Villa Janal

This rural villa is situated along a narrow track approximately 1.5km from the village of Boliqueime and is ideal for those wishing to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist resorts. Boliqueime has a church and cobbled square at its centre with narrow little streets of whitewashed houses, old-fashioned shops and traditional bars and cafes. Surrounding the village are country lanes which wind through citrus and almond orchards into the hills. For a taste of real Portugal, head inland to find a hillside restaurant for a meal of chicken ‘piri piri’ or cataplana washed down with a glass of chilled vinho verde. The historic town of Loule nearby has a Saturday market where you will find an array of fresh local produce and traditional handicrafts.

For something a little more lively, both Albufeira and Vilamoura are easily accessible by car. Vilamoura’s golf courses are within a ten to fifteen minute drive, as is the coast, with the nearest beaches being at Vilamoura, Olhos d’Agua and Albufeira. All these resorts have wide ranging facilities for shopping, dining and leisure including horse riding, health spas, tennis courts and watersports. Nightlife in Vilamoura centres around the huge lively marine which forms the focal point of the resort and there is also a cinema and casino.

For a family day out, take a visit to one of the water slide parks in the area, the nearest being Aquashow, which is reputed to have Europe’s largest wave pools. Situated on the road to Vilamoura from the Quatro Estrados crossroads, this recently built park also has ‘Malibu’ racing in mini Formula One cars. For something a little different, take a trip to the renowned Zoomarine ocean theme park which is set in lovely landscaped grounds with lakes and picnic areas at Guia near Albufeira. Algarve Shopping is also located at Guia and has over 100 shops with its own hypermarket, bowling alley and cinema which shows films in English with subtitles.