Other Destinations in Portugal > Portugal Experience

Advantages: Beautiful location
Disadvantages: A little pricey in parts

'We (Portugal) were a world power for about 15 minutes' (see end ^) *Why Vilamoura?* Faced with the prospect of a long, easy summer after the gruelling 19 exams I had (yes, 19!), I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take a holiday with some of my close friends to somewhere slightly exotic, yet on a reasonable budget. Now, here's where I feel I'm cheating the place slightly by letting you all on a little secret - personally my first choice ...
...I wanted to try; Turkey, Majorca, Spain, Budapest, Greece, Italy… even Russia! But Portugal didn't find herself on the list for reasons, now, unbeknown to me. Anyway though, after much searching and realising it was getting late (December 04 by this point), I began to fully get my act together and search out some private villas with the capacity of up to 12 people - by no means an easy task I tell you! I did however manage to find this absolute gem ... Read review

Advantages: family friendly hassle free holiday
Disadvantages: none!

We have just returned from our second holiday staying at the Toca do Mocho apartments in the Algarve, Portugal and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone. This family run villa consists of 2 self-contained apartments in a stunning location only 20 minutes from Faro airport. Mick and Sadie have thought of everything to make your family holiday as relaxing and hassle free as possible, especially if you are travelling with young children. They provide, ...
...children’s cutlery and plates etc, a parasol, sun tent, beach mats, buckets and spades and toys. The apartment has a DVD player and television complete with Cbeebies and for older children there is a playstation in the games room. The kitchen is really well equipped but they will also cook for you if you prefer. Their free babysitting service meant that my husband and I went out for more meals together in one week than we have done in the last year! ... Read review

Advantages: good for families, cheap, not too far away
Disadvantages: not for those who want something a little more upmarket

I love taking the family here. I have a small timeshare and it is a great place to go for a cheap and cheerful relaxing holiday. I always think of it as a place to go for a 7-10 day holiday but not necessarily any longer. There are lots of good places to eat and drink around the Strip. The Strip is a sort of mini Blackpool I guess but the one thing it has over some counterparts I have been to in Europe (especially Spain) is that many of the places ...
...I found for value is Farnells. It is a small family run restaurant just off the Strip and huge T Bone steaks gor for 9 euros (or on special nights 8 euro!!) which is just over a fiver. The staff here are friendly and once you have been there once they remember your drinks order for the rest of the holiday! Another place I like to go is the Two Brothers which is off the Strip but on the main road (same side as Rumors Bar but towards the beach). This ... Read review

Advantages: It's more of the REAL Portugal (not the Alrgarve folks!)
Disadvantages: To get to see most of the sights you're gonna to have to hire a car as the public transport is very poor

...the centre region of Portugal, Coimbra (pronounced phonetically as qwim-brar) is a picturesque university town steeped in history. It was previously the first capital of Portugal prior to Lisboa (Lisbon to Englsih speakers), and also had the first university in the country. The University still dominates the skyline on top of a steep hill on one bank of the river (which cuts through the center of the city). Coimbra is flanked on the east side by ...
...there to do? Coimbra has not developed as commercially to the extent as the other major cities such as Oporto (Porto) in the north-west and Lisboa (Lisbon, the Capital) on the southern tip of the Atlantic (west) coastline. It still retains a more laid back atmosphere rather than the hustle and bustle of a major city. The only time it gets really busy is when they hold the annual student festival in spring (the largest one in Portugal apparently). ... Read review

Advantages: Nice beach and bars.
Disadvantages: Expensive and stuck up!

I visited Vale do Lobo over summer 2003 and stayed with my second cousin and his wife in their house on the resort. I stayed for 3 days. The resort itself was quite nice and quiet and the beach was lovely, although some of the walks down to the beach are severely hazardous. The resort boasts the two fantastic golf courses however you need a good few hundred euros to play them. It also has a leisure club and a tennis academy. During the day, I spent ...
...that is disgusting. Vale do Lobo shopping was a good one for me. I thought that the products on sale were of reasonable quality if a little overpriced. In order to get anywhere, we had to drive. We even drove to some of the places on the resort. However most of the facilities are within walking distance. It's only 20 minutes from Faro airport, and car rental companies. The properties themselves are for rent between 100-900 euros per night depending ... Read review