Tuesday

Holiday Bargains - Algarve Markets





A holiday in my villa is always a bargain, especially as I have held prices to those charged in 2008. And the Algarve is a great place for buying holiday bargains. There are gypsy markets which visit a different town every Monday, my favourite being Messines, where you can get everything from fresh local produce, plants, live chickens and ducks, to all manor of clothing, leather goods, lace and pottery. There is a similar market every Wednesday, directed mainly at tourists, in Quarteira, and a locals indoor market at Loule every Saturday. Local to my holiday villa is Lagoa, which has a market the second Sunday of every month. Ferragudo, just a few miles along the coast, has a flea market on the same morning, where you can buy antiques, jewellery, books and much more. And every town, including Carvoeiro and Lagoa, has a Mercado - a covered food market where you can buy fruit, veg and fresh locally caught fish every weekday. Ideal for the Bar B Que at my villa www.harleystreet.net/luacheia

Saturday

Spectacular Coastline and favourite Beaches around Carvoeiro






In my opinion the stretch of coastline between Portimao to the west and Armacao de Pera to the east has some of the most spectacular coastline and beautiful beaches, 12 in all, in Portugal. And what makes it so special for me is its accessability. There are few areas of beautiful coastline now where it is possible to walk and enjoy the beauty of nature without the views being spoilt by over development. But here you can walk for miles and see the amazing rock formations, caves and blow holes, wild flowers, and little coves only reached by boat where there are just seagulls on the beach. From our villa you can walk to Centiannes beach, a long beach with a small shaded cove at one end, overlooked by 'O Stop' cafe/restuarant. One of our nearest beaches is Benegil, where a small fishing beach, still used by local fishermen, leads to a hidden sandy cove which is a real sun-trap, backed by high cliffs. From half way up the hill there is a footpath where it is possible to walk along the cliffs to Marinha. But you may prefer to drive the approx 2 kilometers through pretty countryside of old almond and olive trees. There is a large car park and picnic tables over looking Marinha beach. A pathway, then a long flight of steps lead down to the beach. Along this path I saw wild fresias blooming early this spring. Carvoeiro itself also has a lovely beach, which obviously gets busier than the other beaches in summer, but out of season can be very quiet. It is popular with families who enjoy the many shops, restuarants and bars, and the boats offering trips along the coast. All this is just few minutes away from my holiday villa www.harleystreet.net/luacheia