Algarve is certainly one of the most famous regions in Portugal, especially for family holidays!
Every year thousands of tourists come to Algarve for the sun, the beaches, the food and the wide offer of activities. This makes the Algarve a great holiday destination for families. Play at the Beach and in the Sea – Southern Algarve is filled with either small secluded beaches or long rockless beaches, but they have one thing in common: the sea is calm and flat, ideal for swimming, playing at the water, making castles in the sand or just taking a walk by the sea.
What is Medronho? Today Algarve Housing will inform you about a typical Portuguese drink and fruit of the Algarve! It is hard to miss this while you are on holiday in the Algarve. Therefor we like to share a few details about medronho, or firewater in the Algarve!
While up north, in March, Winter has still no intention of making place for its successor, spring in the Algarve, has already installed herself comfortably on the throne.
After the almond trees gave the start signal with their delicate white blossom, one tree after the other follows their footsteps in an explosion of colors and scents, as if exposing their assets in a glorious beauty contest.
December in the Algarve, for an enjoyable, alternative Christmas holiday destination in Portugal. The winter months were typically the low tourist season for Algarve but over the last few years the Christmas holiday season has become more popular, as many of the North African winter sun destination have become unsafe due to political instability or terrorism.
The increase of visitors to the Algarve means that there are more hotels and restaurants open and there is a livelier atmosphere in the larger towns, like Albufeira, Vilamoura, Lagos…. Algarve Housing like to update you, and share with you some things to do in December in the Algarve.
On 15 August, many parts of Europe celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, as well in the Algarve Portugal. It is a national Holiday, most shops and public places are closed on this holiday in Portugal.
The Feast of the Assumption of Mary is a very important day in the Catholic religion. It is the principal feast of the Blessed Virgin, the mother of Jesus Christ.
The Assumption Of Mary is a feast day that is celebrated on August 15th every year. This feast day commemorates Mary’s death and her assumption into heaven. Because it commemorates this sacred occasion – which is viewed by many as Mary’s divine birthday – it is not only a Holy Day of Obligation, but is one of the most important Marian feasts.
The beautiful Algarve is a fantastic place to visit any time of year. If you fancy an out of season holiday you can take advantage of cheaper flights and a quieter time of year. A late autumn holiday can be just the thing to get you refreshed and relaxed in time for the party season, and despite the slightly cooler temperature, the Algarve in November still boasts a wonderful climate, with over 300 days of sunshine each year, so you are still likely to have some pleasant t-shirt weather (around 17-20 degrees in the shade), so do remember to pack a jumper or two to keep you warm during the slightly chillier evenings.
Algarve Housing like to inform you about what is there to do in the Algarve during November. Well there is still plenty going on, and with wonderful landscapes, cozy cafe’s and great places to eat and drink in the evening you are sure to find plenty to keep you entertained. In fact, one of the great benefits of coming to the Algarve in November is that the cafe’s and restaurants will be less busy, they may have shorter opening hours, but friendly staff will have plenty of time to give you a warm, personalized service, and will happily share their knowledge of the area, and give you fantastic tips on must-see places to visit, and things to do.
In November the Algarve starts to blossom with beautiful flora and fauna, and the cooler temperatures make this a perfect time of year to go on long walks, admiring the landscape, spotting wildlife, or heading down to the stunning stretches of coastline where you can laze on the beach, make sandcastles and take a dip in the beautiful aquamarine sea.
Sint Martin Algare
The wonderful festive markets begin to come to life at this time of year too, so when exploring the local towns you are sure to find these, with stalls selling local products such as arts and crafts and food, which make for lovely souvenirs to take home with you. While you are there make sure you grab a bag of warm roasted chestnuts which will put you in the festive holiday spirit! The 11th of November is in fact Dia da São Martinho – the day of St Martin, and if you happen to be in a busier town, or city such as Faro, the streets will come alive for the celebration where roast chestnuts are in abundance, music is played and lanterns are lit and people enjoy tasting the new year’s wine. Traditionally this day is also the last day of the 40 days fast known as Quadragesima Sancti Martin, therefore a fantastic opportunity to eat, drink and be merry with the local residents.
Algarve fairs and markets
Some wonderful places to visit include the peaceful tranquility of the Barragem de Bravura reservoir where you can take walks through the magnificent national forest and also admire the quaint architecture of the local village of Barao de Sao Joao.
Sierra do Monchique Algarve
Further inland you can immerse yourself in nature even more by heading into the Sierra de Monchique, where you are sure to be impressed by the dramatic mountainous landscape. The town of Monchique itself is also charming with little cafe’s and shops to explore. While you are there why not take a little detour to the little hamlet of Caldas de Monchique, where the ancient spa waters are said to have fantastic healing properties.
November is a brilliant time of year to visit the Algarve, and with fewer crowds you can enjoy your holiday at a relaxed pace, away from the hustle and bustle and stresses of everyday life. With its temperate climate, activities and sightseeing is far more pleasant, so you can really get out there and see the best that the Algarve has to offer.
This article is brought to you by Algarve Housing, the villa rental company for unique villas in the Algarve, Portugal. Please contact me for any more details regarding what to do in the Algarve in November or information regarding the villas we rent in the Algarve.
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September and October are great months to spend in the Algarve! Nice, warm weather, beaches are not crowded, and the food, drinks and the people are still lovely! Flights are cheap, so …. Come and play with us in the sunny Algarve.
Algarve Housing suggest: Extend your summer in the Algarve!!!
Due to cancellation, this nice villa will be free for one week, from tomorrow onwards. Please check this link for all the details. Private villa near Silves, with private pool, garden, jacuzzi and wifi
The toll system in the Algarve is complicated and confusing, How does it works for holiday makers with rental car or with your own car?
18 September 2018: UPDATE
Toll payments on-line!
Nowadays it is possiblE to pay the motorway tolls on line via the CTT website. IF you use the motorways and do not have a device, you can check at www.ctt.pt what tolls which are currently awaiting payment by clicking on the PORTAGENS-tab and typing the registration number of the vehicle in the box PORTAGENS EM DIVIDA.
The payment of tolls by Multibanco is only available for cars withPortuguese licence plates, with no device, and travelling on highways with electrocic tolls. The details of the tolls are available 48 hours after their use and you can also choose your language (Portuguese, English, Spanish or French).
To pay tolls at a Multibanco please follow the steps below:
Request on the CTT website a Multibanco reference online or by SMS. INdicate your tax identification number if you wish to include it in the invoice. Select PAGAMENTOS and then PAGAMENTO DE SERVICOS, at the ATM or throught Homebanking.
Insert the following data:
a. Entidade: 21154 (CTT Correios de Portugal SA)
b. Referencia: xxx xxx xxx (reference given by CTT to each car plate)
c. Mntante: xx,xx euros (amountincludingthe amount of tolls plus the administrative costs).
You will receive an SMS confirmation of the payment and the number necessary to obtain the invoice on teh CTT website. This information I have from the AFPOP!
Driving in the Algarve-How to handle the toll road A22
We often get questions regarding the toll system in the Algarve. As it is complicated and confusing, the article below hopefully give you a bit more comprehension.
The main highway in the south of Portugal is the A22, also known as “Via do Infante”. It runs across the entire region and connects all the main cities, including Faro, Portimão and Lagos, reaching all the way to the Spanish border.
Originally, the A22 was not a toll road, but this changed in late 2011 when tolls were implemented. Because it was not originally meant as a toll-road, the A22 and the other former “SCUTs” in Portugal don’t have toll booths, making it remarkably easy to miss the fact that you’re using a toll road, and making it more than a little complicated to pay for the tolls even if you are inclined to do so.
In order to facilitate the process with rental cars, car hire suppliers give clients picking up their car in Portugal the option to acquire an electronic device that can be used to automatically pay for tolls. This device is associated with your credit card and the tolls are charged automatically every time you drive through a toll road. This device can be used both with the new automated system in more recent toll highways and with the existing system in traditional toll-roads, which have a fast lane for cars with automatic devices.
Please note that this device is optional and clients can refuse to take it if they so wish. Should you opt out of the device, you have two choices regarding the A22. On the one hand, you can simply pay for it the old-fashioned way, which means either at a Payshop or at the post-office. To pay for it in this manner, you must wait at least 48 hours after you have used the highway, but you have to pay for it no later than 5 days. If you go back to your country without paying for the tolls you’re due, the Portuguese police will issue a fine, which will be sent to your address on your rental information. On top of that, the car rental supplier will often charge an additional administrative fee on top of the fine.
Alternatively, you can simply choose not to use the highway A22. Contrary to popular belief, it’s perfectly possible to drive in the Algarve using only national roads. Please note, however, that unlike highways, national roads only have two lanes, one going in each direction. Furthermore, they tend to go through towns instead of around them, and traffic bottlenecks often occur on the roundabouts and traffic lights right before a town or city. It is also worth noting that Portuguese drivers usually avoid the highway, which is considered expensive by national standards, so you are likely to find more considerably more traffic in national roads than in highways. This is particularly true during the high season, since the Algarve is also a popular destination for Portuguese holidaymakers.
If instead of booking in Portugal you are holidaying in Spain but want to pop to the other side of the border for a quick getaway, fear not. Right across the border on the side of the highway there are vending machines where you can sort out everything you need to drive on the A22. And if you run into any difficulty using the machine, there’s a direct line to a help center, with agents usually speaking – besides Portuguese – Spanish and at least rudimentary English.
Algarve toll road
If you are a visitor, arriving at the Spanish Border in a foreign registered car
At the border on the A22 you will find an automatic vending machine. Here you can rent a transponder by entering your car registration number and your credit card. On your return you can drop off your ‘used’ transponder at the last service station (Olhao) where you will get part of the original cost refunded less a small rental fee. All tolls will be charged to your credit card. Should the vending machine be busy, you can also rent a transponder at the first service area on the motorway (Olhao).
You can also rent a transponder at any Post Office and from Faro Airport (in the Post Office),
Option Twois to purchase a five day pass, again from any Post Office, The cost is Euros 10 initially (or more), tolls must be pre-paid, so deposit enough to cover your expected journeys. As far as we can ascertain, you can only buy one of these, and you pay the normal toll charge, based on your journey. Refunds of unused tolls are possible, but we don’t know anyone who has tried! You will get a receipt which you should display on your dashboard, and keep in a safe place thereafter. One reader has told us that he has been told that the unused part of his payment will be refunded to his Credit Card automatically once the toll road concessionaires have calculated what he has used in tolls.
Option Three
Easy Toll & Toll Card (introduced July 2012). The new system features two methods of payment called ‘Easy Toll’ and ‘Toll Card’, developed by the national road company Estradas de Portugal in cooperation with the CTT postal service and electronic payment company UNICRE. Easy Toll is available at border crossings into Portugal featuring or near a former SCUT motorway; Vila Formoso (A25), Vila Real de Santo António (A22), Chaves (A24) and Vila Nova de Cerveira (EN13). Machines have been installed for users to pay tolls and staff are available to provide information. The Easy Toll system enables drivers of foreign registered vehicles to associate their number plate to a bank card for a period of up to one month, with toll charges being debited directly from their account. Toll Card meanwhile is a method whereby users can buy a card that is prepaid with five, ten, 20 or 40 euros, and can be activated and linked to a vehicle license number by sending a text message. Toll cards can be bought online, at post offices and motorway services stations
It’s the time of year when the thoughts of many people start to wander to when and where to go on holiday in July. A week or two away with your nearest and dearest, doing a little (or a lot) of whatever takes your fancy, sounds pretty appealing doesn’t it? You’ve worked hard all year and you’re really looking forward to getting away from it all for a while. Quite right too – you deserve it!Looking for sun, sea, sand? Relax and enjoy in the Algarve, and book a nice villa in the Algarve! We still have a few weeks available in July, of some gorgeous villas in the Algarve. Below a few holiday villas Portugal, but contact me for more availability and prices!
Casa Arrochela
25 April, Revolution day in Portugal. In 1974 ended the dictatorship and started the Democracy. This day is a national holiday in Portugal. Almost every town celebrates this with festivities like music, markets, performances.
Algarve Housing like to give you a few highlights to choose from:
26 April
Odeleite Fair
Odeleite Fair – Feira do Campo
In and around the small village Furnazinhas
Countryside activities such as a 8km walk in the area to discover the copper mines, donkey rides, and lessons in how to cook bread in the bread oven.
23-26 April
Faro- Cheese and Wine Fair
Manuel Bivar Gardens
Many stalls will be selling local products, crafts, liqueurs, honey, tapas, cheese and wine!
24-26 April
Portimao- Praia Marina
Agua Bike Race Portimao
Agua bike races
24-26 April
FIM Bike Championship
Autodrome International Portimao
Featuring Superbike, Moto 2 and 3, Kawazaki Z Cup.
