Learn about The Algarve, Alvor, Lagos, Praia da Luz & Burgau, Seville and Granada from Christine Stranger at Fine Travel

If you are planning a trip to Europe, then the stunning Algarve is only a two to three hour flight from many European cities. Andalucía is an easy bus ride from the Algarve.

The Algarve

My sister has an apartment in Portugal and I have just returned from a month in the Algarve and Andalucia in Spain.

Fine Travel have an exclusive with my family’s apartment in the Algarve in the picturesque village of Alvor, located on a harbour. With its relaxed pace and a range of leisure activities if offers an unforgettable holiday destination.

The Algarve is one of Europe's sunniest spots, a unique jewel where the finest beaches and weather on the continent meet traditional historic Portugal. Famous for its seafood, stunning beaches, water sports, golf courses, walking and bird watching.

There are numerous other places of interest to visit from Alvor; Praia da Luz, Burgau, Portamao, Lagos & the Monchique Mountains.

The best time to visit the Algarve to avoid the tourist season is late May or early October. The streets are quiet and the climate more temperate

Casa Miramar is a large villa, on the edge of the village of Alvor, split into two self-contained apartments being Casa Mirama Poolside and Casa Mirama Terrace.














Casa Miramar Poolside sleeps 4 to 6 in a spacious two bedroom, two bathroom (one ensuite) apartment with an open plan lounge and kitchen adjacent to a large covered terrace, ideal for outside dining, overlooking the garden and swimming pool.

The apartment sleeps 4 comfortably in two large bedrooms. The lounge area (which can sleep an additional 2 people on Z beds) includes an open plan kitchen with a breakfast bar that seats 4.

This is an ideal option for a family and those who do not want to stay in a resort and require their own independence with the benefits of your own pool, outside dining and BBQ facilities.

We can assist with all the little details that make travel easier in the Algarve area, the best restaurants and the best places to visit.  Please email Christine at Fine Travel for information

Alvor

Although located in a quiet area, Casa Mirama is an easy 15 minute walk away from the very centre of Alvor Village with its bustling streets and great choice of restaurants so in the evenings there is no need to take the car.

Originally a fishing village, Alvor retains much of its charm, despite the influence of tourism the original village streets and buildings remain much the same as when fishing was the only commercial activity.

The area offers golf courses, nature reserves, and lagoons. A wonderful promenade has been constructed on the riverfront and from its western end a paved footpath leads to the marshland, saltpans and mudflats that made the estuary a paradise for nature lovers, especially birdwatchers.

The sandy beach stretches from Alvor around to Prainha where stunning views can be appreciated while walking along the high sandstone cliff tops.

You can easily wile away the days in Alvor drinking café leite and munching pastries at the numerous coffee shops, or a leisurely lunch drinking the local green wine, vinho verde and tasting the local dishes, Chicken Puri Purii, home-made sausages and presunto (ham) cured using centuries-old methods, try a fresh roll with spiced sausage (Pão com Chouriço).

Lagos

Lagos is 17km from Alvor (20 mins drive). Lagos has a lot to offer and it is easy to enjoy a leisurely day here. Although the earthquake of 1755 caused great damage to the streets and squares of Lagos, it has retained much of the charm of a town hundreds of years old. The ancient walls of Lagos are steeped in history.

The main square with its cafes, restaurants and shops has many narrow streets leading from it, which are fascinating to walk around. It is a pleasure to walk along the promenade where boat trips are available for Dolphin watching, fishing, or trips to the numerous beautiful sea caves.

The lovely beach, Meia Praia, stretches for 2.5 miles and offers a range of water sports. Across the bridge from the town is the marina where expensive yachts are moored.

The local cafes are brightly decorated and the city is dotted with many bright coloured tiled buildings. Enjoy a meal or coffee at many of the local cafes sampling the delicious pastries.

For fish lovers Lagos has a spectacular fish market with a variety of unusual fish.

Praia da Luz & Burrgau

Burgau is located 10 minutes drive west of Lagos in the Algarve Portugal. An easy drive from Alvor, or a stunning cliff top walk from Praia de Luz. It has unique charm and is nestled on the edge of a national park. It is still a working fishing village and watching the boats on the moonlit water is a great sight.

It has maintained its magic charm and is dotted with quirky relics from the past.

Its most important attraction is the small beach of Praia de Burgau surrounded by hills that protect this beach from the frequent strong wind characteristic of Barlavento. There are many restaurants dotted through the town you can enjoy lunch on the beach at Barraca restaurant.

Seville

Andalucía in Spain is an easy five hour bus ride form the Algarve, you take the bus from the seaside town of Portimao to the stunning city of Seville.

Seville is located in the South of Spain, on the plain of the Guadalquivir river which crosses the city from North to South. The river can be navigated from Seville all the way to its outlet near Sanlúcar de Barrameda, on the Atlantic coast. There are many river cruises that operate in Spain and depart from Seville.

The heart of Seville is the Barrio de Santa Cruz a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys dating back to the old judería. These narrow streets provide protection from the oppressive sun of the Sevillian summer. Scattered through the neighborhood are several plazas or squares.

Among these are the aforementioned Plaza de Santa Cruz, the Plaza de los Venerables, the Plaza de las Cruces, the Plaza de Doña Elvira, and the Plaza de los Refinadores.

Seville is famous for its Tapas. There is more than a thousand bars where the choice of food, is virtually unlimited, from seafood to ham and sausage and from vegetable to cheese.

The Sevillians actually move bar to bar and trying one dish at a time. Seville is in the heart of Andalusia, with its Moorish influence and Flamenco dancing. Dining starts late at 9.00pm. The city is vibrant at night and never stops. Try the Setas combined with a generous glass of Riojo the wine is delicious and very reasonably priced.

It’s fascinating wandering round the small squares lined with orange trees, getting lost in the maze of improbable narrow alleys. Seville. It is incredibly picturesque and full of history and stories, with many old palaces, churches and hidden passageways.

The streets offer beautiful Moorish Moroccan style architecture combined with traditional Spanish.

Granada

Granada is a three hour train trip from Seville The city of Granada has been shaped by the hills, where the old districts in the Albaicín and the Alhambra were founded, brimming with steep, narrow streets, beautiful nooks and crannies, and marvelous landscapes.

One of the most brilliant jewels of universal architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th C. This mighty compound of buildings – including the summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens - stands at the foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada.

The streets are lined with Tapa bars. Tapas can be practically anything from a chunk of tuna, cocktail onion and an olive skewered on a long toothpick, to piping hot meat with sauce served in a miniature clay dish - or anything in between. Tapas are served day in and day out in every bar and café in Spain.

So much a part of the culture and social scene that the Spanish people invented the verb tapear which means to go and eat tapas! Try the calamari at Los Diamentes if you can find a table or try the Tortillas at many of the bars decorated with local icons.




If you are looking for a European destination that is quieter than the hustle and bustle of many European villages, and that offers stunning scenery, quaint little villages, sunshine, food, wine, endless cafes and tapa bars then certainly the Algarve and Andalucía ticks all the boxes.

Christine Stranger - Fine Travel