After losing out on going to Tenerife (see my Thomsons review), we decided to go to Portugal. First choice was Lisbon. To get a hotel by the beach seemed very expensive so we looked a little further out and came to find Costa da Caparica.
--Getting There-- If you are on a late flight into Lisbon i would say you would be best to catch a taxi to the hotel. This costs around €40.00 which isnt too bad for a 25 minute jouney but i think some of the taxi drivers do try and pull the wool over your eyes especially if you are obviously a tourist. The taxis do charge an extra €1.60 for luggage, not much i know but worth mentioning. If you are on a earlier flight or feel like being brave a cheaper way to get to the hotel is to get a taxi to Praca De Espanha (€7.00) and then catch the 153 bus (€2.50) to Costa Da Caparica. The hotel is a 5 minute walk from the bus stop. I found it best to catch a taxi to the hotel and the catch the bus to the airport on your way home once you have your bearings.
--Hotel Info-- The
'hotel' is not so much of a hotel, rather a hostel but please dont forget about this little gem just beause of that. Even though Praia Do Sol is sold to you as a hotel all paperwork inside and around the rooms show this as a hostel. Our double room cost £140 for 5 nights. This includes continental breakfast. The hotel has 54 rooms on 3 floors. Mainly twin rooms but there are also doubles and singles. The room numbers start in the 100's which is bizarre as there are less than 100 rooms! There is a lift in the hotel but is only big enough for 4 people or 1 person and 1 piece of luggage! There is a small bar and a pool table on the ground floor of the hotel. The pool table is €2 a time the bar is normally open from around 6pm. The prices are pretty expensive (€5.00 for a half bottle of wine) but the service is worth it. You are always served with a smile and will normally find crisps peanuts and fruit put onto your table during your evening. There is also a computer you can use to access the internet which costs €3 an hour. The breakfast room is opposite the bar. This is quite a large room with around 30 tables each with 4 seats. You serve your own breakfast and drinks in the morning. The rooms are pretty small and basic but are very clean. Our 'double' room had twin beds and a view into the hotel across the road. There was only a shower in the bathroom and im pretty sure the other rooms only had a shower too. The rooms have air conditioning and a heater for when it gets cold. It does boast Satellite which is CNN and Eurosport. The cleaners do come round everyday and change your towels. If you leave your dirty towells on the side of the shower they wil swap them for new ones. There is 2 large blankets in the cupboard in your room which you can use if you are cold. There is also a safe for your valuables in your room. This is opened with a key, available from reception. The safe isnt very big but will easily hold your passports and any money/jewellery you dont want to carry around with you. The hotel does serve breakfast but does not serve dinner or lunch so you will have to go elsewhere for these meals. The hotel has the best location possible. As you come out of the hotel the beach is a 30 second walk to the left. To the right is a long row of shops and restaurants. The area seems very safe, while we were there we never felt 'unsafe'. Its seems this hotel is mainly for the use of people from other parts of Portugal on holiday there didnt seem to be many tourists around the town while we were there.
--Staff-- The staff are this hotels shining point. They are superb. The reception staff are able to tell you everything you need to know, they also give you perfect directions to wherever you want to go. There are maps available from reception which they will happily mark places you should see and also tell you how to get there. All the staff spoke perfect English which helps if you are not fluent in Portugese.
--What you can do-- The beach has to be the best waste of time! It is so easy to sit there all day and let the time drift away. The beach is massive! You can walk the whole way along the beach watching the fishermen from the rocks and the surfers. While we were there, there was a surfing competition. This was great fun to watch and proved you dont always have to spend shedloads on holiday. We sat at the beach all day watching the surfers and only spent a few euros on ice cream. The shops are 'local' shops. There are not many touristy shops so dont expect to buy your souveniers locally. There are more restaurants than there are shops. Most of the restaurants have the menus in English as well as Portugese, although many of the local people either speak English or are learning too. They mainly serve local fish and meat dishes, I cant say i tried them but they smelt fantastic. A small restaurant called Toys Bar, a short walk from the hotel towards the beach has their menu in Portugese, French, English and Spanish!! For a meal for 2 people in Toys Bar was €14.50 this included 2 drinks. The meal was nice and i would give them extra thumbs up for having chairs and tables outside so you can eat and watch the sea. There is also a Pizza Hut, for anyone who misses the taste of 'home'. There are a lot of sports/shoe shops around the hotel. These seem to be very overpriced (€100 for a pair of puma trainers) but the staff are always willing to help. One thing you can find in their hundreds is flip-flops, they are sold absolutely everywhere! Millions of the damn things.
--Shopping-- If its shopping you want to do then i would say try going out a little further. A walk past the shops through the sqaure will bring you to the local bus stop. You can catch the 153 bus to Praca De Espanha, as you get off the bus you should see the metro station. Catch the blue line to Colegio Militar/Luz (Approx €3.50) where you will find, so im told, the largest shopping centre in Europe. This place is truely massive! Think Bluewater and treble it. They have all the large name shops, Lacoste, United Colours of Bennetton and also smaller shops selling locally made jewellery and clothes. The whole third floor is specifically restaurants. It takes you 20 mins to look around to see what they have and the another 15 mins to find your way back to the beginning.
--Tips-- I would definately advise you to learn to speak a few words of Portugese before you go. Or take a phrase book. The locals love it when you try and speak Portugese. Many of the shop/restaruant workers who are trying to learn English will also ask for you help with some of the English words. On menus, they will point to words and then copy the way you say it.
--Would i go there again-- Definately! The room was cheap, the staff were great and it has the best location possible. Smack bang on the beach and seconds to the shops. It is perfect!
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A few kilometres from Lisbon this Art Deco Hotel on the Portuguese coast is a prime ... more
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Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
A few kilometres from Lisbon, this hotel on the Portuguese coast is a prime seaside ... more
resort.Enjoy sandy, tree lined beaches and warm waters at Costa de Caparica, renowned for its long stretch of pale sand. Travel north-east for the Tagus River estuary, ...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
excl. Breakfast - HRS Rating: /10 - Hotel Praia do Sol is located in a pedestrian ... more
street,the main street of commerce in Costa de Caparica, and about 100 m from the beach. Located on a pedestrian-only street in the Costa da Caparica-s town centre on the...
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