Our first visit :)

[Andy & Wendy]

Hi everyone:) We are newbies to your site and planning our first visit in July from Derbyshire, UK.

After reading through the forum and looking over the website (both are great btw) I decided that you're a better resource for info than good old google (which just shows me hotels)

We are booked for our 1st ever visit to the Algave at the Marichoro on the 10th July for a week. We have spent the last few days Google Earth walking around Carvoiero and are now thinking slightly further out ... I am trying to find out places (either locally or via public transport) that are worth visiting. We like to cram in as much into our holidays as possible.

Our interests are : local food and drink markets history / ruins , wine / vinyards etc

We aren't really interested in the typical 'tourist' trap attractions (water parks etc) and would prefer to see the more 'real' Algarve areas. We prefer public transport and use local knowledge wherever possible.

If any of you have any info you would like to share then please do.

Thank you in advance

A&W

[alf1956]

There is Roman spa at Monchique which is well worth a visit.

[jeremy]

http://algarvedailynews.com/features/algarve-markets

To get to Ferragudo or Lagoa you can use the new hop on/off mini bus service - see here:

http://www.algarvebus.info/055.htm

[Andy & Wendy]

Thank you both ^^^^

We will definitely be using the minibus to vsisit as many places as we can get to.

[John Burgess]

Tha castle at Silvers or a river trip from silvers thair is a good example of a Roman bridge

[Andy & Wendy]

Fantastic. That's the historical stuff sorted.

Now what about the food and wine

[pickwick]

Hi

Try Le Cro on restaurant hill!!

Pickwick

[bugsey]

Try A Fonte (classic Portugese) just up from the square on the in road up the stair at the side of the Indian place.

[algarve123]

Some of our favourites are as follows:

Food:
Primavera, Maximes, Jota Lita, The Wolf, Haweli and Cafe Earth - All on Restaurant Hill.
Onze - Up the hill to the left of the beach.
Taste - On the in-road (and backing on to the out-road also so you cant miss it).
Ma-Ja's - Continue on the steps past the previously mentioned A Fonte and turn left at the top.

Drink:
Carvoeiro Bar and Round-up Saloon - Both on Restaurant Hill.
Hemmingways - On the out-road.
Bar Charly - Just on the left before Onze mentioned above.
Cocktail Garden - A bit outside. Go up the hill to the right of the beach. Follow the road around until you reach 'Kiosk Azul' (nice spot for a coffee). Take a right here and you will end up in a circle that has a few bars and restaurants, one of which is Cocktail Garden.

Things To Do:
Any of the walks along the cliffs are great and often if you walk far enough you will find you have the area to yourself - stunning views to be had.
A trip to the top of Monchique is well worth the trip. Great view.
Sagres is a nice trip, it has a fortress on the edge of the cliff. Only about an hours drive away.
Boardwalk/Algar Seco - You have probably seen this online already, its a great place for an easy stroll and Algar Seco is a cool place to see (Boneca Bar is set into the cliffs here and is another good place for food and drink).
Ferragudo is only a 15 min drive away - Has some lovely bars and restaurants and a nice square.

The above are just a few ideas that spring to mind but believe me, you will find many more great places to visit, places to eat and places to get drunk! Carvoeiro will spoil you for choice.

Enjoy your trip

[Andy & Wendy]

Wow !
I don't think we will want to leave

Can't wait, roll on summer

[destroyer]

The boat trip from Portimao to Silves mentioned earlier is one I'd also recommend, although not sure how easy it is to get to Portimao on public transport. If you do get to Portimao, the museum there is quite interesting, particularly the bit which relates to the town's history as a sardine fishing and canning centre (really). Silves is also a favourite of ours and the castle and museum there are definitely worth a look. There are some very nice fish and shellfish restaurants there, and also a few nice piri piri places, ranging up from the very rustic to the more touristy, fronting the river. The boat trip usually gives you a couple of hours in Silves, depending on the tides.
A lot of the shops have "FreeMaps" available outside. Useful for getting your bearings in the town and with details and phone numbers for restaurants etc. This is the link for a downloadable copy:

[url]http://freemapsalgarve.com/wp-content/u ... voeiro.pdf[/url]

The website has similar downloads for many nearby towns.
There is actually a small municipal market in Carvoeiro, quite close to your hotel, although it is basically a food market, selling fruit and veg, fish, meat and bread. If you fancy a picnic lunch it might be worth a visit, and you can get a nice coffee there. If you turn right out of the Mirachoro, heading into town, just after Lanterna Velha restaurant you turn right and up a small hill. The market is on the right. The lady with the fruit stall nearest the coffee stand sells cherries from the north of Portugal. They're expensive but very moreish. In fact moreish is too small a word - they are the crystal meth of soft fruit.

I hope you have a great holiday. It sounds like you're ready to experience everything on offer and I don't think you'll be disappointed. English is the lingua franca in the area, but a few Portuguese words are always appreciated, even if it's only a greeting and the usual courtesies. Lots of websites, including some with playback of pronunciation. I think it's true to say we British don't set the bar too high on speaking other languages as a rule, perhaps understandably as pretty well everybody around will speak English. So you have the opportunity to impress and astound the locals!

[Andy & Wendy]

That's a great reply and exactly what we were after. Thank you.

We like to see as much as we can. Last year we went to Malta and I'm sure there wasn't an inch of Malta or Gozo that we didn't see. We used public transport to get to all the places that 'tourists' were paying a fortune to get to and it hardly cost us anything ...and Wendys pedometer displayed that we had walked 100 miles in a week !!!

As for language, we always try to learn at least the basics to be polite. Important phrases such as "2 glasses of red wine please" and "can we have another bottle of red wine please" ...

Can't wait to find the Cherry Meth !!!

[joeysoap]

Portimao is very doable by public bus. Cost is €3.30 this year. If you stay on the bus until it (finally) comes to the bus terminus you will see lots of Portimao itself (it's because of the one way system that it takes longer to get to terminus) a stroll down the harbour side is pleasant (You are looking over at Ferragudo), there's also a public bus service from Portimao to Praia da Rocha (it's also walkable if your half fit) and there's a bus service to Alvor from Portimao. (Those small mini buses), which has lovely walks and a magnificent beach

The sign on the front should say Portimao (the others terminate in Lagoa and mean buying a second ticket and waiting time) The 9.30, 10.30 and 11.35 are direct on weekdays. The return (direct) bus has Carvalho know the front, and you can buy tickets from the little kiosk in Portimao, otherwise pay the driver. Bus stop 1 in Portimao. We stopped hiring a car in high season (cost/heat) and have no problem getting around)


http://www.algarvebus.info/031.htm

Portimao to Alvor local bus service here

http://www.algarvebus.info/011.htm

[Geoff]

I would have said that you need to try some country walks and some country restaurants ( 2 courses with wine/coffee for c8€, coffee/beer 90cents) , bit cheaper than the touristy places in town, but bit difficult by public transport...and a bit hot in July!
You must have a walk around the back streets of Lagoa though, a very under-rated town.....bit like Ferraguedo ( or St Ives in the old days).....nice little cafes, cobbled streets, houses that haven't changed in a hundred years , nice old Convent , very good Auditorium.
Cliff walk from CVO to Ferraguedo might take 3 hours, can always get bus back.
Enjoy.

[Andy & Wendy]

Thanks Geoff and Joey ! Sorry it took so long for me to acknowledge your messages.

Only just seen your replies ! Been very busy working.

The bus info is very useful and we'll definaitly check out the less touristy places that you've mentioned there !! Anywhere like how st Ives used to be sounds perfect !