Advantages: kids,club, bar, beach, 2 pools, jacuzzis, entertainent, shops, self catering Disadvantages: have to meet with CPO staff who will want to sell you timeshare
I bought a timeshare here about 20 years ago with my husband and we have been going here on and off in that time with our growing family so we've seen some changes in that time - mostly good, I have to add.
One of the most significant changes is the addition of properties to the complex giving flexible accommodation visitors. This means that depending on your profile you will either be allocated the beach front CPO apartments (families with children), Hotel OuraPraia which is a about 10 minutes' walk from the beach (couples) and the newly aquired Hotel Oura which is just a few minutes' walk from the beach and I undersdand is aimed more the young clubbers.
There is also 'S' block which is where we own which is just a very small block just outside the main complex and directly behind the beach. It may not appeal to everyone but we ...
Advantages: Fairly quiet area, good location, family friendly, rooms in good condition Disadvantages: Quality of kitchen facilities could have been better
I visited the Algarve last summer with a few friends and stayed at Vila Alba apartments during our two-week stay. I really enjoyed my stay here and would not hesitate to return - the apartment became a large aspect of the holiday!
The location of the apartments is not in Albufeira itself, but just outside. Although the apartments are simply a 5-10 minute walk from The Strip (where there are many cafes, bars and little shops), it is a fairly quiet area, with little to no disturbance. The apartments are quite detached from one another, so this further lessens the noise levels. The apartments are around a 20 minute walk to the beach.
The rooms themselves are of very good quality. The lounge area includea a TV with several channels; some in Portugese and some English. Even the CBeebies channel was available, which is great if you ...
Advantages: Nice pool, pleasanr helpful staff, appartment very clean Disadvantages: Bathroom stunk of drains, kitchen antiquated, no kettle, toaster or hairdryer
in the car and go and explore for a while.
SUNSHINE MAKES EVERYTHING LOOK GOOD:
We made our way up to the pool area and were pleasantly surprised by a couple of big pools, lots of sun loungers and umbrellas, a couple of quiet bars and a restaurant. It all looked quiet, sunny and inviting. We sat down and enjoyed an iced tea and toasted sandwiches. We had been up since 2am and I had only had a cup of coffee and water so I was quite hungry by now. The waiter was lovely and the food was fine. We were getting quite positive vibes and when we went back to reception they said our apartment was ready we were almost on a high.
MAYBE I SPOKE TOO SOON:
We drove around to near our apartment and went up to the top floor, no lift but we are quite fit so that is not a great problem. We struggled with the old key in the lock and eventually got in. It ...
