With its convenient location on the prestigious Vale de Milho Golf resort, Villa Esmeralda is ideally situated for golfing enthusiasts. The residential surrounding the 9-hole golf course is attractive and leafy, landscaped with palms, trees and shrubs. The villa is within walking distance of the nearest beach and the golf resort has restaurants at both its north and south entrances. A useful mini-market, a bar and further restaurants can be found along the Estrada do Farol but there is a fairly steep walk back to the villa. A much wider range of facilities is available in Carvoeiro’s resort centre just a few minute’s drive away.
Carvoeiro, 3km away, was once a quiet fishing village but has blossomed into a popular holiday resort in recent years. The streets are lined with cafes, bars and restaurants with market stalls selling handicrafts, ceramics and souvenirs in the cobbled old part of town. Fishermen still land their catches at the harbour and you can try fresh seafood at many of the local restaurants. Nightlife is fairly laid back, based mainly around the family-friendly restaurants in the resort, but there are a couple of clubs and sports bars which stay open until late.
The region has a good choice of sandy beaches, the closest being Centianes where you will find golden sands at the foot of dramatic cliffs, approached by a fenced pathway with steps. The coastline is quite rugged and the beaches tend to be nestled in little coves backed by high cliffs. Boat excursions are a good way to see the incredible rock formations and grottoes at Algar Seco in the next bay and there are many hidden coves that you will not be able to reach on foot. Marinha, a few kilometres east along the coast has a beautiful long sandy beach which is fairly quiet during the week and has a beach bar open in high season. The main beaches have plenty of opportunities for those keen on watersports.
The Vale de Milho golf course is a friendly par-3 course with 9 holes. There are three further golf courses in and around Carvoeiro, and the Carvoeiro tennis club has ten tennis courts for hire, some of which are floodlit. Rocha Brava Tennis Club has four courts. For families with children, there is a water park called the ‘Slide and Splash’ around 6km away at Lagoa and also the Aqualand Water Park which has plenty of slides, rapids and flumes providing fun and excitement. At Guia, near Albufeira, there is Zoomarine, an ocean theme park set amongst lakes and gardens. Algarve shopping, also at Guia, is a huge shopping mall with over one hundred shops, a hypermarket, bowling alley and multi-screen cinema showing films in English.
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