1 Family Highlights of the Algarve

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THE ALGARVE

Ifirst visited Portugal in 1972 as a long-haired teenager, on the wayhome to my first year at university after a summer spent hitchhiking

around France, Spain and Morocco. Crossing the border from Spaininto the quiet hinterland of the Algarve and the Alentejo, I rememberbeing struck by how peaceful, even backward, the country seemed.Farmers rode mules or carried their produce to market in donkeycarts, fishermen hauled nets by hand, barefoot children herded fatsheep and skinny goats in pastures shaded by cork oak groves. Thatapparent rural idyll, of course, concealed a great deal of rural poverty.

It’s not surprising that, when Portugal’s backward-looking dictator-ship collapsed three years after my first visit, the people whose lives atfirst sight looked so idyllic took to tourism with a will.

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Few places in Europe have beaches that can match the Algarve’sgreat sweeps of white and gold sand, stretching from the mouth of theRiver Guadiana – which forms the border with Spain – all the way toCape St Vincent and Henry the Navigator’s fortress at Sagres, wherePortuguese navigators like Vasco da Gama and the wonderfully namedFernando Poo set off into the unknown.

And nowhere has a climate that makes such beaches accessible allyear round. While researching part of this book in February 2007 hardytoddlers were splashing in the low-tide shallows of the huge, emptybeach at Carrapateira, while wet-suited surfers rode the waves at Sagres’sPraia de Beliche and teenage dinghy sailors raced across the waters offIlha de Tavira. The temperature reached 21°C one afternoon. On mostBritish beaches, that’s something we dream about even in mid-summer.Equally family-friendly are summer temperatures that average around26°C and rarely soar above 30°C – hot, but not too hot, and temperedby cooling Atlantic breezes.

A mixture like that makes a tourism boom inevitable, and theAlgarve has boomed indeed since the first time I went there. Thousandsof British families visit every year, and enterprising locals have built anarray of purpose-made, family-friendly visitor attractions to comple-ment the Algarve’s natural advantages – from tennis academies and rid-ing schools to karting tracks, zoos, and a plethora of water parks, boatrides and other intriguing choices for families.

Let’s not forget the region’s history. There’s a limit to how manyManueline churches you can drag the children round before thewhingeing starts (about one, in my experience) but even boring oldcathedrals can throw up surprise treats – like a spooky chapel full ofskulls and bones, or a bell-tower occupied by a family of fledglingstorks. And almost every hilltop, harbour and headland has a castle orfortress with a story to tell of knights and princesses, from the warsagainst the Moors and the Spaniards to the battles of Wellington’s red-coats and their Portuguese allies against the French.

Getting back to basics, the Algarve’s tourism has been driven mainlyby British families, so resorts are user friendly – it’s rare to find a restau-rant without an English version of the menu, there are zillions of child-friendly ice-cream parlours (enough for a different flavour for every dayof the week), and if you can’t persuade the family to sample easy-to-likePortuguese dishes such as grilled sardines it’s easy enough to find com-fort-food standbys such as fish fingers, burgers and beans on toast.

Most town centres have a pedestrian zone covering the main shop-ping and strolling areas, and many hotels are right on the beach. Thatsaid, the less you pay for your accommodation, the less family friendly itis likely to be and the more likely you are to have roads to cross to get tothe sand. On top of this, many of the resorts in the west – such asPortimão – are perched on cliffs above the beach, making for fantasticviews but meaning that the beach is less accessible to families with

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ALGARVE FAMILYHIGHLIGHTS

Best Family Events TheAlgarve has a full calendar ofevents, ranging from deeply tra-ditional religious festivals thathave been held for more than1,000 years to an array of world-class cultural and sporting fix-tures including major tennis, golfand motor sports events. The lessimportant religious events – suchas local saints’ days – are beyondthe comprehension of most non-Portuguese families, and the big-ticket sporting dates are aimedmore at an adult audience, butthere are a handful of events

that are perfect for families withchildren of all ages.

Carnival is celebrated all overPortugal in mid-February, and theLoulé Carnival is far and away

toddlers, who may have to be carried up long flights of steps when tired.When planning your day remember many shops and businesses, alongwith museums and heritage attractions, close down for a couple ofhours in the middle of the day.

For any family – whether with tots and toddlers, pre-teens or activeteenagers – the Algarve is a great holiday destination, offering almostyear-round sunshine, superb beaches, and just enough purpose-builtvisitor attractions and heritage sites to keep the family entertained andengaged. So, what are you waiting for?

It’s very easy to travel on from the Algarve into western Andalusia –and if you have a taste for sightseeing, a trip across the border is highlyrecommended. No formalities are required. If the Algarve has one smalldrawback, it is the lack of city sights with a high ‘wow factor’ and a realsense of history. If this is the kind of thing you want from a holiday, you’llfind it in Seville, Huelva, Jerez de la Frontera and Cádiz, just across thenow transparent Spanish frontier, and along with piles of heritage youwill also discover some of Spain’s finest beaches along the Costa de laLuz – the last relatively undeveloped stretch of coastline in Spain. Twofantastic regions in two countries for the price of one!

Onward to Spain

Loulé Carnival

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the most colourful and accessiblein the Algarve. From deep reli-gious roots, it has evolved into athree-day event with flower-covered floats and parades, streetdancing and music. Anyone canjoin in – OK, it’s not Carnival inRio or Mardi Gras in NewOrleans, but the smaller scalemeans it’s a lot less overwhelmingfor smaller children and mostchildren will be enthralled andenjoy the spectacularly costumeddancers (see p. 54).

From 7th June to 7thOctober, the International SandArt Festival (FIESA) at Areias dePêra has to be the Algarve’s topfamily fixture. Every year, ‘sandartists’ from all over the worlddescend on this stretch of beachnear Albufeira to create a ‘city’ ofgobsmacking, colossal wondersof the world, from giganticBuddha images to Lord of theRings style castles, cathedralsand monsters. Prepare for thechildren to be inspired – butprepare too to spend the rest ofyour holiday as a hod carrierwhile they construct a scale copyof Hogwarts Academy or SnowWhite’s Castle (see p. 83).

The unspoilt seaside village ofCacela Velha, east of Faro, goesall Arabian Nights for fourevenings in July in a kitschy butfun recreation of the Algarve’s10th–13th century Moorishpast, the Moorish Nights.There’s a Moroccan-style open-air market in the square outsideCacela Velha’s miniaturemedieval castle, giving childrenthe chance to blow their holidaypocket money on souvenirs

brought over from Tangier (notso very far away) and you can sitcross-legged on cushions eatingMoroccan dishes and sippingmint tea, while watching bellydancers and listening to Berbermusicians create a reverberatingwall of sound (see p. 156).

Best Towns & Cities On themap, the Algarve appears to havea good share of fair-sized cities. In fact, it hasn’t got a single bigcity in the true sense of the word.The suburban sprawls that havemushroomed around Faro, Lagos and Portimão are productsof the tourism boom of the last30 years – all geared to compre-hensive resort holidays. However,if you’re looking for a slice of eas-ily accessible heritage that evenyounger children can relate to –and that will provide young peo-ple aged 10 and up with plenty offodder for the next school historyproject – head for the historiccore of Faro or the lovely oldriverside towns of Tavira and VilaReal de Santo António.

Faro’s old quarter, within theremnants of its medieval walls, is a medley of cobbled streets over-looked by the bell-tower of thecathedral (which is often occupiedby a family of storks), and outsidethe walls is a traffic-free zone ofshops, cafés and ice-cream par-lours. Tavira has a pretty riversideesplanade, the remains of amedieval castle, islands to visitjust offshore and – best of all – aquirky and unique attraction, thecamera obscura, sited in a formerwater tower and offering a seemingly magical 360-degree

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panorama of the city. It also hostsa lively array of summer marketsand street entertainment that willkeep children entranced for hours(see p. 157). Vila Real de SantoAntónio has a special feel as itlooks across the river to Spain –just a short drive away across ahighly scenic new suspensionbridge – and on its doorstep aresome of the Algarve’s hugest andleast crowded beaches at MonteGordo. Inland, only a 10–15minute drive away, is the atmos-pheric stronghold of CastroMarim, surrounded by the wildwetlands of a natural park (see p. 153).

But, if you must build anoutstanding historic city intoyour trip, the thing to do is headeast, across the Spanish border,to Seville – it’s doable as a daytrip (by car or train) from thecentral and eastern Algarve, butwell worth an overnight stay (seep. 180).

Best Resorts In a sense, theAlgarve from Faro west as far asLagos is one big resort, with milesof hotels, apartments and villadevelopments spreading eitherside of former fishing villagessuch as Quarteira, Albufeira,Portimão and Lagos, and golfcourses and tennis course resortsstretching inland as far as the A22motorway – all served by Faro’sinternational airport. Each has itsstretch of sandy beach, oftenmerging imperceptibly with otherstrands to east and west offeringBrits a great choice. Familieslooking for resorts with all thetrimmings will probably want to

stick to this central stretch ofcoast. Those with cash to flashwill like the more upscaleenclaves – notably Vilamoura andits surroundings and the Algarve’sultimate big-spender’s oasis, Valedo Lobo. Quarteira and Albufeiraare bucket-and-spade brigadehavens.

To the west, Portimão’sbeaches are among the Algarve’spostcard icons and are about aswell supplied with family-friendlyfacilities as it is possible to imag-ine (though getting to them froma clifftop hotel can be a challengefor the pushchair-encumbered).Still further west, Lagos is less aresort than a fishing port onsteroids – its beaches, and itssatellite resort at Luz, are well outof town. Heading out into theAtlantic, the small resortsbetween Luz and Sagres are lessthan ideal for families – greatbeaches, but the surf can beintimidating and facilities arelimited. East of Faro, the beachesare more sheltered and the resortsare smaller and much more lowkey – perfect for families withsmaller children looking for nomore than soft sand, warm sunand gentle waves, and mainlygeared for those looking for aholiday in a self-catering villa orapartment complex. The onlyfull-service resort at this end ofthe Algarve is the much-malignedMonte Gordo, which deserves amuch better write up than it usu-ally gets – the beach goes on formiles and miles, there are stilltouches of fishing village colourin the shadow of its high-rises,

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and it has family-friendly facilitieswithout the urban sprawl of thebig resorts to the west.

Best Water Parks You mightthink the Algarve is alreadyblessed with enough naturalsandy beaches to satisfy the mostdemanding family, but get to agood water park and the tempta-tion will always be there toreturn. Some parents end upgoing back two or three times tothe same site once children arehooked on a certain attraction orshow. There’s a spaghetti junctionof flumes, pools and rubber-raftrides (as well as sun-loungers,bars and restaurants) across theAlgarve waiting to be delved into.

The longest established ofthese great days out is Aqualand,at Alcantarilha; the best pick forfamilies with toddlers as there is aspecial pool and play area foryounger children. It has plenty forgung-ho older children too – theliterally breathtaking 92-metreKamikaze is the Algarve’s longestspeed chute, and the 23-metreBanzai is Portugal’s highest water

slide. The downside is that inhigh season – which is, inevitably,when British families are mostlikely to be there – there can belong queues for the most popularrides. This is unfortunately true,also, of the Algarve’s other topwater park, Slide and Splash,near Estombar – which has aneven bigger choice of thrills andspills. If standing in line for 20minutes for a 30-second plunge islikely to shred your nerves avoidweekends, when local families aswell as holidaymakers flock herefor rides such as the terrifyingBlack Hole. Aqualand and Slideand Splash add new rides mostsummers so visit their websites(see p. 97 and p. 96) for the latest developments.

Best Animal Parks &Aquariums It takes a bit offinding, because it’s not in factin Lagos but tucked away in thecountryside about 20 minutesfrom the city centre, but LagosZoo is bound to please children,with its friendly macaws andcockatoos, hooting gibbon

Fisherman’s Beach, Albufeira

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family, and island-dwellingtroops of lemurs and marmosets(see p. 132). Zoomarine, justoutside Guia off the A22 motor-way, claims green credentials,but with its dolphin show,trained seals and sea-lions,sharks, sea turtles and coral reeffish, it has more than a touch ofthe circus. Some eco-consciousparents may have qualms aboutthis (I know I do), but there isno doubt that it delights chil-dren (see p. 97).

Best Islands Separated fromthe quintessentially pretty townof Tavira by a narrow channel,Ilha de Tavira is the perfect castaway island for families. It’seasy to get to, has a choice ofplaces to eat, is completely trafficfree, and best of all has a beachof white sand peppered withseashells where young beach-combers can paddle, swim andexplore for hours. If you’re pre-pared to camp, you can even stayhere (see p. 154).

Ilha da Armona, a 15-minuteferry ride from Olhão, has shel-tered lagoon beaches and evenmore bars and restaurants, butbecause it’s so close to Faro it

does get crowded, especially onsummer weekends (see p. 67).

For a bit more peace andquiet, try neighbouring Ilha daCulatra, a 45-minute boat ridefrom Olhão, or Ilha da Barreta,a 30-minute ferry ride fromFaro.

Best Natural Attractions Yourfirst view of the Parque Naturalda Ria Formosa will be from theair, as your holiday jet banks into land at Faro airport – from awindow seat, you should have agood view of the Natural Park’stidal labyrinth of sandbanks,islands and narrow channels, andthe white, v-shaped wakes offishing boats. The gliding storks,flamingos and wading spoonbillsmake this a special place for any-one with an interest in the natu-ral world, and the web-footedPortuguese water dogs make iteven more special (see p. 158).

Best Boat Trips With moreenergetic older children, you canexplore the Ria Formosa (seeabove) on foot or by bike, but it’sa huge area and with smaller chil-dren the way to see it is from aboat (especially if dad is, like the

Zoomarine

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author, a fan of Francis FordCoppola’s quintessential going-up-a-muddy-river-in-a-boatmovie, Apocalypse Now. Keyquote: ‘Never get off the boat’).(See p. 159.)

Other great boat trips includethe schooner sunset cruisefrom Vilamoura Marina, whichhas mass appeal; while fromSagres you can take a deep-seafishing trip that’s probably betteras a father-and-son bondingexperience than as fun for allthe family (see p. 126).

Best Outdoor Activities TheAlgarve opens a cornucopia ofoutdoor activities for older chil-dren, ranging from surfing onthe beaches of Sagres andCarrapateira on the west coast(see p. 126 and p. 129), wherethere are several surf schools thatwelcome young teenagers, totutored dinghy sailing in themore sheltered waters around Ilhade Tavira or on the estuary of theRio Arade, near Portimão (see p. 151 and p. 100). Across the border into Spain, east of Cádiz,some of Europe’s best surf, kite-boarding and windsurfing beachescan be found.

On land, upscale sports resortssuch as Vale do Lobo and Quintado Lago offer tennis academiesand golf coaching for youngsters –though at a price that is wellbeyond the reach of most parents(see p. 67). Several companiesalso offer four-wheel-drive tripsinto the wilder hinterland of theAlgarve, which can be a goodlaugh for older children but notfor anyone under 10.

Luckily the Algarve is set upfor less structured activities fromrunning down the beach, thesimple family pleasures of beach-combing on the mile-long sandsbetween Faro and Tavira or bury-ing dad’s car keys!

Best Markets Local touristboards and many tour operatorsand hotels make much of theregion’s so-called ‘gypsy markets’,but their claims need to be takenwith a pinch of salt. SomePortuguese attitudes to its‘gypsy’ community are deeplytainted by what can sometimesbe interpreted as racism, so thatpromoting markets that wereonce picturesque is cynical atbest. Political correctness aside,‘gypsy markets’ in Faro and else-where now have little claim tocolourful authenticity, and theirstock in trade tends to be thecheapest of cheap tat. Most chil-dren will find them disappoint-ing and even a little scary.

Mértola Market

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A lot more authentic, andmuch more interesting, are theregion’s fish and produce mar-kets. For an education in ediblemarine life, take them to themorning fish markets atQuarteira or Olhão, and for aneye-opening change from yourlocal supermarket, seek out themain municipal market in anyof the region’s major towns –especially Faro, Tavira, Portimãoand Lagos – where the sight oflocal housewives sortingthrough heaps of fresh fruit andvegetables and butcher’s stallswhere recently slaughteredcalves, chickens and piglets hang is guaranteed to give theentire family a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall style reality check.

Tavira’s indoor market, whichis housed in a vast new buildingat the east end of town (at theend of Rua João Anas, oppositethe Hotel Vila Galé) is one ofthe most user friendly and goodfor a visit in all weathers.

Best Castles Dotted at strategicpoints around the Algarve arecastles built by crusadingPortuguese kings (and theirMoorish, Roman and evenCarthaginian predecessors). Oneor two, like the little fortress over-looking the sea at Cacela Velha,are still in use by the Portuguesearmed forces. On the waterfrontat Lagos, the fairy-tale miniaturefortress now houses a museumand art gallery.

Much more imposing (andfree) is Castro Marim, with itsbattlements commanding a hill-top with a view across the river

to Portugal’s old enemy, Spain.All that remains of Tavira’s cas-tle is a pretty walled garden anda square tower with great viewsacross the old town, but likeCastro Marim, entrance is free.The daddy of them all, however,has to be Henry the Navigator’sFortaleza at Sagres, where a lineof ramparts defends the neck ofone of the world’s great naturaldefensive sites, a peninsularinged by unscaleable cliffs hundreds of feet high.

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION

The Algarve has a well-deservedreputation for luxury villas andgolf resorts at one end of thebudget scale – and for cheap andcheerful apartment complexes atthe other. But look beyond theseto find a much wider and imagi-native choice of places to stay.

For those with deep pockets,there are lavish five-star hotels andvilla complexes that are self-con-tained resorts in their own right.

Windmill

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These are perfect for a stay-putholiday, with everything youcould want right on yourdoorstep, and enough facilitiesand activities to keep the wholefamily busy for a week or even afortnight without ever leaving theresort. Less gleamingly new, butperhaps with more genuinePortuguese character, are the (surprisingly affordable) pousadas.Most of these are historic build-ings – convents, monasteries andeven palaces – that have been converted into comfortable andindividual hotels, with pools,courtyards and gardens that aresafe places for children to play in,some excellent restaurants, andsecure off-street parking, andmost are located slap in the his-toric centre of some of the region’smost attractive towns. That said,they’re perhaps better for a shorterstay, or as part of a multi-stoptouring holiday, than for a longholiday.

At the other end of the pricescale, well-managed campsitesare strategically located along thecoast, and for those who can’t bebothered lugging a tent all theway to Portugal they offer tentrentals and even simple beachchalets with en-suite shower andWC. Away from the beach, theAlgarve and the Alentejo alsohave a growing number of guest-house-style places to stay in for-mer farms or country estates –some of which still have chick-ens, pigs, sheep and horses, chil-dren will be happy to know.

Best Self-Contained ResortsCovering 400 hectares of

groomed grounds and set on a 2-km stretch of beach, Vale doLobo is the swankiest address inthe Algarve, with gorgeous villasand apartments, facilities includ-ing baby-sitters and nannies onrequest, a large children’s villagewith animators, child-mindersand its own pool and mini-golfcourse, and a tennis academywhere your budding Wimbledonstars can be coached by world-class tennis aces. It also has itsown supermarket and designerboutiques, 15 very good restau-rants, tennis courts, golf courses,and other activities ranging fromlawn bowls to volleyball, yoga,aerobics and wooden-top spin-ning (see p. 56).

Le Méridien Penina scoresequally highly – and a smidgemore affordably – with itsPenguin Village for children,offering everything from anadventure playground to a chil-dren’s pool and slide, crèche,paints and craft materials, bikes,movies and a bouncy castle,along with five-star rooms andsuites, cots (in both PenguinVillage and in parents’ rooms),and babysitting (see p. 112).

Best Inland AccommodationAlmost all the Algarve’s accom-modation is on the beaches, butif you prefer to seek out some-thing away from the resorts,Quinta dos Amigos is a formerfarm (it has pools for grown-upsand children) on three acres ofgardens and farmland, withaccommodation in two-personstudios and one-, two- andthree-bedroom apartments (the

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largest sleep up to seven people)in converted farm buildings. Ithas its own riding stables (forriding lessons, beach rides andguided trail riding) and babysit-ting is available on request.Breakfast and dinner are notincluded in the price, but canalso be arranged. It’s an excellentcompromise between self-cater-ing and hotel-style accommoda-tion (see p. 71).

Best Grand Hotels Set amonggardens and palm trees, just aminute’s walk from Tavira’s ruinedcastle, the Hotel Convento daGraca is outstandingly dignifiedand grand without being intimi-dating. There’s a large inner court-yard, and behind the hotel aregrassy lawns in which you’ll find atoddlers’ pool as well as a full-sized pool with umbrellas andsun-loungers. With fewer than 40 rooms and suites, it’s not toocrowded even when full. If yourbudget will stretch to it, go for thebest of the five suites, which hasits own terrace and garden.Breakfast is buffet-style, which ishandy for picky and impatientchildren, and parents in need of adiscreet hair of the dog can startthe day by helping themselves to acomplimentary glass of sparklingwine. It also has off-street parking(see p. 167).

Best Stay Near an UnspoiltBeach On a verdant hilltopwithin sight of the rolling surf ofthe west coast at Carrapateira,where there’s not a sign of ahigh-rise hotel or apartmentblock, the Monte Velho NatureResort is run by the friendly

Balsemão family, who haveyoung children themselves andso understand family needs.Accommodation is in single-storey, ranch-house style abodesopening onto a pretty garden(with a toddlers’ pool); this isdefinitely for people looking fora self-sufficient, quiet holiday asthere is very little to Carrapateiraapart from sand, surf and scenery.Peace at last! See p. 141.

Best Pousadas In the rollinghinterlands of the Alentejo, lux-ury pousadas are surprisinglysuitable for families with youngerchildren. Housed in a formerconvent, the Pousada de SãoFrancisco in the historic centreof sleepy Beja has big, safelyenclosed gardens full of palmtrees, goldfish ponds, nestingswallows and swimming pools foradults and children, plus a smallplay area with a tree house,swings and slide. It also has off-street car parking. See p. 221.

In Alvito, a very pretty smalltown that is a great base forexploring the Alentejo country-side, the Pousada Castelo de

Pousada Castelo de Alvito

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Alvito is in a medieval castle com-plete with turrets and battlementswith views for miles around, andsafe, pretty lawned gardens with apool suitable for tots under super-vision as well as parents, and a resident mob of rare and magicalwhite peacocks that occasionallyhop over the wall to roam the village streets. Wannabe princessesshould book the Queen’s Room,with its four-poster bed. Seep. 223.

Best Campsite CampingTavira, under pine trees on Ilhade Tavira, is the perfect castawaycampsite. You can only get thereby boat (a five-minute hop fromthe jetty at Quatro Águas) andit’s just one minute’s toddle tothe island’s huge sandy beach(with lifeguards, a first-aid sta-tion and half a dozen cafés andrestaurants, so even if you’re intents you needn’t live out of tins).It’s Robinson Crusoe Algarvestyle with all the nice extras (andcompany) Daniel Defoe didn’tprovide. Bring your own tent orrent one for up to six people com-plete with mattresses, sheets andsleeping bags. Older children mayenjoy sleeping in their own pup-tent next door to mum and dad.The site has security guards, andthere’s a store room where you canlock up valuables (see p. 168).

THE BEST EATINGOPTIONS

The Algarve is purpose-built for family tourism – 40 years ago, it hardly existed as a holidaydestination, and most of the

restaurants, bars and cafés thatnow exist have been built quiterecently with holidaymakers inmind. The positive aspect of thisis that virtually all are very wellaccustomed to the needs ofBritish families, but the downsideis a certain uniformity. In addi-tion, the lifespan of an Algarverestaurant is often short – lastyear’s favourite fish restaurantmay close down and reopenunder new management nextyear as a Tex-Mex burger bar.

Families looking for familiaritywill be reassured by a tourisminfrastructure built on Britishrequirements, but more inde-pendent families should look toareas offering both convenienceand a range of cuisine. There arevery few restaurants with specialoptions for children, such as highchairs, outside major resorthotels or ex-pat establishments,however, the Portuguese are verywelcoming of children, flexibleand used to having them gam-bolling around. Parents won’t be fussed about child-specificamenities when the welcome is sofriendly.

Even more positively inPortugal – if your children can bewheedled into sampling unfamil-iar dishes – the typical Portuguesemenu features an array of smallsnack dishes. With a range fromsausages and olives to shrimps,sardines and other seafood, aswell as salads, there is rarely anyobjection to ordering a tapas-styleselection of small dishes for children to sample, rather thanfull-sized adult main dishes.

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Restaurants on BeachesRestaurants right on the beach arethe best of all worlds for families,allowing parents to linger overcoffee while children hopping upand down to do something elsecan head straight back to the sandafter lunch. Fortunately, theAlgarve has plenty, clustered alongthe beach boardwalks at the mainholiday centres. There’s a particu-larly good choice of purpose-built eating places on Portimão’sspectacular Praia da Rocha, overlooked by steep cliffs, whererestaurants such as Castelos andO Âncora stand on a woodenboardwalk that stretches all theway along the beach. Just outsideFaro, Praia de Faro has thebiggest choice of beach restau-rants (often very busy on summerweekends). In the east, traffic-freeIlha de Tavira has a cluster ofrestaurants and cafés on a hugebeach, including the value-for-money Restaurante Ilha Formosa,and the cheap-as-chips Dinoselfself-service café. There are more in the very shadow of the giantapartment pyramids of Monte

Gordo, and at Praia Verde, wherePézinhos n’Areia is popular withlocals for its wide seafood menuand where children can play onthe beach within sight while parents eat. It’s worth noting thatnot many of these places stayopen all through the winter,though you will usually find atleast one restaurant serving lunchon any of the beaches on winterweekends, if not through theweek (see p. 151).

Restaurants in Resort HotelsFor the full works such ascrayons and high chairs, mostof the Algarve’s resort hotelshave a range of eating placesthat cater especially for familiesand even just for children. Theluxury Le Méridien Penina,near Alvor, has a special chil-dren’s restaurant, Penguin Mac,as part of its Penguin Village forchildren, as well as children’smenus at its other restaurants(see p. 112).

Fish Restaurants Portimãowins hands-down when itcomes to fish and seafood

Sardines

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restaurants, with a string ofhalf-a-dozen modern establish-ments serving fresh-caught sar-dines at sunny outdoor tableson the quayside north of LargoFrancisco A. Maurício, whereyou can watch the fishing boatsand yachts on the river whileyou wait for your meal. Moreauthentic fish restaurants can be found hidden beneath thearches of the road bridge, justinland from the former fishmarket at Largo da Barca, whereat Forte y Fejo (see p. 115) youcan select your sea bass, breamor huge grouper from trays ofcrushed ice, or choose your lob-ster from those living beneaththe aquarium-style dining-roomfloor.

British-style Pubs &Restaurants Around half ofthose who visit the Algarve eachyear come from the UK, andthere’s also a large expatriatepopulation. British-style (andoften British-run) pubs andrestaurants have appeared toservice this captive market, sofamilies who get homesick forfamiliar home cooking (fromroast beef and fish and chipsthrough to chicken masala, pizzaand chilli burgers) are spoilt forchoice. The biggest hot-spots forthis kind of culinary experienceare Quarteira and Albufeira’sfamous (some would say notori-ous) strip, a continuous avenueof pubs, bars and restaurants –including, at last visit, the Kilt and Celt pub, the Rover’sReturn and the Dog and Duck,

which gives you some idea of the ambience of the area. A great compromise in Quarteira isFernando’s Hideaway – a localinstitution that serves massivesteaks, Sunday roasts and fishand chips as well as Portuguesestandards, and has a children’smenu and some vegetarian specials.

Vegetarian Restaurants Likethe rest of Portugal, the Algarvecould do more for vegetarians.Portuguese cooking leans heavilytowards meat and fish, sometimesin unusual combinations such aspork with clams, and in mostplaces veggies will be fobbed offwith omelettes and uninspiredsalads. Restaurant Ribatejano,in Faro (see p. 74) promotes itselfas a purely vegetarian eating placebut strict vegetarians will be sur-prised to see bacalhau (dried saltcod) dishes on the menu alongwith vegetable rissoles, tofuomelette and soya burgers. Moreupscale restaurants within theupmarket hotels and pousadasgenerally make a bigger effort,with at least one gourmet veggieoffering on their costly menus,but at street level vegetarians arebetter off choosing self-cateringaccommodation and relying onthe plentiful supply of lovelyfresh fruit and vegetables, localcheeses, olives and other non-meat treats in local markets andshops.

Luxury Restaurants TheAlgarve has more than its fairshare of very posh restaurants for

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special occasions, including somewith Michelin stars. At the HotelVila Joya in Albufeira, Austrianchef Dieter Koschina’s cookingstands head and shoulders abovethe rest – he’s the only chef inPortugal to hold two Michelinstars. Koschina sources the finestingredients – such as lobster,crayfish and turbot – from localmarkets and imports truffles,goose liver and caviar for superbcombinations.

Henrique Leis, whose restau-rant is located between the Valedo Lobo and Quinta do Lagoresorts, ensuring a steady flow ofwell-heeled customers, has oneMichelin star.

Restaurant Willies, atVilamoura, has not yet earned aMichelin star but as owner-chefWillie Weger has won stars else-where this may only be a matterof time.

Places for Picnics You reallyneed to take a picnic along tomake the most of some of theAlgarve’s more extensive beaches,such as the huge stretches of Ilhade Tavira and the vast sands ofCarrapateira. You can buy theessential kit – an insulated chilly-bin for cold drinks, plastic cupsand plates, something to sit on,

and a sharp knife for cuttingthings up – at any local super-market (there’s a good choice ofpicnic equipment in branches ofthe Intermarché supermarketchain) and stocking up on picnicsnacks is dead easy in local mar-kets and supermarkets. Beachescan be blisteringly hot in summerand a sun umbrella is a must.There are cooler picnic spotsinland, such as those on theshores of the fjord-like Barragemde Bravura, an artificial freshwa-ter reservoir of jade-green waterabout 15 minutes’ drive inlandfrom Lagos, or the Barragem doArade, a five-minute drive north-east of Silves.

Hotel Vila Joya

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