Vilamoura relaxing
This is intended as a relaxing day. Flights arrive at differing times and not all will fly into Faro so we need to allow time for all participants to gather. Those who arrive first can go off exploring the town or taking a ride into the surrounding countryside.
Vilamoura and neighbouring Quateira are interesting towns with lovely sandy beaches. Quateira has an old harbour and Vilamoura a relatively new marina. These are very much beachfront holiday resorts and you will find many of the stores closed during January and February but there will still be enough open to address most needs.
Both the Hilton and the Crowne Plaza are 5 star hotels and have excellent facilities including indoor swimming pool and those who simply wish to unwind with a drink will find the surroundings most comfortable. The Hilton is located in a golf course whilst the Crowne Plaza is beach front so each will appeal to a different group of clients.
The evening meal is a buffet and it always offers a wide variety so there will be something to suit every pallet.
Departing the Vilamoura hotel heading east to Olhau a charming fishing port then on to Fuseta which sits behind a low barrier island and continuing we reach Taveria, a small town with over 30 churches! We take a coffee break in Taveria before turning north west passing Pego do Inferno, a small waterfall and lake, then through Santa Catarina, Sao Bras de Alportel, Querencia and Bartolomeu de Messines all towns unaffected by tourism to reach waters at Pergo Escuro where we take a brief stop before reaching Sao Marcos da Serra. Those of a religious persuasion will be interested to note that there have been several apparitions of the Virgin Mary in and around the town. Sao Marcos da Serra nestles between two mountain ranges and so most of the properties are huddled together on the steep slopes around the town centre. We take a break here for lunch.
This will be a leisurely day with some lovely towns and villages and roads with gentle curves. We begin this journey with a run around some streets to the east of Vilamoura and Quateira to familiarise the group with the surroundings before we head away from the coast to Loule to visit the castle and the Market. The Castle is of Roman origin although the oldest parts of what can be seen today date from the early 1400’s and it is a protected building. The market is an interesting mix of Arabian and Art Nouveau styles and is over a century old. It won the Prize Turismo de Portugal in 2007 and within you will find a diverse range of goods and produce.
We follow the coast past Faro and on towards the Spanish border making a brief stop at Fabrica before heading north onto twisty mountain roads and past a few resevoirs on our way to Martinlingo where we break for lunch. The village is a fine example of the old Algarve, filled with charisma and beauty and a sharp contract to the tourist beaches we passed earlier in the day.