastline of Altura falls within the 37 mile coastline of the Parque natural da Ria Formosa which is

Altura beach

protected from overdevelopment. This lagoon area is a haven for numerous species of birds that make it home, a place to shelter in the winter or as a migration stopover. Most of the accommodation in Altura, including hotels, villas, apartments and seafront properties, is within walking distance of the beautiful sandy beach. Read more »

The luxurious beachside resort of Vale do Lobo is located between Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura on the Algarve in the south of Portugal. Vale do Lobo is just a 20 minute drive from Faro Airport, 15 minutes from Vilamoura and 25 minutes from Albufeira.

This purpose built luxury resort runs down through a beautiful pine and fig tree clad valley, dotted with magnificent lagoons,  to the Atlantic Ocean on Portugals Algarve coast. The Moorish style buildings with their red roofs and latticed balconies add to the character and beauty of this exclusive village.  Accommodation here is mainly luxury villas and up-market apartments but there are a few luxury hotels here which cater for couples, families and groups on their golfing holidays. For sports enthusiasts there are two excellent golf courses, a first-class tennis academy with 14 courts, health club and riding school. For those who just want to relax and soak up the sun there is a three mile stretch of pristine golden sandy beaches backed by low red sandstone cliffs.

Vale do Lobo has two excellent 18-hole golf courses. The Royal is famous for its 16th hole where golfers have to drive across two ravines on the cliff. The Ocean Course was designed by the late Sir Henry Cotton and is far less challenging than the Royal but still an exciting course. There is also a large driving range to practice your swing before trying your hand at the 18-hole courses. Golfers will love the palm and almond tree lined fairways that wind their way towards the sea.
Right in the heart of the resort is Barringtons Health Club, often used by international football teams and cricket teams. The club offers excellent facilities including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, childrens pool, health and fitness centre, gym, sauna, jacuzzi, steam room, squash courts, snooker, table tennis, restaurant and bars.

The restaurants and bars come into action in the evening with live music and discos on the beach in the summer. The restaurants serve a good variety of cuisine including local and international dishes. Many of the restaurants are on the seafront, offering magnificent views across the Atlantic.

Golf is the main activity for most people on their direct holidays to Vale do Lobo but there is plenty for the whole family to enjoy.

Vale do Lobo

Whether you are looking for a golf break, an active sports break, summer holidays, an Easter break or a romantic getaway there are always plenty of travel deals available to Portugals Algarve throughout the internet.

Portimao is a traditional fishing port and harbour on the River Arcade estuary on the south Algarve coast. Located close to the popular beach resort of Praia da Rocha, Portimao is just 40 miles from Faro. If you are looking for a traditional Portuguese holiday this is the place to visit.

Harbour

Everything in Portimao revolves around its riverside and harbour, main square and gardens, and restaurants. Add the towns shops, markets and boutiques and you have a town that gives you a real taste of Portugal. Local crafts including lace, jewellery, copperware and ceramics are on offer here at very reasonable prices. Portimao is well known for its traditional restaurants where you can sample the towns famous charcoal-grilled sardines and fresh seafood. Most of the restaurants and bars are found along the riverside and around the harbour giving you excellent views whilst enjoying a quiet relaxing meal. The town holds a sardine festival every year in August. Nearby Praia da Rocha is much livelier than Portimao in the evenings, offering restaurants and bars with live music, nightclubs and a casino.

The coastline around Portimao has clifftop walks, sandy coves, caves and fascinating eroded rocks. The town is within easy reach of some great beaches. Praia da Rocha beach is regarded as one of the best beaches in the whole of the Algarve.

Praia da Rocha beach

 Just a couple of miles from Portimao is the sandy Praia dos Tres Irmaos beach. Popular with divers are the dark golden sands of Tres Irmaos. The popular beach and fishing harbour at Ferragudo are just a couple of miles away on the eastern side of the river. There are lots of lovely sandy beaches between Praia da Rocha and Alvor, especially Praia do Vau. Diving, snorkelling and swimming are favourite pastimes here with some really good dive sites along the coast.

There is lots to do and see around Portimao. Visit the old villages of Alvor and Carvoeiro, and the historic sites of Cape St Vincent, Lagos and Silves Castle. Enjoy a great family day out at the Quinta da Rocha nature reserve.

Coastline

Another great family day out is an excursion to the Monchique Mountains where you can explore the amazing forests, valleys and fragrant orange groves. For sports fans there is golf, deep sea fishing and horseriding. Deep sea fishing is a popular sport here in Portimao, take a trip from the harbour and try to catch shark, conger and bass along the coastline.

Portimao offers great cruise trips for you to enjoy on your bargain holidays to Portugal. Experience a romantic dinner on a trip along the coast, enjoy some drinks and show your moves on a dance cruise or just take a relaxing dolphin spotting boat trip.

Portugal not only has some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe but also boasts that it is one of the sunniest locations. Portimao enjoys more than 3000 hours of sunshine a year with summer temperatures often exceding 30C. The climate together with the many cheap holidays that are on offer to Portugal make it an ideal choice for your cheap holidays at any time of the year.

The resort of Montechoro is located on Portugal’s beautiful Algarve, on the outskirts of Albufeira at the north end of the famous ‘strip’. The resort is ideally situated for the fantastic nightlife and beautiful sandy beaches in the region. In recent years the resort has seen lots of development and now has some great accommodation facilities including large hotels and apartment complexes.

The busy town of Montechoro is full of restaurants, bars and shops. When you crave some peace and quiet then visit the traditional Old Town of Albufeira which has some great fish restaurants and an open-air market where you can pick up a bargain or two.

The golden sandy beach at nearby Praia d’Oura is just 10 minutes from Montechoro. Located in a large bay, the beach is protected from the elements by colourful sandstone cliffs. Known as the Golden Beach, there are plenty of watersports available here including water-skiing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, paragliding, kite surfing and the firm family favourite banana boat rides. If you are looking for quieter more secluded beaches and coves there are plenty within easy reach of the resort including the small beach at Praia dos Averios which has a scuba diving school, Santa Eulalia and Praia Maria Luisa. Scuba diving lessons and excursions for all levels are also available at the diving centre at Albufeira. The beaches at Montechoro have Blue Flag status for cleanliness and water purity. Relax with a boat trip along the beautiful coastline here, at the same time trying your hand with a spot of fishing. Another great way to admire the coastline is by taking a horse ride along the beach on the famous Lustianos horses or by taking a hot air balloon ride and marvel at the views below. Take a Seafari from the marina at Albufeira to spot dolphins, explore the vast sea caves by dinghy and do some reef fishing.

Away from the beach there is plenty to do in Montechoro. Activities include ten-pin bowling, lawn bowling, tennis and golf. There are plenty of golf courses to chose from which are all within easy reach from Montechoro including the amazing 18-hole Salgados course with it’s lake features and the 9-hole courses of Pine Cliffs and Balaia. The whole family will enjoy Zoomarine Park where you can swim with the dolphins, Aqualand with exhilarating water rides and slides and Montechoro Park where you will find a swimming pool complex, mini golf, a play area for small children and restaurants.

There is so much to do and see around Montechoro that you will hardly have time to stop and take a breather on your last minute holidays to Portugal.

Whether you are looking for beautiful beaches, lively nightlife or a relaxing golfing holiday there are always lots of travel deals available to the Algarve throughout the internet.

Praia de Falesia in the Algarve is located about 30kms from Faro between Albufeira and Quarteira.

Set on a quiet clifftop, surrounded by beautiful countryside, Praia de Falesia offers quiet and relaxed holidays for the whole family.

Praia de Falesia

The golden sandy beach here has a backdrop of low cliffs and pine forests and is one of the longest in the Algarve, stretching for 6kms. With Albufeira to the west and Vilamoura to the east, the beach is so long that it never gets overcrowded. Because the beach has gentle shelving it is very safe for all the family to enjoy a dip in the beautiful azure waters or take advantage of one of the watersports on offer, including scuba diving, windsurfing and water skiing.

An alternative to lazing on this beautiful beach is a hike along the coastal

Olhos d'Agua

path which leads to the quiet villages of Acoteias and Olhos d’Agua.

There are boat excursions available from Albufeira and Vilamoura which include rides along the beautiful Algarve coastline, dolphin watching and fishing trips.

The coastline and the surrounding countryside can be explored either on foot or by bicycle.
 
Praia de Falesia holidays are popular with golfers as there are several championship golf courses in the area. The best time to visit for a golfing holiday is in the spring or autumn when there is around 6 hours a day sunshine and temperatures average around 18-23C.

Evenings here are usually spent enjoying a relaxing meal in one of the local

Algarve Coastline

 restaurants or having a drink or two in one of the bars. For livlier nightlife there is Albufeira or Vilamoura. Both have cafes, bars and discos and Vilamoura also has a casino.

Praia de Falesia has a typically Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and mild winters. May temperatures average around 22C which rise to 25C in June and up to 30C in July and August. During the summer the area enjoys around 12 hours of sunshine a day with virtually no rainfall. During the winter the temperature drops to around 18C with up to 6 hours of sunshine a day.

With something for everyone, Praia de Falesia is a great place to spend your family holidays.

Cheap holidays to the Algarve are always available throughout the internet.

Thinking of visiting Portugal for your summer holidays or might be considering visiting at a future date?

Personally, I love the Algarve in the south of Portugal and have just come across a really informative travel article for Portugal which may help you when planning your holidays.

The Algarve has everything, including beautiful beaches, great dining-out venues, 35 golf courses, watersports and outdoor activities, and lots of attractions for the whole family to enjoy.

With many tourist attractions, as well as the usual beaches, the Algarve offers a new world to explore if you book a holiday to this area, either for the renowned sports activities or just for a nice break away from home.

Trevor Butler set up his first ‘travel’ related business in 2004 and has written many other destination articles with tips and information. I have found these articles both interesting and helpful, hope you do too.