The Algarve needs little introduction for anyone who is fond of a convenient and inexpensive holiday destination. Although the seaside resorts of Quarteira and Albufeira with their lively nightlife and beachfront hotel zones have been welcoming visitors since the ’60s, the newly developed resort town of Vilamoura is where the next generation of water-babies are heading – partly due to its impressive marina, which completed a multi-million-euro extension last year. It is conveniently situated just 30 minutes from Faro international airport and you may want to allocate a day to enjoy the city’s picturesque Old Town with its medieval walls, winding cobbled streets, “golden” church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo and Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture – before heading south to the relatively new holiday destination of Vilamoura.
Conceived with a humble goal in 1974 – to create the largest marina in Portugal – 50 years later, in 2024, Vilamoura Marina won the “Best Portuguese Marina” award for the 13th year in a row. It already provided 825 berths and a new ‘Nova Super Marina’ with three further pontoons and 68 berths has been completed to cater for the upsurge in the luxury market, whose clientele are choosing to spend more time on the Atlantic and enjoy the delights of the Algarve. Partly due to this impressive marina and partly to do with the six award-winning golf courses, I spent a delightful long weekend soaking up some winter sun – with a few b.
