Category: Algarve info

Algarve info, Algarve Places, News

Festival Med – 5 day Music Festival held in Loule (24 – 28 Jun 2009)

The best of the Mediterranean comes to Loulé in the Algarve every summer for a music, dance and arts extravaganza. Festival Med welcomes renowned world music stars from Morocco, Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal for this cultural concoction.

This is a fantastic event, especially for tourists seeking versatility in what the Algarve lifestyle can offer. Additionally to great music, expect to see plenty of other forms of art including hand-crafts, dance performances and street theatre. For 5 days, the historic surroundings of Loulé will tempt you with scents from traditional cuisine from each of the countries taking part in the event.

The MED festival, organized by Loulé Municipal Council, plays host this year to some well renowned music figures, including the Orquestra Buena Vista Social Club ®, La Notte della Tarranta feat. Stewart Copeland and Horace Andy & Dub Asante.

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club

 

Music, or more specifically World Music, forms the basis of the festival and, after six editions of the event, definitely takes pride of place at the MED. Apart from the two main stages, there will be a further three secondary stages where promising artists will be performing.

To further entice you with this annual event, Festival Med has also been nominated into the category ‘Best Cultural Events’ at the Gala of Events 2009. Decked out with its’ multicoloured decorations, Loulé opens welcoming arms, inviting you to this 5 day festival for you to enjoy during your stay within the Algarve… expect it to be one of the events of the summer!!

Click this previous posting to find out more about the area of Loule itself http://algarvehousing.net/news/2009/03/11/loule-place-to-be/

When:

24 – 28 Jun 2009 (annual)

Where:

Loulé

Algarve info, Algarve Places, Villa

Algarve, Great Place to Stay in Portugal, Villa near the Beach

Burgau Beach
Burgau Beach

Algarve is a great place to stay, to spent you holiday and Algarve Housing has a nice villa for rent near the beach, in the centre of Burgau, between Lagos and Sagres.

Casa da Praia, is a basic 2 storey villa, has 4 bedrooms, a private little pool and is 1 minute walk form the beach in the centre of Burgau.

Master Bedroom
Master Bedroom Casa da Praia

Burgau is a friendly and peaceful fishing village, ideal for families, nature lovers and walkers. Nestled on the edge of a national park, still a working fishing village, and watching the boats bobbing on the moonlit waters, makes Burgau a place you will never forget.

Casa da Praia
Casa da Praia - Open kitchen

Burgau and its unique charm is the village ability to appeal to everyone, regardless of age or interests. People who have been once usually come back time after time. It has an X factor that has to be experienced.

Heading west from Burgau, the next village is Salema. There’s an interesting coastal road from Burgau, or an alternative access route down an old river valley from the main road. Facing the glorious beach is a small jumble of restaurants and an occasional shop. The old village extends eastwards up a cliff-hugging road. There are several other beaches along this stretch of coast, most with a beach bar and all of them accessible by road. Surfers are recommended to try ‘Boca do Rio’ or ‘Zavial’.

Do you want to know more about Casa da Praia, please contact me for more information and availability.

Algarve Housing has more nice holiday villas in the Algarve, please check our website.

Don’t want to miss any news from Algarve Housing, our special offers or information about any of the beautiful holiday homes of Algarve Housing, SUBSCRIBE to our blog, if is for free, and you get it automatically delivered in your email inbox!

Warm Regards,

Michele


Algarve info, Algarve Places, Farmhouse

Alvor with its wide, fine sandy beach, one of the best in the Algarve

Alvor wide, sandy Beach

Alvor, close to Lagos has a wide, fine sandy beach, one of the best in the Algarve.

Algarve Housing rent very special villas in the Algarve, the most southern part of Portugal. One of our special villas is Quinta Bem Posta, close to Alvor.

Alvor

Due to Alvor’s peculiar and sensitive ecology, attempts have been made to protect the surrounding area from tourist development, which have only been partially successful. Alvor has, however, managed to retain much of its original style, with low buildings and open surroundings and the lagoon, which is a specially protected area of natural beauty.
The area around the old fishermen’s market has been developed greatly over the past five years. It now has a wide waterfront promenade, with restaurants and bars where one can sit and watch the fishing boats.
Behind the fish market is the old lifeboat station, which is well worth a visit.
Alvor’s main beach is just five minutes’ walk from the town. A favourite among windsurfers, it is four and half miles of wide open sand, offering enough space for beach volleyball, football, frisbee and walking. The beach is backed by dunes and has plenty of facilities.

Alvor, Beach front

Facilities
There are usually life guards on duty and sun umbrellas and sun loungers can be hired at a daily rate. Car parks are close to the beach. Several beach restaurants offer traditional grilled fish, lamb, piri-piri chicken and other delicious foods.
The beach is popular with Portuguese holidaymakers from the north who usually arrive in the Algarve in September, but due to its size Alvor Praia is never packed.
Tres Irmaos Beach, further east, is mostly backed by cliffs, with huge rocks scattered along the shoreline. It leads to Praia da Vau and Praia da Rocha. “Praia” is the Portuguese for “beach”.

Alvor, Church

Still a fishing village
Remember that Alvor is still a fishing village, talk to locals and find out what time the fisherman return from the sea. It’s well worth getting up early and watching them work with their catch. The Octopus is a real speciality.

Algarve Housing rent nice holiday homes in the Algarve, and also near Alvor with its wide, sandy beach! Quinta Bem Posta is only 5 minutes from Alvor. Contact me for availability and more information.

We regularly write articles about our holiday properties, special offers, information about the region and Things to do in the Algarve.

If you don’t want to miss it, subscribe to our News Blog, and keep updated!

Warm Regards,

Michele

Algarve info, News, Whats on Guide

Pack your Picnic and enjoy May Day in the Algarve

Gather your family and friends and experience the Portuguese May Day tradition.

The first of May is May Day, an international celebration of workers’ solidarity and has always been a festival of fun, right from its early beginnings and, despite isolated outbreaks of violence during political May Day rallies around the world, in modern times, it continues to be celebrated as a day to enjoy the open air, and a day to air opinions.

For the Portuguese it is a day to enjoy a good picnic, on the beach, in the forest, by a river, and sometimes just at the roadside. It is the one day of the year that normally unused roadside picnic spots fill with families and friends to enjoy simple food and wine, and cheer at the day long parades of fire engines, ambulances and police vehicles that animate the roads of every county. April in Portugal marks the change from winter to spring, bringing warmer weather and blue skies, and May Day is the perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy the first picnic of the year.

If you live here, or on holiday in the Algarve, we give you some popular places to go.

Most popular are the Fontes that can be found near Estombar (Lagoa), Alte and Benamola (Loule) and Caldas de Monchique. The rivers are very popular too, like the Arada and the Guardiana (river between Portugal and Spain) and the Baragems (dam lakes) which there are many, both large and small, throughout the Algarve.

So Pack your picnic and enjoy May Day in the Algarve!

For more information you can contact me.

This information is brought by you by Algarve Housing, which rents luxury holiday villas in the Algarve.

If you don’t want to miss our updates about what to do in the Algarve, last minute deals on our dream holiday homes or information about the area, subscribe to our blog, it is free, and you will never miss anything.

Warm Regards,

Michele

Algarve info, Algarve Places

Silves, a place in the Algarve not to miss!


Silves is a place not to be missed when you visit the Algarve, the most southern part of Portugal. Most of our villas for rent located close to Silves, time to write about historic town Silves.

Once the capital of the Arab kingdom. A once flourishing city of palaces, gardens and bazaars, Silves may have lost its influence but not its interest. The surrounding area is comprised of mile after mile of orchards – peach, almond and orange trees. The redsand stone fortress is open daily (09:00-19:00). A 13th century cathedral built of red and white sandstone has fine emblazoned tombs and should not be missed.

The best way to start your visit to the city is by going to Silves market in the morning. You will enjoy the aroma of the fruit, vegetables and fresh fish at this crowded, noisy but charming venue where you can buy everything you need to cook a delicious meal.

Silves, with its terraces, minarets, the façade of the Arabic palaces and streets complete with bazaars, make the city a great attraction for all visitors.

Walking on foot over the hills around the city, you will see flourishing orchards of almond, orange and fig trees.

Nowadays, Silves still maintains this medieval charm: from the 7-arched Roman bridge winding cobbled streets lead to picturesque squares fronted by churches and colourful cafes. Bars, shops and restaurants where local cuisine can be sampled at leisure, are interspersed with typical red roofed houses. The Fabrica do Ingles is a more recent social gathering point, offering restaurants, conference and exhibition facilities and during the summer months, concerts, laser shows, and theatrical re-enactments.

Silves has a great deal to offer, blending past and present to create its own unique atmosphere. Magnificent surroundings and the accompanying gentle pace of life combine to provide a memorable and truly remarkable visit.

AlgarveHousing rent various holiday homes in the Silves area, I just mention a few;

Casa Lavender, Casa Vilarinha, Casa Ceramica, Casa da Pedra, Casa Laranha, The Windmills, Casa Eucalyptus,Casa Barradas and Monte Boi.

Please contact me for more information regarding prices, availability or more information.

We regularly write articles about new holiday properties, special offers, information about the region and ‘Things to do in the Algarve’.

If you don’t want to miss it, subscribe to our News Blog, and keep updated!

Warm Regards,

Michele

Algarve info

Spring in the Algarve-don’t miss it!

Wild Flowers in the Algarve

Spring in the Algarve is something you cannot miss! Fabulous displays of wildflowers that colonise every available piece of Algarve ground no matter how small. In Portugal you do not need to travel far to see wildflowers. In the Algarve in springtime, the flowers are everywhere- on roadside verges, in abandoned and fallow farmland, in the forests and beside the sea.

We all know the Algarve from the beautiful cliffs and coves and beautiful white sandy beaches, but within a short drive of the coast there is a very different Algarve to be experienced. In the spring you see millions upon millions daisies, poppies and many other colourful flowers…like the Wild Roses (Cistus) in the mountains.

Daiseys
Field of Daiseys

Poppeys
Field of Poppeys

Cistus or Rock Rose
Rock Rose

Algarve Housing has a variety of nice holiday homes for rent away from the coast, in rural, private areas, still only a short drive to the coast, with private pool and garden.

If you don’t want to miss the beautiful spring in the Algarve, please have a look at our website for nice self catering villas and contact me for availability, prices and more information.

We will publish more about the things to see and things to do in the Algarve, last minute super deals on our holiday homes, so why not subscribe to our News Blog.

Warm Regards,

Michele

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