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There are lots of different parts to planning a holiday: Deciding where you want to go, finding accommodation, booking transport, sorting out practicalities like insurance, etc. And then comes the fun bit: planning what you're going to do when you're there.
This blog is here to help you with that. It will hopefully give you a taster of what is available.
There really is such a fantastic variety of things to do nearby, hence.....
…..this blog is loooooong, but feel free to read the ones that take your fancy and skip the others.
We've been slowly trying out some of the different things (it's a hard life!) so we'll now share what we've found with you.
We are a family of 5 with two teenagers and a pre-teen and we enjoy fun activities. We've tried to put a variety of things though, so that there will hopefully be something that appeals to everyone.
Activities aside, As Andorinhas is such a wonderful holiday villa that we've often just been happy staying there for a big chunk of our time. The pool is big and private, the inside is spacious, well equipped and cool when everywhere else is boiling, and the surroundings are just stunning.
How much visitors want to go out and explore really depends on what people want out of a holiday, whether they're an introvert or extrovert, whether they just need to relax or love adventure and exploring, their personality type, what they can afford, and a whole other load of factors. All of which are fine. Do whatever works for you.
I will include links to these places at the bottom of the blog.
So, here we go:
Slide and Splash Water Park
It was a few years ago now that we went, so this review is from what I remember.
Loved:
- Coming from chilly England this felt really different to what we have at home
- It was such great fun and made a brilliant day out
- A wide variety of slides
Not so great:
- The floor is so hot when walking around bare feet!
- There's not a lot of shade
- You can't wear a t-shirt to protect you from the sun unless it's swimming costume type material
- The queues
Overall view: So glad we went and it was a highlight of the holiday for us.
Inflatable Rides at the Beach
High intensity fun!
It only lasts about 15 minutes but we laughed and shrieked so hard.
It felt hard to pay out for something so short but by the time we had finished I felt it was worth every penny and didn't regret it at all. These cost around 15 euros per person.
We were having a stressful beach visit and doing this rescued the day for us.
There are lots of varieties of these types of thing, another being the banana boat ride.
Parasailing
Parasailing aside, we loved the boat ride itself. It was a speed boat and was thrilling and fun. Our youngest was old enough to do the parasailing but didn't want to, but he still really enjoyed the trip because of the boat ride and watching the parasailing.
It was very gentle and not scary. You get a nice view of the beach and town. They make it fun. It wasn't a high adrenaline activity, but felt very special and I love looking back at the photos. We got some nice pictures ourselves, but also brought the package they sell.
Zoomarine
Zoomarine is a family park which is popular in the Algarve. It combines fun and entertainment with education about life in the ocean. There are dolphin, seal and sea lion shows, aquariums, a 4D cinema, swimming pools, water slides and other attractions. It is located in Guia, not far from Albufeira. About a 40 minute drive from the villa. Booking online beforehand saved us about 2 or 3 euros each.
It really was a great day out with such a variety of things to do. I highly recommend this and think it would be good for all ages.
You can hire a sunbed and umbrella, but most people just made a base with their towels or a rug on the grass. You can hire lockers for 5 euros (plus a 5 euro deposit that you get back) for valuables. We also left bags and cool bags with food and drinks on our towels. My top tip would be to take those waterproof phone holders, then you can take your phone with you everywhere (to communicate with others if you divide up, and also there's so many great photo opportunities).
The majority of people wander around in their swimwear, some wear lightweight clothes. Take lots of sunscreen and water. There are places with shade, but we all really caught the sun that day. There are so many things that involve water: rides and pools, which really helped keep us cool. The men couldn't wear t-shirts on the water rides. It felt better than the water park because you could keep your shoes on and not have to walk on the scolding ground.
The queues were surprisingly short and quick.
The dolphin show was a highlight.
Inflatable Water Park at Albufeira
I forgot to get a photo by day, sorry, but here is one in the distance by night.
This felt reasonably priced and was good fun. It keeps you cool in the sea and was nice having the lifejackets on and bobbing about in the sea feeling completely safe. No regrets here!
Paddleboat with Slide (Albufeira)
This felt good value because you pay for the boat rather than per person (about 15 euros I think). It's a paddleboat with a slide attached. Some people on my boat didn't fancy doing the slide but enjoyed the paddleboat bit. I however thoroughly enjoyed letting my inner child out and going down the slide many-a-time. You get a good amount of time on the boat.
I've put a link below, but it's the sort of thing you don't really need to book in advance for. They are set up on the beach and you just go and ask about them at the hut. The same goes for the inflatable rides.
Boat Ride to Search for Dolphins and to See the Caves (From Most Marinas)
You're not gauranteed to find Dophins but we did and it was incredibly special. The tour guides tell you lots of interesting information, there's some soothing music on and it was quite emotional.
A couple of people on the trip got sea sick and were taken to the back of the boat out of sight of everyone to lie down. The guides gave them the best advice and looked after them well. If you are prone to seasickness there are shoerter trips.
We then went on to the caves.
Again the guides were very knowledgeable and made the experience a good one.
They gave any children on board a chance to drive the boat which was a nice gesture.
A boat trip of some sort or the other is a must in my opinion.
There are lots of different companies offering them, all with a slight variation of what they offer. I'll put a couple of links below but a quick search online should yield lots more results. We've booked in advance once, and also just turned up on the day too, though that's obviously a risk.
There's some pirate ship/sailing boat type ones too.
You'll find them at any of the marina's: Portimao (35 mins away), Lagos (40 mins away) or Albufeira (1 hr away).
Caldas De Monchique (Near the Villa)
Caldas De Monchique is a beautiful local place to visit if you've staying at the villa. There are some natural thermal springs (free to wander around- always a bonus!). There's a nice café at the bottom and a wonderful area to stroll around as well as a few little shops.
It's near one of the restaurants we recommend, which people always enjoy: Foz De Banho. It has stunning views, reasonably priced food and is delicious.
Combining the two makes a great trip out.
There's also a thermal spa you can pay to go into. You can use the spa facilities which includes an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, foot spa, ice room and hot lounge chairs. This costs 50 euros for 2 hours, but is reduced to only 10 euros if you pay for a treatment. There are a variety of massages and treatments. We haven't tried these but they do look rather tempting and I hope to do it soon.
Golf
The Algarve is well known for golf and there are a wide variety of golf courses located nearby. They tend to be cheaper in the summer and more expensive in the winter months. They're generally more expensive than the UK (50 to 120 euros), but look out for special offers (like playing 4 courses over 4 days) and twilight deals (tee off after 4pm).
You can take you own golf clubs on the plane for a fee (you need a carry case for that) or you can hire them over there.
As Andorinhas is a great base if you want a golfing holiday. A cool dip in the pool when you get back is pure bliss after a day playing golf.
Morgado is the closest but seemed more expensive. There's Penina Golf Resort near Portimao. Iain played at Espiche near Lagos and it cost about 60 euros in May.
Wandering Around the Shops and Stalls
Monchique is famous for it's cork industry and the shops are full of all things cork. It's nice having a mooch around the shops.
The colourful ceramic shops are also typically Portuguese and very enjoyable to wander around.
My kids love wandering around the shops and stalls and taking home some memorabilia.
Mount Foia (the Top of the Mountain)
Monchique has the highest point in the Algarve. Fóia is 902m tall and has panoramic views which are simple stunning. You can see all the way to down to the south coast and sometimes to the west coast!
It's a 12 minute drive from the house and definitely worth a visit.
There's a café and restaurant there, some stalls with local crafts, and a shop with typically Portuguese things in. There's a mound of rocks which are fun to climb up to reach some higher views.
Advance warning: Lots of local artists sell their craft but it's all paid for in one place, so they only accept cash.
It's an exhilarating experience rather than particularly fun or exciting, You'll get some beautiful photos and a sense of awe. There's some great viewing points on the way too which are worth stopping at.
It can be a shortish trip if you just want a little something to do, but you could also take longer if you wanted to.
A Local Walk from the Villa
If you come out of the villa and turn left (or right for that matter) it's a lovely walk. There's a lovely variety of trees, the eucalyptus and cork trees are my favourite.
Monchique is famous for it's cork oak forests. Cork harvesting is a massive thing in the local area. You'll see a number painted on the trees to mark the last number of the year the cork was harvested from it, so the same tree is done once every 10 years. A cork oak tree can live for 150-200 years.
You'll probably pass some cows with their gorgeous sounding bells, some noisy guard dogs, and possibly some goats.
Beaches
The Algarve is known for it's reputation of having some of the most stunning beaches in the world.
Beach trips at night are wonderful, especially if you catch a gorgeous sunset. They have the added bonus of not being as hot.
I'll put a link below which takes you to the beach searcher website, showing the nearest beaches to Monchique. I typed in 23 kilometres and it showed 9 beaches and what they have to offer. You can adjust the search area size should you want to go further afield.
Exploring Other Local Towns
Monchique: It is a small but wonderful town. Parking is free, there's a decent sized supermarket, cafes, tea rooms, restaurants, artisan shops, a ruined convent, cobbled streets, and public gardens.
Portimao: this is the nearest big town. All the lights you see in the distance from the villa are Portimao. It's a great place to visit, there is lots to do around there. It has a stunning beach called Praia da Rocha.
There are lots of other nearby towns which are worth an explore, like: Silves, Ferragudo, Lagos, Alvor, Albufeira, etc.
Sand City
Visit lots of sand sculptures of places around the world at Sand City. About 35 Minutes from the house. Lasts about 1-2 hours. Not too pricey. It's open in the evening too, and is lit up then (and not so hot).
There are lots of shaded areas if you are happy to stop for a bit. There are some cool seating areas, hammocks, a play park, a sheltered large sandpit, and places to get drinks and ice-creams. There are such a variety of sculptures and the shadows the sun creates on them are wonderful.
Some of the family didn't want to come, so just 3 of us went. The youngest got hot and fed up fairly quickly and waited in the shade for us. I was glad to visit, but once was enough for me and we didn't stay too long.
Exploring the Nightlife
Albufeira is teeming with life at all hours. It is a real party location. We went to the old town. We enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere. All the stalls and shops stay open really late, there's loads of food and drink places, and lots of loud music around - some of it live.
Wandering down to the beach at night was fabulous too.
Meals Out
You will not be short of a multitude of fantastic places you can eat out, locally and wherever you happen to be that day. I won't particularly name places we recommend here, but there are some recommendations in our information pack which you receive once you've booked.
Other things available that we haven't tried yet
Kayaking to the Caves
I took these photos whilst on one of the other boat tours. I really wanted to do this one but was outvoted by my family. It looks so fun though. It's a 2 hour trip. You get taken out to the caves by boat, then they get the kayaks out and you go around and in the caves for about an hour. You then have some time where you can swim in the sea and use the slide on the boat etc, then back to shore on the boat.
This trip was from the Marina in Lagos. There are number of other places you can do a similar thing. There are also lots of other boat rides from there. The marina isn't out of the way, so you can enjoy walking along the front and looking at the stalls and wandering around the town.
Tours
- A Walking Tour in Monchique: As Monchique is so stunning it has some fantastic guided walks and hikes which are available all year around.
- Jeep Tours: Jeep tours look great fun. Best to Google it and see which ones you like.
- Bike Tours or Hiring a Bike: There's various tours you can do by bike in the local area, or you can hire bikes too. You can also get e-bike tours. I've put a link below, but Google for more options.
- A Quad Bike Tour: The driver will need a current drivers licence. You can also have a passenger.
Monchique: One person 120 euros. With a passenger 210 euros. There is one really near to the house. Not an adrenaline hour on quads, it's a tour of the area lasting 4.5hrs and includes a meal in a restaurant. Not cheap but it looks fantastic.
Lagos: One person: 75 euros. If you have a passenger then its 100 euros. During 1h15 you will pass on dirt trails in direction to the river, with some unbelieve landscapes. The main goal is to have fun, they will take you to discover some trails, while you are being your own driver. The meeting point will be in the Marine of Lagos, a good start for the adventure. They leave towards the Meia Praia, the longest beach of Lagos then go to the river, where you test your driving skills on the dunes, and enjoy the landscapes.
Albufiera: 2 hrs. £28.35 each. Get some all-terrain action on an express tour of Algarve's interior, and conquer the dirt tracks and streets with ease. Following a guide, you'll drive an ATV along a low-speed route that focuses on the area's nature and views.
- Segway Tour: Whilst in Lagos I saw a Segway tour being advertised too.
- The Bread-Making Challenge: 2 hours long. 'Start by preparing your dough in the morning! Then leave it to prove while you go and explore a local village and its surroundings. Time to light the Alferce communal oven, and now knead your dough and make your bread. Then relax, have a glass of wine and your bread will be ready for your picnic! (Pizza, olive bread, Rosemary bread, Chouriço bread, cumin seed, depending on the season'). Text taken from their website.
- A Wine Tour: If you like wine there are various wine tours available, depending on how long you'd like your tour to be and what your budget is. The cheapest being 30 euros. You meet at a pick up point, have a tour guide, get taken to one or more of the wine estates and trying different wines at each.
- Jet-skiing: 90 euros for up to 2 people in Albufiera for 30 minutes. Looks super fun. You must be 16 to drive it and the passenger would need to be 10+ to ride. If you have never ridden a jet ski, they will provide you with safety and operational training until you are comfortable to operate. No licenses or certificates are required.
- Zoo De Lagos: Open April-September. More than 140 species from the 5 continents. A great family day out. About a 40 minute drive from the house.
- Horse Riding:
Portimao: This small-group adventure takes you along local trails so you can take in the stunning coastal scenery. Beginners are closely monitored and are provided with a small briefing for maximum fun and safety. £43.62 per person. 1hr.
Albufiera: 2 hrs tour along the beach (a gallop by the sea) and through pine forests. £120 per person.
A Palmeirinha: 45 mins from villa. 1.5 hrs 70 euros. 2 hrs 90 euros. Horse riding along the beach.
- Surfing: There's a place you can hire what you need for surfing at Praia da Rocha beach.
You can also find surf lessons. You'd need to search on Google for where though.
- Go-karting: The Motor Park, Autódromo Internacional Algarve, also known as the Portimão Circuit, is located in the hills above Portimão and Lagos. The track situated 25 minutes drive from the villa is open for various motor and bike racing events and there is a large go-kart track open to the public. Karting Almancil is another famous go-karting venue. This is 1hr 15mins from the house.
Games in the villa
The beauty of holidays is having free time. So if you, like us, enjoy playing games, then we have left some in the villa for others to enjoy. There's hopefully a good mix for different ages and tastes. There's some puzzles too.
Disclaimer
Some of these places we've been to and tried, and some we have just found by researching what is available. We cannot guarantee how good these places are, but have put them down to give you ideas. I'm sure there are lots of other places or similar things you can find if you have a look on the internet. We'd love to hear of any great places you find. Some of these places are not open all year around, so make sure you check before you go.
The main season is March to October.
Well, there's plenty of ideas. Which ones would you pick?
If you'd like to find out more about having a holiday at As Andorinhas then follow this link to our website: https://www.holidayvillaalgarve.com/
If you have any questions then we are always happy to answer them. You can get hold of us at: holidayvilla.algarve@gmail.com
Here's another blog about booking a holiday with us: https://www.holidayvillaalgarve.com/post/step-by-step-the-things-involved-in-booking-a-holiday-with-us
As Andorinhas:
Links:
- Slide and Splash Waterpark: https://www.slidesplash.com/en/about/
- Inflatable ride fun at the beach: You'll find them set up on the beaches (Portimao and Albufiera, probably others too) Albufiera: https://nauticdrive-algarve.com/
- Parasailing: Albufeira: https://dreamwavealgarve.com/
- Paddleboat with slide (Albufeira): https://nauticdrive-algarve.com/
- Boat ride to search for Dolphins and to see the caves (From most marinas):
Portimao: https://www.5emotionsalgarve.com/de/
Albufiera: https://dreamwavealgarve.com/
- Golf
- Kayaking to the caves:
Lagos: https://www.getyourguide.com/algarve-l66/from-lagos-ponta-da-piedade-kayak-tour-t157044/ https://www.ezridelagos.com/en
Portimao: https://www.seasirentours.com/
- Sand City: https://fiesa.org/
- Zoomarine: https://www.zoomarine.pt/en/
- The Bread-Making Challenge: https://www.monchique.com/index.php/en/foodietours
- A Wine Tour: https://www.algarvewinetours.com.pt/the-tours/
- A walking Tour in Monchique: https://www.monchique.com/index.php/en/foodietours
- Zoo De Lagos: https://zoolagos.com/en/
- A Quad bike tour: Monchique: https://quadsexperience.com/
- Go on some jet-skis: https://dreamwavealgarve.com/
- The Spa at Caldas De Monchique: https://monchiquetermalresort.com/en/thermal-spa
- Parque Da Mina: https://www.parquedamina.com/index.html
- Go-karting: https://autodromodoalgarve.com/
- Horse Riding:
A Palmeirinha:
- Surf equipment hire, Portimao: https://portimaosurfclube.pt/main/