I did promise I'd report back on this hotel for (I think) Dalcassian who was going to be staying there later this year??????
My Mum and sister stayed there this Feb and my in-laws stayed there in December. My other sister and her boyfriend were supposed to also be staying there a couple of weeks ago, but booked themselves into the Tivoli at Lagos! They tried to get a transfer but ended up booking the Carvoeiro Sol, which in the end suited them better, being within staggering distance of just about everywhere!

Anyhow, the Almansor I thought was lovely. Great location and very nice hotel. Clean and tidy, nice rooms, polite staff. Restaurant and bar service also was good. The indoor pool was quiet when we went, but I am sure will probably get busier in the summer. All in all I thought it was a very nice hotel and somewhere I would be happy staying. I would prefer one of the rooms with sea view though. I can't think what else to say so if you want to know anything specific (if its appropriate for me to post this here that is) please feel free to ask.

Hi Debs,
Regarding the indoor pool - do you know if non-residents can use it, and if so, how much it would be? My wife and I used to swim once a week when we lived in the UK but havnt found an indoor pool yet to continue doing so.
Regards,
John

I think you can use it - there is also one at Colina Village that you could try!

Yes you can but I don't know how much it is! At Colina Village its €30 a month. They did tell me how much it was per session. I think it was about €6. Personally i though it a bit much but probably not if you use it regularly. Then again I don't know the Almansor's prices. We used it for free with my family, kids and all, as my mum and sister were there. Must encourage my family to come over more often.

Great thanks for those tips. 30euros is not too bad as my wife and I paid £7 each per week to use a private pool back in UK. Just got to motivate myself to get back into it now!!

Hi Debs G
Thanks for your comments on the Almansor. We actually stayed there two years ago and wanted someone else's thoughts on it. Dont know how much they charge for non-residents using the indoor pool but why not use the outdoor one. Surely the weather is warm enough by now .
We are heading out there in May so will sample the waters.
Can anyone tell me if I need an International Drivers Licence to drive a hired car in Portugal? We intend to hire a little Ka and see some of the countryside. Anyone got any suggestions? Not too much driving now!
Dalcassian.

We stayed at the Almansor in April 2004 and had a great time. We didn't pay extra for a sea view but you could have that for free from the bar or the grounds around the hotel. Nice place, friendly staff, good food. And the resident colony of seagulls provided hours of entertainment as they tried to beg or steal food from the guests. We had a pair living on our room balcony who'd've been in the room if you'd let them.

The hotel's well situated, a five minute stroll down to the village and a ten minute stagger back uphill. We thought the indoor pool was a bit small and would get crowded very quickly. Mind you, every time we used it, we had it to ourselves. There's a small beach to the side of the hotel but you had to be a mountain goat to get down to it.

Highly recommended.

Dalcassian: When we were there, I hired a car for a weekend, just used my UK licence (both bits, photo card and paper bit). We drove out to Cape St Vincent and visited the fort and lighthouse. Stunning place, great beaches.

Hi Eviljock
My but you are an earlier riser! Same as myself. Up since 7:00am.
Is that road to St Vincent along a motorway or is there a costal (ie: scenic) route to take. I don't want frantic traffic. Just a nice slow meander through the countryside, stopping off now and then for a break .
Do they have any maps in the Almansor?

Your UK driving licence is fine here if its the pink photocard one. Does everyone have to have one of those these days?

no, I am afraid there are probably quite a few of us who still have just the good old fashioned pink bit of paper with no photo. However we come over at least once a year and have always been able to hire cars based on our crumbling antiques with no problem mardre ( who is now trying to book a car as we speak - and before you say it, yes we have used the website one! )

Hi Dalcassian.

Early starts are the only way I can get things done before the phones start ringing!

We took the non-motorway road, can't remember the number, it was the main road before the motorway. It's dual carriageway most of the time and was empty when we travelled. Pretty well hugs the coast with lots of villages and viewpoints to stop at.

We got a free map from the car-hire place, just down the road from the Almansor on the left hand side on a corner opposite a restaurant. Sorry I can't remember the details, old age you know.

I'm sure you'll have a great time, Carvoeiro is a special place and a good base to explore from.

Dalcassian,

No problem hiring car ,if you have full Irish licence.

I would reccommend visiting Silves , Lagos and Monchique , which are all within 30 mins drive from CVO.
Agree about Almansor - stayed there a number of occasions, before buying our own place last year - and always had a great time, and we were always very well looked after.

Looking forward to May 26th, and next trip to CVO.

J

Hi
Thank you all for the info on driving around Cvo.
Hey Debs G, I haven't got a UK driving licence I'm afraid. Only an Irish one! but I suppose that will have to do!
Dalcassian