Apologies if this has been a previous topic.
I’ve never had a holiday in Portugal, and a little research shows that flights operate to Faro from my local airport, LBA. I’m looking at early mid September, 10 days self catering. I’ll get a hire car and head off...we don’t like crowds, high rise resorts, enjoy sea swimming, some walking, avoid rowdy sports bars.
Suggestions please
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I've been a couple of times, found it similar to Spain. It's got fantastic beaches and golf courses (I don't play), but didn't really find the history like Spain. Hired cars, but found nothing much to see.
The sea's freezing!
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I’m not interested in golf either. Fairly happy to swim without a shortie wet suit in the Med February, but not for longer than 10 minutes !
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Week 2 or week 3 September -> Odeceixe
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I only discovered Portugal a year or so back, initially via a villa owned by a daugher's friends dad.
Been back twice since, each time for a month, and am booked for the Sept and next march for a month each.
We stayed in the Algarve, except a week city sightseeing in Lisbon. Been there, done that now - we're not too keen on cities really.
September last year was still hot hot hot. well compared to here it was, and I was in the sea most days, it was warm and I wouldn't be seen dead in a wetsuit (think Michelin man :-) ). One of two rather large and stringy jellyfish were seen!
Eating and drinking out is really cheap and generally good value for money. In September the season is coming to a close and I think the hire rates dropped quite a bit for the last two weeks of Sept, but I might have that wrong. Car hire through your DYS is reasonable to cheap.
Quite a lot of English reside there, or are there for long term holidays. Or go there for their two weeks, but that's mainly to Albufiera which is probably best avoided given your dislike of crowds. My personal observations on other places - I only discovered Portugal a year or so back, initially via a villa owned by a friend of my daughter's father.
My views on other places - Portimao has a lot of new tourist development (it's fair to say most places have on the coast) but it is a quite pleasant enough place. We stay in/near Armacao de Pera which is smaller and has a nice beach and "prom". There are quite a few unsightly high rise blocks there and I imagine the place would be uncomfortably heaving in the peak season, but it's pleasantly unbusy when we've been. There is a place just along the coast which is supposedly a very nice place with plenty of rental vilas/apartments - pretty sure that was Carvoeiro - we took a drive there but I wasn't keen though we may well have missed the best bit. Quarteria and Vilamoura are a bit more up market, very nice and reasonable eateries at the marina at one of them.
Out of season you can get pretty cheap villas on long rentals, especially if they are a bit inland, but look for smaller websites rather than booking.com and the usual suspects.
There is a walk right across Portugal which is about 300km, documented here www.viaalgarviana.org/index.php/the-track/?lang=en . You can pick off bits of it as you wish. I'll mail you a pdf file of other walks as I can't find the link I downloaded it from. We've done a lot of the shorter ones across the south of Portugal, inland and coastal, and enjoyed them.
I'm really liking Portugal and probably would have bought a property there if I'd found it at an earlier age. Seems there are still bargains to be had but I don't feel the need to own one these days.
Last edited by: smokie on Wed 10 Jul 19 at 10:03
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Many thanks No FM2R and smokie
I’m on the case....it will be early/ mid Sept as I’m taking, with the help of friends for mental stimulation, my old mum back to the C Blanca on the 28/09 for two weeks.
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Gracias.
Looking at late August, first week September now as relatively cheap Jet2 flights ex LBA. Only stumbling block now is her flight from TFS to Faro. Fingers crossed she can get a cheap flight and I can sort accommodation in due course. Hopefully most of the summer rush is over by then.
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Flight out rush stops Saturday BEFORE children go back to school.
Occupation and flight back rush is over the first Saturday AFTER the children go back to school.
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Portugal - bathtub tom
