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Wednesday, 07 April 2010 13:59 |
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Every town in Portugal will have a weekly Market. The most famous is in Barcelos in the North of Portugal, but here in the Algarve there are numerous markets.
If you are staying in Vilamoura the nearest market takes place in the neighbouring resort of Quarteira every Wednesday. The market has 2 distinct sections, the fruit and veg market where locals come to buy home grown produce, plants, flowers, birds to keep as pets and rabbits, ducks and chickens for the pot!! Whilst it can be a bit upsetting to see fluffy bunnies in wicker baskets destined for the supper table, these animals haven't been reared using intensive farming methods and have had a very 'free range' upbringing. I think it's a lot less cruel than the mass produced meat I buy from the supermarket and you will be seeing how 'real' portuguese people live.
The second half of the market is the flea market which sells clothes, shoes, linen, jewellery, ceramics - everything you can think of really. In recent years it has become a bit overrun with fake designer goods but you can still find good linens and leather goods that have been made in Portugal or Spain.
The stall holders are open to haggling, so don't feel you have to accept the first price.
Quarteira market is popular with tourists and can get hot and busy in the summer months. If you are planning a visit with children in tow, aim to arrive by 9 - 9.30 am when it's not so hot and crowded. After an hour or two in the market, Quarteira's beach front is a short walk away, you just have to cross the main road and walk down to the seafront. It has a nice, flat promenade lined with lots of reasonably prices cafe's and restaurants. The beach here is also very nice and there are 2 play areas for small children.
Saturday is market day in Loule, which is a traditional inland town about 20 minutes drive from Vilamoura, Val do Lobo and Quinta do Lago. This market is more traditional than the Quarteira market and sells mainly fruit and veg. Loule market also sells, fresh fish, portuguese specialties such as fig cakes and marzipan sweets and pottery. Again it's best to arrive early. Loule also has an amazing amount of shoe shops for a town of it's size which often have very reasonable prices. |
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Thursday, 11 March 2010 13:29 |
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Ryanair the low cost airline have expanded their operation at Faro airport adding new routes from the UK and Ireland.
New routes include direct flights from Derry, Knock, Bournemouth, the Midlands and Glasgow.
This is good news for passengers flying from Scotland who have been deprived of FlyGlobespan who sadly went out of business last year.
Jet 2 now have a route from Edinburgh, so despite the demise of FlyGlobespan the Algarve is still accessible from Scotland.
To check which airline flies to Faro from your area, go to our Travel section and use the Skyscanner application to search for flights.
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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 21:25 |
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This is a picture I took on the beach at Val do Lobo on New Years Day 2010.
Whilst most of the UK was still battling the snow and freezing temperatures, here in the Algarve we were able to spend a few hours walking on the beach.
My son took his bucket and spade and had a great time.
There were even a few holiday makers from the UK swimming in the sea. |
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Thursday, 14 May 2009 20:31 |
 
We recently took our 3 toddlers for a day out at Zoomarine in Guia. It's about a 20 minute drive from Vilamoura. Zoomarine also have their own coach which can take you there. Zoomarine is a full day out. There are lots of different animals to see birds, turtles, dophins, seals, crocodiles, an aquarium with lots of different fish and a shark. The dolphins and seals have their own show once a day. There is also a 4D cinema, fairground rides and large swimming pools. I was really impressed with the facilities. There are showers and lockers if you want to use the pools. The restaurants had a good selection of dishes including vegetarian meals. There was also a small selection of baby jars on sale. There is a baby changing and feeding room with changing mat and microwave etc. It was a really great day out, for us and the children. |
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Monday, 04 May 2009 21:42 |
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I was surprised recently when I flew into Faro from Gatwick and the stewardess told us all to reset our watches. I know that alot of the crews that fly to Portugal also fly the Spanish routes and it was an early flight so I'm sure she just forgot she was going to Faro not Alicante and let's be honest they don't even get off the plane and one airport probably doesn't look that different from another. But just in case the same thing happens to you, don't reset your watch (or your toddlers feeding time!) UK, Ireland and Portugal are always on the same time. |
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