Saturday changeover

Centrally situated in the small village of Vale de Parra, within easy walking distance of a supermarket,shops, bars and restaurants. The sea with some of the Algarve´s best beaches is only 2kms away. Galé beach is a superb sandy beach some 5kms long, plus Castelo, Evaristo, Coelho and São Rafael which was recently voted one of the top ten beaches in Europe, which are all beautiful sandy coves with beach bars.

The apartment is equipped to a high standard with full air-conditioning and mosquito screens in all bedrooms and lounge windows. The solar heated swimming pool with spacious terrace area is equipped with quality sun loungers, a shower and pool bathroom, all enclosed by high walls providing complete privacy. Each apartment has its own BBQ and outside dining area.

There is WiFi available in the apartment at no extra charge. Please note that this service is provided locally and as such we cannot be held responsible for the quality or any loss of service during your stay. Also next door is an hairdressing / beauty salon offering aromatherapy, reflexology, hot stone massage etc.

Accommodation
Fully air-conditioned (for cooling & heating) first floor apartment, hall, single bedroom, 2 twin bedrooms with en-suite bathroom, Queen size bedroom and a shower room. Large fully fitted kitchen with dining table, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge freezer, ceramic hob, electric oven, kettle, toaster and door to a small balcony. Lounge with Satellite digital TV with BBC and free to air channels, including BBC & ITV channels, radio and DVD and access to a covered balcony and sun dining terrace with BBQ overlooking the solar heated swimming pool and with nice views over Vale de Parra to the coast. From this terrace there is a staircase which leads down to the pool area.

There is an alarm system and a safe for guests use.

Other Information:
Smoking is not permitted within this property.
One beach/pool towel is provided per person (max 5) for the duration of your holiday.
There is table tennis for guests.
A hairdryer is provided in the apartment.
Car hire is recommended, please ask us for details.

Distances
Supermarket: 1.3kms; Restaurants: 100 metres; Albufeira beach: 8kms; Galé beach: 2kms; Salgados Golf Club: 2.5kms; Algarve shopping: 5kms; Multi-screen cinema, 10 pin bowling, hypermarket and zoomarine: 5kms; Waterpark: 10kms.

Area Description

Galé & Vale da Parra
Approx 4km to the west of Albufeira Old Town is the stunningly beautiful ‘Blue Flag’ beaches of Galé. The beach is around 5km long with clean golden sand. Therefore even in the height of summer one can find plenty of space to sunbathe. The beach is made up of soft sand and ideal for sunbathing or playing games. It has all the usual water sports one could expect in the summer time. However from November to March it is very quiet and you can walk west, along the Ocean edge, to Armação de Pêra. This walk is about 5kms long passing sand dunes with the Nature Reserve of Salgados on your right. As you arrive into Armação de Pêra you will see many quite quaint beach bars along with many fishermen’s boats. Going East on Gale beach, the scenery changes entirely, with small cliffs and rock formations where you will regularly see anglers fishing for their evening meal. The cliffs form many intimate coves that give a safe and natural wind break, where children can play in the rock pools. From here it is possible to clamber over the rock and head east to as far as São Rafael beach (recently voted one of the top ten beaches in Europe), passing São Lourenço, Evaristo, Castelo and Coelho beaches, each with their own beach restaurants and character and absolutely stunning. In between these beaches there are many small sandy coves, where you can sit for hours undisturbed. Also the cliff walks between these beaches makes you feel you are on some desert island with lots of species of natural flower and fauna. To the North of Galé (approx 2kms) is the small and pleasant village of Vale da Parra with its restaurants and bars.

Guia
Guia has its own very special character. It has a good mix of Portuguese, ex pats & tourists. It is also the home of Chicken Piri-Piri which is absolutely delicious! There are many Chicken Piri-Piri restaurants as well as others that serve both Portuguese and international cuisine. There are also bars, banks, chemist, post office, fruit and veg. market, bakery and mini market. The small urbanisation’s of Barrancos and Quinta dos Alamos are on the edge of the village and only a short walk to the centre. From Guia it is only a few minutes drive to the Algarve Shopping Centre. Here you will find many shops including a very large supermarket. There are also many cafes and restaurants plus a cinema and bowling alley. So plenty to do! A five minute drive to the west of Guia is the very popular Zoomarine. This is simply a must for all the family as it has so much to offer. It has a fantastic 4 dimensional cinema which is great fun. There is also a ‘Big Wheel’ where, once at the top, one can see for miles. Zoomarine also boasts an excellent and educational underwater wildlife tour with all sorts of strange creatures swimming around. The real star attraction though, and the real highlight of your visit, will be the spectacular ‘Dolphin show’. The Dolphins, which are very well looked after, do all sorts of clever tricks and all the family, especially the kids will love this! There are also several high quality water parks within a short drive from the Village.

Albufeira Old Town
About 10 minutes away by car to the East of Vale da Parra is the Old town of Albufeira. It is, and has been for many years, a favourite destination of the British and the Irish. Although there have been many changes over the years, the ‘Old Town’ still has that magical feel to it. Sitting in a bar or restaurant in the square with a glass of wine or beer in hand listening to the street entertainment is absolutely fantastic. From the square, it is a very leisurely stroll through the cobbled streets to ‘Fisherman’s Beach’. Sadly, most of the fishermen have now moved to a new site nearer to the modern Albufeira Marina. However, there is an absolutely fantastic golden sandy beach that the kids will love. Also there are several super restaurants serving a range of various cuisines. These restaurants are beautifully shielded from the wind, especially in the winter, and are a real sun trap.