Vale do Lobo Area Property

Vale do Lobo and its nearby developments are located just 20 minutes from Faro airport and 5 minutes from Quinta do Lago. The world famous, established resort of Vale do Lobo has over 1,000 properties of different styles and sizes. Set in acres of pine woodlands and golf courses sloping down to the cliffs and sandy beaches.

 

Located within the resort are two 18-hole golf courses, with some holes enjoying spectacular views. Golf is the main attraction and has become much more than a game, it has become a way of life! The Royal course is superbly designed with the famous par 3, 16th hole, requiring great skill to carry over the two chasms in the stunning cliffs. The Ocean course is equally challenging, with its narrow fairways and natural obstacles such as the beautiful umbrella pines and water features.

The Algarve has become a magnet for many holiday visitors.  Huge numbers of visitors become bewitched by the area's charm and beauty and consequently buy a property there! Some retire to the Algarve, others seek to start a new life away from the hustle and strain of a colder climate and a harsher working environment. Still others buy as an investment to rent out as a holiday accommodation and the majority of the villas and apartments rented by Select Resorts in this region are privately owned.

 

Shopping facilities and choice of merchandise in the Algarve have seen a tremendous increase in the last few years. In the Almancil area there are supermarkets, sophisticated interior design studios, antique and furniture shops, garden centres, fashion boutiques, shoe shops and high class jewellers. Portugal has a rich tradition of handicraft and folk art, many cottage industries producing individual handmade goods, which should not be overlooked whilst trying to find something original. Portugal is also famous for its pottery and hand painted tiles, Portuguese crystal, porcelain, Arraiolos carpets and lacemaking.

The Algarvean temperament adds much to the relaxed social atmosphere of the region. The local people are generally courteous and their natural hospitality and acceptance of foreign tourists lead to a cosmopolitan cultural ethos within the Portuguese society. Much to the relief of European visitors, many Portuguese people have an excellent command of English, particularly those working in the tourist industry. However, they appreciate it if visitors make an effort to converse in Portuguese.

SURROUNDING AREA:
Albufeira is often overlooked by tourists and Old Albufeira is actually a very pretty town. Its Moorish influence is easy to see in Minaret-inspired chimney pots and whitewashed buildings. It claims to have the largest sandy beach in the whole of the Algarve and the waters are particularly clean and unpolluted. The Portuguese love their fish and in Albufeira all fish is caught locally. We especially recommend the restaurants in this fishing town.

Almancil offers a very varied picture. This town has become an important centre for providing support services to feed the needs of two nearby stylish well established holiday and rental developments: Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo. The town has many shops, banks, post office etc. and some of the finest restaurants in the Algarve are located within the area.

Faro, the capital of the Algarve, was a sleepy provincial town twenty years ago but now has all the facilities of a modern European town with an attractive shopping area. The gateway to the Algarve can be deceptive from the outskirts.  However the centre radiates from the old walled town with its delightful square and orange trees, church, museum and several excellent restaurants.

Loule is situated 18 km (11m) north east of Faro. The weekly Saturday morning market is famous amongst the locals and holidaymakers. The market has an excellent selection of fruit and vegetables, along with fresh fish every day. You will often see artisans working brass, copper or clay in and about the streets of Loule - craft is still very active in this area.

Olaho is very like a north African town beacuse the houses and the church are built in the shape of white cubes, sometimes two or three storeys high. Olaho's style owes very little to the influence of Moorish culture and is the result of modern trading links between its merchants and those of the North African coasts. Similar buildings can be found in Tunisia and Libya. The most attractive area of the city is the old part, although surrounded by more recent buildings. Fishing is still popular in Olaho but nothing like as important as in the past.

Ferragudo enjoys all the traditions that the Algarve has to offer. This is a little fishing village of narrow cobbled streets and steps with a very tranquil and relaxed atmosphere. One can enjoy a drink in the Square and below lies the old cobbled alleyways meandering up the hill to the town's church from where panoramic views extend over the estuary to the famous 17th century fort. A selection of fine seafood restaurants line Ferragudo harbour front often visited by the rich and famous who moor  their boats in the harbour and "pop in" for a spot of lunch.

Lagoa is known for its wine. Standing on a small hill, it is surrounded by vineyards and whitewashed houses.

Lagos is a very peaceful town, with a charming sandy cove. It is an old fishing village which has become a popular holiday resort. The beaches around Lagos are some of the most beautiful of the Algarve, like Praia de Dona Ana, which can be reached after a 25 minute walk from the centre of the town, Praia do Camilo and Meia Praia, where the sands stretch for 4 km (2.5 miles) east of Lagos. However, it is the promontory named Ponta da Piedade, sheltering the bay of Lagos which is most admired by visitors, with its caves, rocks and wonderfully transparent waters. North of Lagos, Barragem de Bravura is a water reservoir offering fine views.