The new square

[Lesley Jean]

All this negativity is spoiling my perception of what I see to be the nicest vacation destination I have ever had the pleasure to experience.

I agree we were there 2 years ago and we also think its the nicest vacation destination ever in fact the kids loved it so much that it was them that persuaded us to return this year.
Looking forward to our visit (2 weeks today) very much can't wait to be sitting in the new square soaking up the sun and the atmosphere.

Thank you!!! both, for some positive comments about the square, why everyone is just so negative I really just don't know, it is such an improvement and I think it will be lovely given a while to 'mellow'
To all the negative posters why do you just keep on and on, do you think your comments are going to change the square?? just accept the change (why do people hate change) and enjoy the PLACE..... Cvo is an amazing town which has still kept it's feel of a 'fishing village' without the tall high-rise buildings and hotels spoiling it. The town is friendly and welcoming and a lovely place to take children, the beach is great as are all the shops and restaurants, we should all be encouraging people to come to it during the summer months to help the local businesses NOT putting people off with such negative remarks.

[SJ & RE]

From the piccies it looks very pretty. A seat would be pleasant to watch the world go by without having to pay for a drink at one of the cafes. Perhaps the colours and different lines etc will help those with poor sight and it does lead to the entrance to the beach nicely.

[e-llen]

Well said LJ my feelings entirely! Also it is not necessary for everyone to drive through the village and round the square to get to their destination - we never do, we come in the 'back' roads that are convenient for VDM, ADM, Monte Dourado etc. - that will take some of the through traffic away from the new, and I think improved, square.

[Dust Devil]

I agree with RobF and In spectre that it looks pretty ghastly.But I have memories of when it was a fishing village.We were friends of the Basellis who own the pension above the beach and I remember the late mr Baselli saying that his son Nuno was the last fisherman of Carvoeiro.Think it was '91 when he got his licence.Happy days.

[bruce]

I am looking forward to visiting CVO again, I dont think it will change my opinion of the town, we only ever drove down when going to eat or shop. We always use the back road from VDM to get to Intermarche etc. If it eases the congestion all well and good.

[Rob F]

All this negativity is spoiling my perception of what I see to be the nicest vacation destination I have ever had the pleasure to experience.

I agree we were there 2 years ago and we also think its the nicest vacation destination ever in fact the kids loved it so much that it was them that persuaded us to return this year.
Looking forward to our visit (2 weeks today) very much can't wait to be sitting in the new square soaking up the sun and the atmosphere.

Thank you!!! both, for some positive comments about the square, why everyone is just so negative I really just don't know, it is such an improvement and I think it will be lovely given a while to 'mellow'
To all the negative posters why do you just keep on and on, do you think your comments are going to change the square?? just accept the change (why do people hate change) and enjoy the PLACE..... Cvo is an amazing town which has still kept it's feel of a 'fishing village' without the tall high-rise buildings and hotels spoiling it. The town is friendly and welcoming and a lovely place to take children, the beach is great as are all the shops and restaurants, we should all be encouraging people to come to it during the summer months to help the local businesses NOT putting people off with such negative remarks.

Sorry, but that is a load of ..

So you think the new 'square' is an improvement? Fine, you are entitled to your opinion, as are people who think otherwise. Exchanging opinions is rather normal on a forum.

I just crossed the square again, and I consider it to be a missed chance. It really looks ridiculous. With the same (or less…) effort and money it could have looked so much nicer. I love change, but preferably for the better. Like for instance Rua do Barranco, much better now, and as I said earlier, one can only hope that Estrada do Farol will get the same treatment.

Having said that, Carvoeiro is still a lovely village, sure, changing a square does not change the entire village. We first came here on holiday in ’92, and we live here since ’97. In all those years we have seen quite a lot of changes, not all for the better, but we still like the place.

Changing the heart of the village is already long overdue. Pedestrians are struggling to get around town, parking near the centre is almost impossible. Look at Alvor, (old) Albufeira, Lagos, no cars, just walking area. Parking is just outside the centre, and one can walk safely through town. That is what we need in Carvoeiro too! Away with the cars, trucks, buses etc. One can only imagine how nice the centre would like, and how good that would be for business.

[Lesley Jean]

But the whole point I am trying to make Rob is that we can't change what has happened so why oh why can we not just accept that it is what it is now and look positively at the outcome and not keep on about how horrid it is. I think that it will look OK when we have all got used to it. I agree they could have done a lot more but we are not on the local camera so are unable to put our thoughts forward. If you can't change it then please accept it, it gives out such negative vibes to new people looking in on here to see what the town is like.

Back Carvoeiro don't slag it off.....

[Barry]

Good job Hal Jones did not take that attitude, or he would now be staring at a 40m communications tower, 8m from his villa.

[Janet O]

I am not a great fan of the new layout but will wait and see how it pans out.
What I felt when I was there a week ago was that the guts have been torn out of the previous village feel.Where is the incentive to stop and look around when the road leads you in and then leads you out again. If you do manage to deviate you can't find anywhere to park and if it's baking hot you'll just want to keep on driving.
Sorry a change may have been due but like this???

Janet O

[eco/spider]

I am not a great fan of the new layout but will wait and see how it pans out.
What I felt when I was there a week ago was that the guts have been torn out of the previous village feel.Where is the incentive to stop and look around when the road leads you in and then leads you out again. If you do manage to deviate you can't find anywhere to park and if it's baking hot you'll just want to keep on driving.
Sorry a change may have been due but like this???

Janet O

I totally agree with you Janet and do not like the change at all.But I have theory.Elle tells me that the original plan was an avenue of trees.Where are they?My guess is the camara ran out of money and now the plan is half finished.I think from RobFs pic that they are trying to up the trade at the beach restaurants by extending the frontage.But as In spectre said its no longer a square.Looks a muddle to me Im sorry to say.
To Lesley Ill say we are all entitled to our opinion.

[Lesley Jean]

Eco, of cause we are all entitled to our own opinion I am just concerned that all the negativity will put others off from coming to the village, It has been done and I don't see that making such a song and dance about it is going to change it much, are the restaurants and bars in the area happy about it that is the main question as it will effect their buisness, when I spoke to a few at the begining of this month they were all very happy and just wanted it all to be finished so they could get back to serving their customers.



This was the original 'artists impression' of the square showing trees but to be honest it is only an impression, I think it would be up to the camera or the local businesses to get better trees/seats/flowers put in the square, maybe a petition to improve the plants would be a good idea.

Barry, Hal did a wonderful job of stopping the tower but you are talking a totally different kind of project, this one has already happened, the pictures of what it was going to look like were up on the board in the square for months and months so why has it come as such a huge surprise to people that this is exactly what was planned??

[EMM]

To be honest anyone looking at the webcams or photos cannot have a true feel for what is happening and any views positive or negative should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Those of us fortunate to have seen the devlopment from its earliest times and to have experienced the chaos ( hardley cosy village ) that went before can only applaud the changes.
Some may not like the detail but I cannot think that anypne would honestly want what was there before.
Visitors don,t be put off, leave your car at home ( if you can ) and see Carvoeiro for what it really is and
not just a carpark.

[Barry]

Just to make one corretion to LJ's comment. The plan shown in my first photo's was exactly what was originally being constructed, but was changed when someone realised there was no vehicular route across the square. Had this been designed in from the start, we could have had a much more coherent design. What we have now is a compromise, which is a pity, but not terrible, in my view. As for people expressing opinions, why don't prospective visitors look at the photo's and make their own minds up?

[Rob F]

nightmare scenario: car driver with one beer too many in the belly, drives along the grey strip, concentrating on the blue lights in the middle, ending up at Smiler's terrace...

brrrrrr....

[Barry]

Must admit, Rob, not quite sure why the runway takes people from the beach directly to Smilers. Do you think Geraldine had a hand in the planning?