22 | THE ALGARVE ADVENTURE
EASY DOES IT IN THE ALGARVE
BY VICKY RICHARDS
HAVING now a direct flight from City of Derry airport to Faro, travelling to the Algarve could not be easier for those of us living in the North West or along the North Coast.
With easy car parking, no queues at check- in or security, we had time to relax and enjoy a glass of wine, in the Amelia Earhart lounge before taking off on our week-long trip to the Algarve, arranged through Travel Solutions. Flying south to Faro with BA Cityflyer
takes just under three hours and with only a maximum of 98 passengers, we were soon through Faro airport and greeted by the VDL Car Hire representative who walked us the 200 metres to our hire car- all very easy and seamless!
Our destination was the beachfront Grande Real Santa Eulália Resort Hotel, near Albufeira.
This beach front resort
is Portuguese owned and has a light airy Portuguese style to it. Although the bedrooms are very comfortable and a great size, the hotel is currently upgrading all bedrooms to achieve a more contemporary look and enhance the guest experience. The hotel has four restaurants offering seafood, a grill bar, sushi and a traditional buffet – all with lovely terraces and views over the beach and bay. An excellent spa and good- sized gym are on site as well. As keen golfers, we were looking forward to playing golf
in warm sunshine with
no prospect of rain (we thought of it as warm-weather training!). We were not to be disappointed. The first course we
played was at the Pine Cliffs Golf Course, Albufeira. It is very well set up for visitors. Located in a pinewood setting, stretching along the coastline, it provides the golfer with challenging but fair holes and views at every turn. The signature hole – the 6th, the Devil’s Parlour is a par 3 over a deep red sandstone ravine, with a carry, of at least, 130 metres, depending which tee you are playing off. The target is a long narrow green and is quite a test, but it’s a challenge you are keen to face again and again!
The second course we played was Ombria, located high up in the hills behind Loulé and offers a more difficult game of golf and certainly not one for beginners. The website describes it as ‘a golf course carved by nature’ and this has resulted in tees located at different heights and playing over aqueducts, clumps of ancient trees and lime kilns. Player concentration is paramount and not for the faint hearted. A golf cart is also essential. The ethos of the course and resort is sustainability and respect for the environment. The clubhouse, hotel and villas are all built in a traditional Portuguese style and when fully opened in Autumn 2024 will offer a full range of outdoor activities, such as walking, running and cycling, focusing on nature and wellbeing. Like so many tourism areas in Southern Europe, the theme of sustainability and respect for the environment is now very apparent, in the Algarve. This attitude was certainly very evident at Zoomarine – a small zoo and theme park all rolled into one. The park aims to educate visitors to protect the
environment, and conservation of animal and ocean life is delivered with passion at every activity, be it the excellent Dolphin Show or the Wings of the World display. It is an amazing place – set over 20 acres of land and is exactly what its name says - a Zoo Marine offering up close and personal activity with the dolphins,
educational
exotic bird shows, a water park, themed rides and musical entertainment. It is well managed, spotlessly clean and we enjoyed it, even without any children in tow– a perfect day out for the family – but go early! A trip to Ilha Deserta island near Faro – an uninhabited island with a lighthouse, restaurant
and boardwalk was highly
recommended and did not disappoint. A variety of boat trips are available from the marina at Faro which take in some of the smaller islands and inlets nearby and include opportunities for bird watching and fishing. We took the small ferry, a 40-minute journey direct to the island and the shuttle, a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) a 12-minute return journey, back to the marina. A stop for lunch at the restaurant, Estamine, on the island, is a must. This family run restaurant inside, is minimalist in design, so as not to detract from its panoramic views of natural flora, birdlife and dune scape. The seafood was amazing and we enjoyed the taster menu starter followed by a seabass main course, accompanied by a light Vinho Verde wine – what is there not to like! Delicioso! Following lunch, a walk along the boardwalk, taking in all the natural flora, to the most southerly point in Portugal, is also a must!
A stay on the Algarve does not need to be all action as it is very ‘easy’ to move around whether to go shopping in Portimao or Albufeira or travel further along the coast to Lagos. We visited friends in Carvoeiro – a lovely little town, with stunning beaches and great restaurants and nightlife. We also took the public bus to Vilamoura and enjoyed the contrast between the old fishing village of Quarteira to the ‘sparkle’ of Vilamoura – now the largest marina in Portugal and definitely has Saint Tropez pretentions. As I say in the title ‘Easy does it in the Algarve’ and our return trip back to City of Derry Airport was equally seamless. Helped by a southerly wind which reduced flight time by 10 minutes, we were through passport control, our luggage collected and back to the car 20 minutes after landing – “Easy does it!”
Fact File
Holiday booked through Travel Solutions –
www.travel-solutions.
co.uk Hotel – Grande Real Santa Eulalia –
www.granderealsantaeulalia.
realhotelsgroup.com Car hire
www.vdlcarhire.com Golf – rates on line Pine Cliffs Resort
www.pinecliffs.com/ en/golf-sports/golf Ombria Golf Resort
www.ombria.com/ en/golf-ombria Zoomarine –
www.zoomarine.pt Ferry – Ilha Deserta Faro – www.
ilhadeserta.com Estamine Restaurant –
www.estamine. pt
www.nitravelnews.com
July/ August 2024
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