PROMOTION

LONGEVITY WELLNESS RESORT MONCHIQUE in a nutshell

•Exclusive Eco-Friendly Resort •Great ROI Figures (Condo-Hotel model)
•Unique Wellness approach with LONGEVITY Anti-Ageing Spa •5% Rental Guarantee over the first 3 years
•Exclusive Partnership with La Clinique de Paris/ •Prices from 200.000 Euros
Dr. Claude Chauchard •Flexible Usage Scheme
•Outdoor and Indoor Pools •Member of Interval International Network
•Driving Range and Reduced Green Fees •Up to 80% Financing

L
•Close to Golf and Beaches
•Great Mountain and Coastal Views

ONGEVITY is delighted to announce that LONGEVITY WELLNESS RESORT MONCHIQUE has
won the highest award in the Best Development category for Portugal,
a five star badge by the highly prestigious CNBC Europe & Africa
Property Awards (www. propertyawards.net). Organized in partnership with CNBC – the
European leader in economic and financial information – and receiving hundreds of annual
entries in all its different categories, the International Property Awards’ objective is to encour-
age excellence in the property industry worldwide, promoting an international standard of
superior quality for the increasingly well informed and demanding global public.
LONGEVITY WELLNESS RESORT MONCHIQUE is envisaged to become a unique resort in the
Algarve due to its many distinctive features such as being located in a protected natural reserve with
low construction density, near thermal waters, surrounded by hills with a superb coastal view, with
Senior-Friendly features built in, and presenting a broad range of infrastructures and services.
One of the on-site facilities not to be missed is the first Longevity Anti-Ageing
Spa offering a wide range of state-of-the-art services covering comprehensive diagnosis,
repair and anti-ageing consultation and treatments in an exclusive partnership for
Portugal with La Clinique de Paris/Dr. Claude Chauchard
(www.lcdpi.net).
Dr. Claude Chauchard is one of the world's top specialists in Preventive Medicine and Anti-
Ageing with over 30 years experience. He is the founder of the International Institute for
Preventive Anti-Ageing Medicine and author of twelve books in the field of ageing process (over
one million copies sold). According to Preventive Medicine, people should take medical advice
when they are not sick, to find out about their health capital and maintain good health instead
of focusing on the random distribution of diseases. Dr. Chauchard’s investigation can be
summed up in one sentence: Live Longer, Live Better!

Sales Office: Monchique, Algarve - PORTUGAL | Phone: +351 289 315 270 | Mobile: +351 961 371 889 | lwrm@longevity.pt | www.longevitywellnessresort.com
3
 VISTA IBÉRICA
Published bi-monthly by
Vista Ibérica Publicações Lda,
Portugal’s leading publisher
of foreign language magazines.
Good reasons
Publishers: Peter Daughtrey and Len Port
Urb. Lagoa Sol, Lt 1-B, 8400-415 Lagoa. Portugal
Tel.: +351 282 340660
• Fax: +351 282 343088
e-mail: info@vistaiberica.com
website: www.vistaiberica.com
for optimisim
Dep. Legal nº 127573/98.
Instituto da Comunicação Social, reg. nº 221520
Publication nº 121521
Lisgráfica - Impressão e Artes Gráficas S.A.
Casal de Sta. Leopoldina, 2730-053 Barcarena
in testing times
Distributed in the Algarve by VASP

UK and Ireland Trade Distribution

through Diamond Magazine Distribution Ltd.,
Rye Wharf Road, Rye • East Sussex TN31 7TE.
Tel. +44 (0) 1797 225 229

Editor: Len Port

Advertisement Sales Director:

David Thursfield - 917 717 548
david@vistaiberica.com

Advertisement enquiries:
Vivienne Chinque - 916 164 302 (east of Albufeira & Spain)
John Hill - 912 264 944 (Albufeira and west)

Head of Production
Christiane Hinrichs
Production Team
Bianca Luig • Rui Candeias

Financial Director: Rui Oliveira

Accounts Manager: Vládia Hissa
Administration: Louisa Fernandes

The whole of the text and all of the photographs and illustrations in this publi-
cation are protected by copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly
forbidden. While every effort has been made
to maintain integrity and check for accuracy, the publishers and distributors
cannot be held responsible for any problems,
inconvenience, loss, injury or legal proceedings of any kind arising from infor-
mation, advice or advertisements contained herein.

ALSO PUBLISHED BY VISTA IBÉRICA

The magazine golf The monthly magazine Free area magazines

tourists continually read by more foreign for tourists.
use throughout residents than any Over a million
their holidays. other local publication. readers annually.
 No one in the Algarve has been dismissing
the gravity of the global financial situation or
the knock-on effect it could have on the local
property market and economy. At the same
time, the focus of conversation here has not
been on imminent “catastrophe”, “meltdown”,
“the abyss”, or “Armageddon”.
On the contrary, as we report in this issue,
the Portuguese Government as well as business
leaders have been emphasising the positives
and getting on with the job rather than follow-
ing the example of sections of the overseas
media and wallowing in doom and gloom.
The refreshing optimism in and about
Portugal in recent months has been supported
by a statement from the International Monetary
Fund confirming that Portugal’s financial
system is “healthy and well supervised.”
Rather than battening down the hatches as
elsewhere, two more absolutely splendid golf
resorts have been inaugurated in the Algarve
since out last issue, and a world-class motor
racing complex, one of the most ambitious and
innovative private projects ever undertaken in
the region, has just been completed right on
schedule and to widespread acclaim.
As indicated in our Update section and
also in the Viewpoint feature in this issue, there
are sound reasons for believing that, through
thick and thin, the Algarve will remain one of
the foremost regions in Europe for property
investment.
It is true that we are not living in ordinary
times. But then, as we keep reminding our
readers, the Algarve is not an ordinary place.
Len Port
Editor
len@vistaiberica.com
www.vistaiberica.com
Parque da Floresta
24 Inthisissue
10 UPDATE
Recent news and talking points in Portugal

46
24 VIEWPOINT
How is the financial crisis being felt here?

28
TOWN FOCUS
Albufeira, a fast-changing municipality

38 AREA FOCUS
Loulé, São Brás, Estoi and Santa Bárbara

46 GOLF PROPERTY
Castro Marim Golfe and Country Club
50
50 REFURBISHMENT
Turning a small hotel into a large home

56 SWIMMING POOLS
Proper maintenance for health and safety

56
 28

62 ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Solar is an efficient way of saving money

66 FACT FILE
Useful info about buying and living here 62

68
HOTELS
A selection of the best right across the region

74 PROPERTY LISTINGS
A wide choice of villas, townhouses and apartments

86 CLASSIFIEDS
More properties on offer, including private sales

88 DIRECTORY OF
REAL ESTATE AGENTS

90 DIRECTORY OF
PROPERTY SERVICES
38
7
UPDATE
Autodrome on fast track to success
With the spectacular launch on 2nd
November of the ambitious and innovative
Algarve Motor Park, tourism in the region is
seen as entering previously uncharted territo-
ry with enormous potential.
The €200 million private initiative
comprises four different but complementary
elements. The first is a circuit of the highest
order to accommodate the fastest racing cars
and motorbikes in the world. It is supported
by all the safety, spectator and media facili-
ties necessary for hosting top-class events
10
such as the 2nd November final round of the
World Superbike Championship.
The second element is a technological park
right next to the circuit that will be available to
leading automotive and other companies for
testing, research and development programmes.
A karting track, suitable for competitive or
ordinary pleasure use, forms part of a multi-
faceted sports complex.
Further to all this is a tourist complex with
a 200-room hotel and 160 apartments. They will
provide short or long-term accommodation to
the many people, tourists as well as profes-
sionals, expected to use or visit the park.
Marketing of the apartments is being handled
by an Irish company, Harte Holdings, based in
Cork.
The Algarve Motor Park (Autódromo
Internacional do Algarve) is being lauded as
“historic” by the Portimão municipal council
within whose area it is located, but it is
expected to provide considerable direct and
indirect economical benefits and to promote
tourism over a very much wider area.

As the financial turmoil escalated,
Portugal’s Prime Minister, José Sócrates,
went on television to assure the nation that
deposits in Portuguese banks were safe and
backed by state guarantees.
Portugal’s Finance Minister, Fernando
Teixeira dos Santos, said there were no signs
whatsoever that the ongoing turbulence in
12
Ministers seek to
calm financial fears
international financial markets would spill
over into Portugal. He said the authorities were
continuing to monitor international and
domestic events closely, but that the
Portuguese financial system was proving very
resilient.
The Government is sticking to its plans to
reduce the budget deficit to 1.5% of GDP next
year, from a 2.2% gap this year
A report from the International
Monetary Fund in October described the
Portuguese financial system as “healthy and
well supervised.” It praised the govern-
ment’s efforts to simplify bureaucracy, as
well as the robust state of the country’s
exports.
 New golf resorts inaugurated
Two splendid new golf resorts, each
associated with outstanding players turned
course architects, were officially opened in
October.
Quinta doVale, located on a magnificent
elevated site overlooking the Guadiana river
that forms the natural border between the
Algarve and the Spanish province of
Andalusia, was designed by Seve Ballesteros.
He modestly described it as “a challenging
layout in a unique natural environment.”
capital of the region. First phase construction
(240 villas and apartments) is due to be
completed by next April. By then, another 118
villas and 36 apartments should have started.
All will be in a village-like arrangement rather
than spread out around the fairways as in many
other courses.
Laranjal is surrounded by mature trees and
shrubs rather than houses. Quinta do Lago,
however, offers quality apartments and town-
houses as well as sumptuous villas and is

Amendoeira
Nick Faldo and Christy O’Connor Jr are firmly established at the top end of the Algarve
the architects behind the new Amendoeira property market.

Amendoeira

Golf Resort, which is being developed by the

Oceânico Group in a peaceful rural setting in
the central Algarve.
Yet another excellent course opened for
play in October: the new 18-hole Laranjal
layout nicely complements the North and
South courses at Quinta do Lago.
A marina is planned for down by the
river at the bottom of Quinta do Vale. Up on
the high ground with lovely panoramic views
will be more than 60 luxury villas, ranging
architecturally from colonial mansion in style
to a more typical Mediterranean look.
The architectural style of the homes over
in the Amendoeira Resort is very much
Moorish, in keeping with the history of the

Quinta do Vale
nearest town, Silves, once the Moorish

14
 Portugal
increasingly
popular for
Britons buying
abroad
British buyers are still very interested in
buying properties abroad, according to
Currencies Direct, one of Europe’s foreign
exchange specialist, based in the City of
London.
After analyzing the number of foreign
exchange transactions made by Britons in
the first half of 2008, the company has found
that Portugal is beginning to threaten the
USA’s usual third spot in the league table.
Britons are now considering safer
options than the high-risk, quick-return
emerging markets regions of 2007. Mark
O’Sullivan, director of dealing at Currencies
Direct, said: “Investors are now looking to
established markets, whose appeal will
remain consistent amongst expats and
holidaymakers, guaranteeing a rental market
for as long as Britons can afford to holiday
abroad.”
O’Sullivan thinks this might change.
“When it comes to nurturing the steady
growth of its property market, Portugal is
learning from Spain’s mistakes and, as a
result, has much stricter planning regula-
tions in place.
“This has ensured that new-build prop-
erties are coming on to the market steadily
and that Portugal is not suffering from any
of the planning irregularities its neighbour
has endured in recent times.”
Spain remains top of the Britons buying
abroad table, followed by France, USA,
Foto: Bianca Luig

Portugal, Italy, South Africa, Australia,

Cyprus, Canada and New Zealand.

16
 Investors look to Portugal for quality
When it comes to buying a holiday
home, “Portugal is synonymous with quality
and British and Irish non-residents view the
country as a good and solid investment,” said
Simon Perks, Deputy General Manager of
the London Branch of the Santander Totta
bank during a recent visit to the Algarve.
Residential property buyers are still
looking for the quality and lifestyle provided
by the exclusive brand of the Algarve, added
Mr Perks. “Portugal presents itself as an
exclusive country for property investors and
our clients do like that.”
He was here for meetings with local
business partners as an expert for the
18
expanding non-resident market segment of
Santander Totta. The London branch of the bank
has been operating for 25 years, with the last 20
strongly focused on non-resident investors
looking for properties abroad. While Santander
Totta offer loans all over Portugal, 90% of their
business is based in the Algarve.
“When buying in Portugal,” said Mr Perks,
“our British and Irish clients make their choice
of quality of life. They know where and why to
buy here after visiting the country several times
on holidays.”
Santander Totta had a “spectacular” year
for mortgages for properties in Portugal in
2007. It has been tougher this year but the bank
Foto: Bianca Luig
is still offering a continuing service to
borrowers, Mr Perks told a meeting that
included representatives from leading
Algarve developers, real estate agents,
financial advisers, mortgage brokers and
other property and finance related business
men and women.
Those attending the meeting were
remarkably upbeat and positive about the
future, indicating that the credit crunch was
a ‘blip’ that occurs every now and then and
would probably last around 18 months.
Meanwhile, everyone should keep a
presence in the marketplace and be ready for
the turnaround when it comes.
 Survey findings on second home buyers
A survey focusing on the residential
tourism market conducted this summer by the
Lisbon-based travel and tourism consultancy
ILM-THR concluded that 26% of those
questioned at Faro Airport and in the central
and eastern parts of the Algarve were staying in
their own holiday accommodation.
While the largest number (38%) were stay-
ing in hotels, 18% were renting accommoda-
tion and 14% were staying with family or
friends.
The survey concluded that 82% of owners
did not consider purchasing their second home
in parts of Portugal other than the Algarve,
though 20% thought about Spain and 18% con-
sidered France, Italy and Greece. Just over 40%
used savings to purchase their property.
Of potential owners, 45% said they intend-
ed to rent out their property here. The majority
(65%) indicated that their purchasing budget
The Portuguese Government together
with Microsoft are pioneering an innovative
scheme in which laptop computers are
being mass produced for school children at
a cost of just €50 each.
Half a million of the ultra-cheap
´Magellan’ computers are to be turned out
to boost education in Portuguese schools.
The laptops are complemented by a soft-
ware package called ‘Magellan Learning
Suite’ specially devised by Microsoft. It
includes Windows XP and Office in addi-
tion to development applications, free email
and instant messaging.
Exports to Latin American and African
countries are envisaged. Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez has signed an
agreement to buy a million Magellan
laptops for Venezuelan schools.
“This is a unique, amazing and wonder-
ful programme on a global scale,” said
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the launch
20
was between €115,000 and €515,000. Nearly half
(47%) indicated they would finance the purchase
from savings. A mix of savings and credit would be
used by about 16% of potential buyers. About 16%
said they would need a mortgage.
ILM-THR’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew
Coutts, said the voluminous findings and conclu-
sions of the survey were the result of more than
4,000 questionnaires, targeting residential property
owners and potential owners, carried out in June
and July by well-trained interviewers seeking
accurate and reliable responses.
He presented the main results at a seminar on
residential tourism in the Algarve organised by
ILM-THR and the British-Portuguese Chamber of
Commerce.
Ian Yeoman, Associate Professor of the
University of Auckland, who calls himself the
world’s only professional crystal ball gazer or
‘futurologist’ specialising in travel and tourism,
State joins Microsoft
in massive project
of the package. “It’s a great example to show
how the private and public sectors can work
together to create new opportunities.”
Ballmer continued: “This is an important
step forward for Portugal’s high-tech industry.”
Portuguese Socialist Prime Minister José
Sócrates has made boosting poor education
standards and technology at schools a priority
told those attending the seminar: “Tourism is
robust in recession. The UK consumer still
desires a holiday and will allocate a budget for
this.”
While we are living in what Prof. Yeoman
described as an unpredictable world with
volatile financial markets and changing
consumer behaviour, the co-founder and
director of the Oceânico Group, Gerry Fagan,
emphasised the Algarve’s special appeal to
second home buyers and holidaymakers from
countries in Europe only two and a half hours
flight time away.
He called for greater joint efforts to
promote the Algarve region abroad in these
increasingly difficult and competitive times
and urged the Portuguese Government and
municipal councils to make it a more attractive
place to invest by speeding up project planning
applications.
of his government.
The government hopes the Magellan
project, named after the 16th
century Portuguese explorer, will raise
computer access at schools from five
students per computer at present
to two students per computer by
2010.
 Offshore waves start
producing electricity

Foto: Bianca Luig

The world’s first commercial power plant converting the energy of sea
waves into electricity is now in operation off the coast of northwest
Portugal.
Three articulated steel cylinders moored to the seabed three miles off-
shore, each about the length of a nuclear submarine, are generating a total
of 2.25 megawatts, enough to supply electricity to 1,500 households. The
project is expected to be expanded nearly ten-fold over the next few years.
“The future of wave energy starts today,” said Portugal’s Economy
Minister, Manuel Pinho, at the launch ceremony. He spoke of this coun-
try’s determination to be a world leader in renewables. “We are among the
top five in the world, and we are just in the beginning of the process.
Renewable energy is the source of energy for the future and we think this
can create an industrial revolution and a lot of opportunities for jobs and
research. We want to be ahead of the curve,” said Pinho.

Private Eye on privacy

According to Private Eye magazine, a
legal firm wrote to editors in May last year
warning them that to reveal the location
of a house that had been recently purchased
by the footballer Steven Gerrard and his
partner Alex would breach their right to
privacy under the human rights act.
Private Eye went on to note that in
September this year OK! Magazine
featured a “WORLD EXCLUSIVE:
Alex and Steven Gerrard exclusive-
ly invite OK! to their secret
Portuguese mansion.”

21
 Top investigators move premises
WIS International, the leading business
intelligence and investigation company in
Portugal, has moved into a new office in Faro.
The company has been operating in
Portugal for over 16 years specialising in such
areas as corporate risk and pre-litigation
enquiries. It also has offices in Lisbon and in
London and operates throughout Portugal,
Spain, Brazil, Angola and the United
Kingdom. Its debt collection department
collects in 130 countries. WIS International
also represents a number of well known trade-
marks in relation to counterfeit and piracy
matters.
Roy Whitehouse, the company’s CEO,
said at the launch of its new premises: “We
outgrew our office space in Boliqueime and
Irish property company opens office
Irish property company Connolly
Duignan Lynskey, which is based in Galway,
has opened a new office in the Algarve “to
accommodate the ongoing Irish love-affair
with Portuguese property, as well as serving
the steady demand from buyers from the UK
and all over Europe.”
All-Ireland hurlers Joe Connolly,
Michael Duignan and Michael Lynskey
launched their first joint venture last year with
Palmyra, an exclusive development of luxury
homes at the Vila Sol Spa and Golf Resort.
22
after a long search we found this office in
Gambelas, opposite the Algarve University.
“We had the office professionally
designed by Mark Jones and it was set up in a
manner which allowed us to reduce our paper
consumption by 80 percent. Each work
station was customised to suit the needs of the
employees by concentrating on how they
work individually and as part of a group.
“By doing so, we’ve increased our
productivity by 25 percent. A carefully
thought-out design of the work space is well
worth the effort in terms of overall cost
savings and gained efficiency.”
The full range of services provided for
private and commercial client can be viewed
on www.wis-intl.com
Working in conjunction with E3
Property, an international property investment
company focused on development and reno-
vation projects, Connolly, Duignan, Lynskey
now have more developments planned in the
area.
Adriano Carapeto is the general manager
in the new office in Bouganvilia Plaza, Quinta
do Lago. He is a qualified lawyer with a
degree from the State University of Lisbon
and much experience in all aspects of the
Portuguese property market.
Portugal rejects
gay marriage
Portugal’s Parliament voted by a
large majority against proposals to allow
same-sex marriages. Both the governing
Socialist Party and the main opposition
Social Democratic Party opposed legalis-
ing gay and lesbian marriages.
The proposals came from two minor
opposition parties, the Left Bloc and the
Green Party, which argued that the
Portuguese Constitution grants equal
rights for all and protection against dis-
crimination. But the Green Party collect-
ed only 17 votes in the 230-seat legisla-
ture, and the Left Bloc won the support of
just 11 members of parliament in this
predominately Roman Catholic country.
The centre-left Socialist Party over-
came strong opposition from the Catholic
church to legalise abortion last year,
saying it was part of the Portugal’s
process of modernization. However, it
insisted a change in the marriage law to
recognise same-sex couples required a
national debate.
The Socialist Party said in a state-
ment: “A change of this depth and com-
plexity should be made only after a
considered discussion and after broad
support has built up for it in Portuguese
society, inside and outside political
parties, so that a clear and unequivocal
political undertaking can be given.”
An opinion poll published in the
daily newspaper Jornal de Noticias on the
day of the vote said 53 percent of those
Portuguese who expressed an opinion
opposed gay marriage and 42 percent
supported it.
 This year’s CNBC award winners

The Longevity Wellness Resort Monchique was named Best

Development in Portugal in this year’s CNBC Property Awards. The Best
Real Estate Agency award was won by Sadler’s in Association with
Knight Frank.
Oceânico won two major Portugal awards: the Amendoeira Golf
Resort was named Best Golf Development and Oceânico Prestige was
Best Property.
Other top Portugal winners were Tavira Bay (Best Architecture –
Multiple Units) and Paraiso Sol da Rocha (Best PropertyMarketing). The
award for the Best Real Estate Agency Website went to
www.exclusivealgarvevillas.com.
The judging panel for the 2008 awards was chaired for the ninth year
by the British MP Eric Pickles. The judges included Editor-in-Chief of
International Homes, Helen Shields, property writers and experts in the
field of property, design and construction.

23
VIEWPOINT

Problems, but the property

24
market remains sound
Richard Mills, a leading estate agent,
reflects on how the financial turmoil
is being felt in the Algarve.
t is important to remember that
I residing in the Algarve can be
akin to living in a bubble.
Many momentous events seem to
pass us by and we carry on without
a care in the world. However, even
here, all normal topics of conversa-
tion have been swamped in recent
months by developments in the
global credit crunch. The financial
crisis has filtered down and we too
are feeling the effects.
There has been much confu-
sion about exactly what the credit
crunch is. In very simple terms, it is
a reluctance of the banks to lend
money. The reasons behind the
reluctance, or inability, of the banks
to continue lending is a long and
complicated one, but financial
institutions have had to adjust their
attitudes to risk and reduce their
lending accordingly. What seems
like a fairly basic issue has had the
effect of a tidal wave.
The mortgage market in the
Algarve has always been very con-
servative, with risky products such
as self-certification mortgages very
hard to come by. Mortgages for
anything close to 90% of the value
of a property are never easy to
organise. Mortgages have been
granted here mainly on the basis of
ability to pay, rather than compli-
cated (and frankly nonsensical) cal-
culations involving multiples of
gross salaries and such like.
Although it is fair to say that banks
here are now more cautious than
they were this time last year, they
are certainly more flexible than
when I applied for my first mort-
gage six years ago.
The current problem is more a
lack of confidence on the part of
potential purchasers, coupled with
the natural human tendency to wait
and see what everyone else is doing
and then follow suit. Whilst there is
25
some logic in this, it never worked very well as a
life-plan for lemmings.
In the Algarve marketplace we are generally
dealing with the luxury purchase of a second
home rather than an essential home. There is a
market for primary habitation here but it is sim-
ply not a large part of our business.
Ultimately, when someone desires some-
thing but has the ability to wait in the belief that
the benefits of waiting outweigh the disadvan-
tages, that person will hold on unless something
tips the balance in favour of taking action imme-
diately. This limbo period is a simplified expla-
nation of how the property market is currently
behaving in the Algarve.
It is no secret that the Algarve is, generally,
not a cheap destination. We have excellent and
improving infrastructures, a wonderful cultural
entertainment programme, countless local events
and, of course, the weather, the beaches and the
golf venues. All of this, coupled with high
demand, has resulted in property here appreciat-
ing steadily, with an average increase of 7% a
year over the last 25 years or so.
With the credit crunch, there were fears in
some quarters that the market would crash, prop-
erty prices would come tumbling down and
many people would be facing negative equity.
But that’s not quite what has happened.
Yes, many properties have been reduced in
price, but only because the vendors are being
more realistic and less speculative, or as a
result of the owner’s desire/need to sell within
a given time frame, or because there is over
supply of certain types of property.
26
Properties that are in plentiful supply, espe-
cially holiday apartments, are suffering much
more in the current market than those that are
hard to find. Unique, well located, well con-
structed quality properties are still in demand.
There are undoubtedly fewer buyers out
there now than before, but the vendors remain
optimistic and there are historical and logical
reasons for this. The Algarve property market has
always been slow, with properties sometimes
taking months or years to sell. The fact that the
present international problems will slow the
whole process down further is not a great shock
to many people: they never expected to sell their
house quickly anyway.
Many vendors here either live permanently
in the house they are selling or occupy it as a
second home. Either way it is available to them
whilst it is on the market. We are also seeing
more owners now deciding to rent their proper-
ties to mitigate ongoing expenses. Long-term
rentals are always in demand and rentals during
the peak periods, which are not just restricted to
the summer months, have always produced a
good income.
Should I buy in the Algarve now or wait?
This is a question on many clients’ lips. The
answer depends very much on your personal
situation. If you are looking for a particular
property and you have funds in place or the
capacity to take a mortgage, then keep looking
and buy whilst the market is not booming.
If you need a very high level of finance,
before you even start looking at property talk to
a mortgage broker or a local bank to see if you
can obtain a mortgage at this troubled time.
If you want a holiday property or rental
investment and you are flexible about the type
and location, then look around and find yourself
a good deal.
Another frequent question: Does the
Algarve remain a good option for investment
and as a holiday destination? Unlike many of the
emerging regions, particularly those in Eastern
Europe, the Algarve has had lots of experience
as a holiday destination. We have established
international and national transport links and a
high flow of visitors. Many of the ‘new’ destina-
tions have seen phenomenal increases in the
value of property, but this has been quickly
followed by enormous drops in property value
as the market has weakened.
As less people want to travel to these
destinations, many airlines are reducing the
number of flights or canceling routes entirely,
making affordable travel difficult. These are
problems that the Algarve does not have. With
the Portuguese Government and the regional
tourist board aiming to promote the Algarve as
a year-round destination, its appeal is widening.
The region has benefited over the last
decades from a massive influx of investment,
and the income this has created for local author-
ities is being used not just for physical improve-
ments, but also for funding cultural events and
entertainment. We have a region which has an
existing reputation and market, a constant drive
for quality and a controlled development plan.
Add all this to the natural environment we are
blessed with and you have to conclude that there
are not many better destinations such a short,
direct flight away from the United Kingdom,
Ireland and the other European countries.
When you look at the growth in the Algarve
property market, the average increase is about
7% per year. This is not a headline-making
increase, particularly when new, cheaper destina-
tions have claimed 40% in a year. But it has
proved to be a steady and sustainable increase. In
these turbulent times, it is surely better to be the
tortoise than the hare.
Richard Mills is managing director of
Azul Properties based in Loulé.
www.azul-properties.com
www.algarve-commercial.com
(00351) 289 422871
27
TOWN FOCUS

28
 Albufeira
Huge numbers of tourists flock there, others steer
well clear of the Algarve’s fastest changing
municipality. What’s it really like?
he amount of development that has taken
T place in recent years has been enormous
and yet more hotels and apartment
blocks are being constructed almost wherever
you look. But there are other signs of the chang-
ing times in Albufeira.
New pedestrian squares and streets have
been created, parking is easier than it used to be
and the flow of traffic is more fluent than in most
towns of its size. It looks clean and tidy, new
drainage and other civic projects are underway
and, would you believe it, the steps connecting
Fishermen’s Beach to the cliff-top knoll at its
eastern end have been replaced by escalators.
The remote fishing village where Cliff
Richard and the Shadows bought holiday homes
in the 60s is simply unrecognisable now. The
original cluster of little whitewashed houses
around Fishermen’s Beach has been totally
eclipsed by a profusion of urban modernisation
and expansion that now extends all the way east-
ward to Olhos d’Água, westward to Praia da
Galé and northwards almost to the village of
Ferreiras. About the only thing that the
Albufeiras of yesteryear and today have in
common is fresh white paint.
It has evolved into the Algarve’s largest and
most popular tourist destination because of its
lovely beach-side location almost exactly mid-
way along the south coast and because its
citizens work hard at making visitors welcome.
Although still very much a Portuguese town, its
economy and culture have been greatly influ-
enced by other Europeans, both visitors and
residents. Its cosmopolitan dimension is one of
its great charms.
29
 Locals will quietly tell you it’s a great place
to be at any time of the year, except August. Of
course, that’s precisely when most outsiders go
there. In August, with schools out all over
Europe and many businesses in the Portuguese
cities to the north closed for summer holidays,
Albufeira becomes all but overwhelmed. Hotels
and holiday apartments are full. The beaches are
packed by day, the bars and restaurants by night.
30
For the rest of the year, life goes on at a
remarkably even pace, with residents and fewer
numbers of visitors enjoying the full range of
shopping, banking, health, dining out and other
facilities one would expect in any modern town,
plus plenty of well organised cultural, entertain-
ment and sporting activities.
By day and by night, the buzz is in the com-
mercial heart of Albufeira along the main road
through town, in the old part of town around
Praça da República and Fishermen’s Beach, and
in the vicinity of the mildly infamous ‘Strip’ in
Aréias de São João.
Outside of these central zones, but still
within one or two kilometres, a broad arc of
residential suburbia is largely overlooked by
casual visitors to Albufeira. Areas such as
Caliços and Brejos are typical of the quiet,
unassuming side of the town. Plenty of apart-
ments and townhouses can be bought close to the
town centre, but there is far greater choice in the
surrounding suburbs.
Prices vary enormously depending on age,
condition, size and location but, roughly speak-
ing, apartments start at €120,000 and semi-
detached villas at €350,000. For a prospecting
buyer, though, casually perusing what’s on offer
can be bewildering. Danish-born Bente Santos of
Remax Albufeira, whose office is right in the
middle of town, has a nugget of good advice:
“Before you go looking, be clear about what you
want.”
Wishy-washiness wastes everyones’ time. Top
of the list of questions: what is the maximum
amount the client is prepared to spend? Before
going to an agent, buyers also need to consider
location priorities. For example, how important is
proximity to the beach or a sea view? What age
and type of property is preferable? What special
facilities - such as elevator, garden, garage, pool -
are essential? With this sort of initial information
an agent can start zeroing in on the dream home
without ado.
“The more precise the client is, the quicker we
can get to the point,” says Bente. “The more clients
help us, the more we can help them.”
A client with a budget ceiling of €170,000
who wants an apartment in the centre of town with
two bedrooms, a garage and a view, could be
happy in the 10-year-old, three-storey block
pictured on page 30.. It houses at least six different
nationalities of contented owners.
 Five to ten-year-old townhouses in rather
more secluded Caliços are available for about
€200,000, though they may need some refurbish-
ment. Another €100,000 would buy a bigger and
brand new townhouse in the same area.
At São Raphael, 3km west of the town centre,
condominium apartments with two or three bed-
rooms like the those pictured above are selling for
€247,000.
If the wish-list runs to four bedrooms in a
modern detached villa, the Brejos property with a
garden and pool pictured bottom on page 32 is
going for €740,000. The clincher may be that not
only is it within a couple of kilometres of the
beach, it is situated next to a new golf academy.
There is an incredible variety of property,
ranging from studio flats to mansions, all along
the coastal stretch from Montechoro and Praia
d’Oura out past Balaia and Santa Eulália towards
Olhos d’Água and Vilamoura.
Pictured on the left is a delightful five-
bedroomed property with a total area of 6,500m²
at Branqueira. It is on the market for €1,395,000.
There are plenty more in the Albufeira area in the
million or more price range.

34
 Over on the other side, modern additions to
the property market include contemporary
apartments in the new marina complex and the
explosion of hotel and holiday home construction
at Salgados.
The marina, pictured here, has been slow to
take off despite – or because of – its colourful
aspect. Far from being over-crowded, it is possible
to stroll along the waterfront during much of the
year and encounter almost no one else at all.
It won’t remain like that for ever. Although
the marina was perhaps a little ahead of its time,
developers obviously believe its time will come,
hence the massive rash of new development on the
hillside behind.
Albufeira started to very slowly spread in the
1960s. The spread has been rapidly gathering pace
ever since and, like it or loathe it, because of its
popularity there is no end in sight.

For more information:

btsantos@remax.pt
www.remax.pt/btsantos
Mobile 961356469

36
37
35
37
AREA FOCUS

Inland from the

‘Golden Triangle’

38
What draws foreign buyers inland to
the foothills around Loulé and São
Brás de Alportel, Santa Barbára de
Nexe and Estoi, rather than stay on
the coast?

omparable property in the countryside north of the

C ‘Golden Triangle’ resorts is far cheaper and gives a

sense of far greater independence, say those who
prefer the most rustic lifestyle.
A house of similar size and quality probably costs half
as much inland, maybe less. And the size of the plot could
be double, maybe more. Add to this the fact that owners of
large individual homes in the countryside like to do their
own thing devoid of condominium commitments and it is
easy to see why they don’t envy those who live in the cos-
seted coastal communities.
No one is knocking the undoubted financial and physi-
cal security and all the other very real benefits of owning a
property in a first-class private estate such as Quinta do
Lago or Vale do Lobo. It’s just that some people are not
attracted by ‘exclusivity’ and for them the pros of the coun-
tryside outweigh the cons.
They can still go to the beach, play the excellent golf
courses, visit the top brand name shops and eat in the best
restaurants.... it just takes a bit longer to get there: around
about 15 minutes from Loulé, less from Santa Barbára.
That said, there are plenty of better than adquate shops
and restaurants in Loulé, one of the Algarve‘s largest market
towns. With a population of about 12,000 and while proud-
ly displaying vestiges of its medieval heritage,

39
Santa Barbara de Nexe
Loulé is always bustling commercially and cul-
turally.
The biggest crowds from outside come for
the annual religious processions, Carnival cele-
brations and summer music festivals, but it is not
a particular tourist-orientated place. As resident
foreigners often put it, compared with the coastal
resorts “it’s real”.
São Brás it is a smaller, less busy version of
Loulé. Estoi, only a few minutes from the A22
motorway turnoff to São Brás just north of Faro,
is famed for its paláçio (see accompanymg
story), and nearby Roman ruins.
What attracts home buyers to the area is its
ethnic authenticity, its tranquillity and panoramic
views, plus its close proximity to Faro airport.
The dry stone walls and the groves of olive, fig,
almond and carob trees still clearly show that
these rolling hills used to be intensively farmed,
but there is little intensity of any kind there now.
Owning an apartment in town with all
amenities virtually on the doorstep means there
is no real need for a car. Fairly new apartments in
Loulé start at about €120,000. A four bedroom
penthouse with big terraces and grand views over
the town can be bought for €220,000.
40
What most home buyers in this area are
after, though, is a detached house with plenty of
space and privacy within about five or ten min-
utes drive of town.
“Loulé is as strong as ever, and the town
itself is expanding in a controlled manner. It is a
very popular choice for a primary residence,”
says Richard Mills of Azul Properties based in
Loulé.
“São Brás and its surroundings remain pop-
ular, and prices there are consistently lower than
Loulé and its suburbs. With the new Faro - São
Brás road soon to start, it is likely that this
improved transport link will make this area more
desirable. Santa Bárbara remains a premium area
because of excellent views and a certain prestige
reputation.”
While there is plenty of choice, the property
market here is not brimming over with bargains.
Don’t waste your time, for example, tramping
around fields looking for a charming cottage, in
need only of a little tender love and care, going
for a song.
You can pick up a patch of land with a small
ruin for €20,000 or a couple of acres with a big
ruin for €200,000, but before agreeing to any-
thing be sure to thoroughly check out what size
and style of rebuilding the local municipal
council will permit.
Eduarda Morgan in the Loulé office of
Manor Park Properties gets a lot of enquiries for
Loulé market
 Grand restoration
in historic Estoi
The palácio in Estoi, a country mansion
dating from 1780, is currently being totally
refurbished and is due to open its doors as a
‘pousada’ hotel next spring.
It will have three special suites and 61
bedrooms in a magnificent building sur-
rounded by restored ornamental gardens as
well as traditional farmland. It will bring
the number of pousadas in the eastern
Algarve to three. The others are in São Brás
de Alportel and Tavira. There is a further
pousada at Sagres in the extreme southwest
of the region.
Estoi palácio was built in baroque style
by Francisco José Pereira do Carvalhal e
Vasconcelos, an Algarvian gentleman who
lived in the royal court of Queluz in Sintra,
near Lisbon. He had an architect within the
court draw plans for the Estoi project based
on Queluz palace.
His sons inherited the palácio but when
they died leaving no descendants the proper-
ty deteriorated. It was bought in 1895 by a
local man, José Francisco da Silva, later
ennobled as the Viscount of Estoi by Carlos I,
Portugal’s penultimate monarch. Having had
it restored and embellished in Grand Belle
Époque fashion, the Viscount held a lavish
inauguration party there in 1909.
The Ministry of Culture declared the
pálacio a building of national importance in
1975 but its upkeep was too great a burden
on the family who owned it and so it was sold
to the local municipality in 1987. Although
the building itself remained closed to the
public, the extensive gardens attracted many
visitors and will do so again when the current
renovation work, started in April 2007, is
completed and the pálacio opens as a pousa-
da next year.
The President of Estoi council, José
Paula Brito, says the villagers are proud of
their pálacio and are looking forward to wel-
coming more tourists in future.
43
 São Brás

44
already built three-bedroom villas
priced between €250,000 and
€400,000, but they are not many
available. Most good villas with a
pool and a view in this area are in
the €500,000 to €800,000 bracket,
she says, and some really high
quality houses are well above the
million mark.
In the present financial cli-
mate, vendors are having to keep
their prices reasonable if they are
to have any real hope of selling.
Those who are really keen to sell
are removing negotiating margins.
“In some cases asking prices have
come down by as much as 20%
this year,” says José Martins of the
Sun Coast real estate agency in
Santa Bárbara.
Plots with approved new
building projects for 250 to 350m²
are available within a 3km to 4km
radius of Loulé from about
€150,000 rising to €450,000, but
José says there is a growing short-
age and prices seem sure to even-
tually rise because of tightening
planning regulations.
Adds Richard Mills: “Looking
to the future, with the limited
development possibilities that
exist, I expect to see many more
renovation and refurbishment
projects, which make the most of
older properties in excellent loca-
tions that are otherwise no longer
available.
“As an example of this, we
have a quinta on the edge of São
Brás consisting of a maim house
and four annexes, in need of refur-
bishment, set in 10.000m2 of land
with fabulous sea views, for
€560.000.
For more information
Richard Mills 289 422 871
Eduarda Morgan 289 422 866
José Martins 289 999 487
45
GOLF PROPERTY
Castro Marim
Golfe & Country Club
Here in the up and coming Eastern Algarve it’s still possible to buy a
detached villa for the price you might pay for an apartment in the more
densely populated central area of the region. Sue Spencer reports
his gem of a family-friendly resort
T features high-quality, low-density, hous-
ing against a magnificent backdrop of
mountain, river and ocean views. The splendid
clubhouse serves high quality food at great value
prices. There’s often live entertainment as well as
special social events.
The leisure facilities take some beating and
include 27 hole memorable holes of golf. For
golf addicts, there are also several other quality
golf courses nearby, including the Seve
Ballesteros designed course of Quinta do Vale
and the Jack Nichlaus designed course of Monte
Rei, as well as Benamor, Quinta de Cima and
Quinta da Ria near Tavira.
But it’s the location that makes Castro
Marim Golfe & Country Club a bit special.
Every property enjoys open views, many of
which feature the beautiful Guadiana river and
46
the bridge that links Portugal with Spain. This
proximity to the border and the Spanish town of
Ayamonte provides property owners with an
alternative and vibrant culture right on their
doorstep.
Easy access is another attraction. The resort
is just five minutes from the A22 motorway that
runs the length of the Algarve. Faro airport is
just half an hour’s drive away in Portugal and
Seville airport in Spain is less than an hour’s
drive.
The resort has several attractive property
options to choose from, listed here with starting
prices.
Village houses
• Two-bedroom detached stand alone villas -
€315,000
• Three-bedroom detached stand alone villas –
€330,000
Linked villas
• Three-bedroom detached linked villas –
€700,000
Individual plots for self build
• From 2,000 square metres – €850,000
• 2,640 square metres – €900,000
• 2,720 square metres – €925,000
Special investment packages with guaranteed
rental return start at €615.000
Village houses are
great value
The ‘Aldeamento Turistica’ village houses
comprise 30 three-bedroom detached villas and
31 two-bedroom detached villas. Due for com-
pletion by autumn 2009, they are all being built
to a high specification with ensuite bathrooms,
double-glazing, bathroom underfloor heating,
pre-installation air conditioning and mosquito
netting throughout.
The village houses have an attractive living
room with open fire and a modern open-plan
kitchen. There’s also a separate downstairs
cloakroom and toilet, entrance hall, storeroom
and terrace. Upstairs is the master bedroom with
en suite bathroom, separate toilet and terrace. A
choice of furnishing packages is available if
required.
These detached villas represent amazing
value at between €315,000 and €350,000 for a
two-bedroom property comprising a total area of
101 square metres. For between €330,000 and
€400,000 you can buy a three-bedroom property
comprising a total area of 113 square metres.
The Village houses are situated near an
attractive communal area that is also currently
being built. This will have an outdoor tropical
pool, with separate children’s area that will be
heated in the cooler months, as well as a café and
attractive terrace with comfortable seating. The
properties also have easy access to the clubhouse
with its gym, restaurants and bar.
Linked villas
selling fast
The new nine-hole Grouse course, with its
beautiful lakes and attractive open scenery,
provides the views for many of the thirty-five
linked villas that are currently being built in the
second phase of construction at Castro Marim
Golfe & Country Club.
The hugely popular design of the spacious
three-bedroom, all en suite, linked villas has
been repeated for phase two, with just a few
changes made to the finishings to reflect recent
design trends.
All properties are front line and prices start
at €700,000 depending on location. For that you
get a massive amount for your money, including:
• 220 square metres of living space, plus the
pool area terrace with your own pool and hot and
cold water shower
• Built-in barbecue with adjoining sink for
easy washing up
• Pre-installation of air conditioning
• Large open fire
• Hidden sliding patio doors that recess into
the walls so that the living room and terrace can
become one
• Underfloor heating in all bathrooms
47

• Telephone and TV point on covered part of
terrace
• Granite kitchen work surfaces
• Upstairs master suite with large en suite
bathroom with Jacuzzi bath and separate
shower
• Master suite has hallway, walk in wardrobe
large outdoor terrace
• Separate downstairs cloakroom with toilet
and hallway
One of the reasons the design of the linked
villas is so popular is that they are ideal for
property owners wishing to accommodate
guests, whilst retaining a certain amount of
privacy for themselves. The upstairs master
48
suite has its own private terrace for owners to
retreat to when they want their own space.
Attention to detail is another factor.
Everything has been thought of to make life easy
for the holiday home owner, like the fact that
there is just one door at the front of the property
for easy security. By the kitchen is a small yard
with storage for golf clubs or bikes. The refuse
bins are situated in a special cupboard that can be
emptied from the street. And the washing
machine and tumble dryer are kept out of earshot
in a separate utility area.
For a home that’s easy to live in, easy to
accommodate guests and easy to rent out, Castro
Marim Golfe & Country Club is confident that
the design of their linked villas cannot be
bettered. The linked villas offer the very highest
quality at a price you would pay for a much
lower specification property elsewhere.
Individual plots
available
If you’re looking for a piece of land with far
reaching ocean, river, golf course or mountain
views, Castro Marim Golfe & Country Club
could have the answer. There are still two plots
available for sale from phase one. For €900,000
you can buy a plot of 2,640 square metres and for
€925,000 you can buy a plot of 2,720 square
metres, both with fantastic views.
Once these two remaining large plots are
sold, the plots from phase two will be released.
Prices for these smaller plots start at €850,000.
The advantage of buying land here is that
you can have a dream home individually tailored
to suit your lifestyle in a location that is unique in
the Algarve. What makes the site special is the
surrounding nature reserve, unobstructed views
and the Castro Marim Golfe & Country Club
policy of low density housing.
You can design the property yourself,
employ your own architect, or use the Castro
Marim Golfe & Country Club planning services.
It’s up to you.
For more information:
Tel. (00351) 281 510340
www.castromartimgolfe.com
SWIMMING POOLS

Water care
In our last edition we discussed the basic types
of swimming pool constructions.
The next important considerations at the
planning stage are how the pool is
to be equipped and maintained.

aving decided on the type of luxury that may cost about €6,000

H construction, size and shape

of pool you want and
obtained quotes from reputable special-
ists, let the company of your choice get
on with everything, including the
electrics, filter, pipes and plumbing,
pump and pump house.
If your budget allows it, go for
an automatic water level control
system, underwater lights on a timer
switch, a shower and a heat pump.
The latter is the most efficient way
to warm the water in a pool. It’s a
installed but, of course, it will allow
you to extend the comfortable
swimming season well beyond the
high-summer months.
With a heat pump, a pool cover
is essential. It will significantly help
retain water temperatures and lessen
the work of the heat pump when the
pool is not in use during the cooler
months. Covers can be ordered for
any shape of pool, including free-
forms, but the simpler the shape the
easier to put on and remove.

The reasonably young and able-
bodied may be happy enough with a
manually operated cover. The elder-
ly or infirmed should consider an
electrically operated one, but that
may cost upwards of €10,000.
Incidentally, the elderly and
infirmed – whether family or guests
– should be considered along with
steps, ladders and railings at the
construction stage.
When a new pool is almost
finished, up and running – if not
before - it’s time to start think about
cleaning and maintenance proce-
dures. A pool cannot be left to its
own devises. The water needs to be
checked often and its chemistry
adjusted as necessary. The object of
this is not just to keep the pool look-
ing clean and welcoming, but to
ensure the water is properly sani-
tized and free from bacteria and
other potential health hazards.
The easiest maintenance option
is to employ the services of a
professional pool cleaner. This may
be the only option for non-resident
home owners, especially those rent-
ing to holidaymakers. Rental pools
must be spic and span at all times
while guests are in residence. A
good pool cleaner will ensure that.
Reputable professionals are gener-
ally reliable and their charges are
reasonable. But if you live here
most or all of the year round, do you
really need one?

56
 You don’t have to be a DIY
whiz to maintain your own pool.
Much of it is routine. Sometimes
it’s a bit challenging. Once you’ve
got the hang of it, it’s a bit like
dancing. It is all about rhythm, the
right steps and good timing. But it’s
not like the fandango or jiving. It’s
more like a gentle waltz, though the
tempo varies with the seasons - and
don’t rule out the possibility of a
few stumbles.
The basic tools of the pool
cleaning trade are a long pole easily
fastened to either a net for surface
scooping, a brush for clearing algae
off the pool walls or a vacuum head
for sucking up debris that has set-
tled on the bottom.
Pool water needs to be treated
with chemicals and run for several
hours a day through a sand filter.
The chemical most often used is
chlorine. Keeping the chlorine con-
tent at an optimum level will kill
bacteria and break down sun oils,
bathers’ sweat and most of the other
unmentionables that find their way
into pools. It will also discourage
algae, though higher concentrations
or a proprietary algaecide may be
needed from time to time to prevent
or eliminate algae.
Chlorine will only work effi-
ciently in water with the right pH
level. Sometimes taken for granted
by amateur pool cleaners, the pH
level is actually the single most
important element in pool chem-
istry. The water should be neither
too acidic nor too alkaline. The
right balance is crucial to every-
thing else. Best of all is a slightly
alkaline pH of 7.4 to 7.6. This will
ensure optimum efficiency of the
chlorine without causing corrosion
within the pool system or discom-
fort to the eyes of swimmers.
Whatever the source, the water
must be regularly tested and its pH
adjusted as necessary by adding
either soda ash (sodium chlorinate)
to raise the level, or hydrochloric
acid to reduce it. All the materials
are readily available in Algarve
DIY stores and sold with obvious
titles such as pH+ and pH-.
Once adjusted correctly, the
pH level tends to stay even for
much longer periods than the
chlorine level. The chlorine level
naturally diminishes over a period
of days or weeks, all the more
quickly the hotter the weather and
the warmer the water.
The simplest test kits involve
putting a few drops of phenol red, a
water-soluble dye, into a small
water sample and checking the pH
level by colour comparison. Such
checking is all the more necessary
after large doses of chlorine have
been added to the pool, or after the
water level has been significantly
topped up from normal sources or
heavy rains.
57

A few drops of a reagent called
OTO (orthotolidine) will similarly
test the level of chlorine and indi-
cate if more should be added to the
pool. Inexperienced owner-cleaners
will quickly get the hang of it and
soon be able to gauge whether to
test once a fortnight or twice a week
and how much chlorine to add.
Much of this depends on the season
and simply whether the pool looks
right or not.
Chlorine is sold in liquid, pow-
der, granulated and tablet form.
Liquid chlorine is cheapest, goes to
work instantly but quickly dissi-
pates. In certain situations it’s the
perfect quick fix. Granules are
much preferable to powdered
chlorine, which is liable to blow in
your face or bleach your clothes on
breezy days. Tablets are the most
convenient of all once you’re into
the groove with the rhythm right.
Granules and tablets of chlorine
comes in handy 5kg pots, but the
price per kilo drops for 25kg and
50kg tubs, which will last a long
time. Go for granules with 90%
rather than 55% strength (they cost
about the same) and for tablets offer-
ing three, four or even five-in-one
benefits, which may cost a bit more.
Chlorine is relatively inexpen-
60
sive and easy to use but it is not
without its problems. The main one
is that it is liable to react to certain
organic substances, notably
bathers’ body fluids, and form
chemical compounds called chlo-
ramines. These give off the strong
smell of chlorine that used to be,
and perhaps still is, associated with
crowded public baths.
Chloramines are bad news not
only because of their smell; they
cause eye and skin irritation; they
are also poor sanitizers and cause
the pool water to go cloudy or
green. The antidote to chloramines
is to ‘shock’ the pool with a big
overdose of chlorine, preferably of
the liquid variety, or a proprietary
oxidising agent.
Although it may sound a bit
dramatic, super-chlorinating or
‘shocking’ is a routine way of ban-
ishing chloramines and bringing a
pool back to chemical correctness,
especially after days of heavy use
during the summer months.
Of the alternatives to chlorine,
bromine tablets are easy to handle,
less vulnerable to high pH and high
temperatures, but more expensive
and there are certain health risks.
‘Active Oxygen’ Persulphate, partic-
ularly popular among Germans for
some reason, goes to work on bacte-
ria and body fluids but is not nearly
so good as chlorine at tackling algae.
It is also relatively expensive.
Copper and silver are powerful
cleansers and can be added to your
pool with an inoniser. It is attached
to your pipe work and runs on elec-
tricity, but the electrodes fairly
quickly erode and have to be
replaced at considerable cost.
Copper and silver plus a dash
of aluminium, zinc and gold can
now be plonked straight into your
pool from a bottle. It is a so-called
‘revolutionary’ product said to be
far less troublesome and longer
lasting than chlorine, but many
professional cleaners remain to be convinced.
Which brings us back to chlorine, but a means of sanitizing the pool by using
an electrolysis system that indirectly provides chlorine by breaking down salt. Salt
water chlorinators, as they are called, are cheap-to-run recycling systems. The ini-
tial cost is €1,500 or more for the equipment. The chlorinator cells wear out every
five years or so and have to be replaced at about €500 a go. But the growing num-
ber people in the Algarve who provide and use salt swear by their ease of instal-
lation, operation and maintenance. Most of all they enthuse about the softness
of the water produced by chlorinators. Connoisseurs of quality water get hooked
because the levels of chlorine are too low to affect eyes or hair and the salt con-
tent is only about 0.3% compared with the 3.0% of seawater.

Some pH and chlorine testing tips

• The pH needs regular checking and adjust-
ing whether the source of your pool water is munic-
ipal mains or a private bore-hole.
• Full-strength (90%) granules add acid to
the water and may account for low pH readings, as
may heavy rainfalls.
• Add chlorine to the pool after the sun
goes down to give it maximum time to mix and
go to work on sanitizing the water without being
depleted by the sun.
• OTO reagent will indicate the total amount
of chlorine in the water. It measures the level of use-
less ‘combined’ chlorine as well as the hard-work-
ing active ‘free’ chlorine. This can be confusing
because the former may be far too high and the
later far too low.
• Never use the same tube for both chlorine
and pH tests. The OTO reagent is strongly acidic.
Any trace of it in a pH test will give a false low
reading.

61
SAVING ENERGY

62
 Switch to solar -
‘it’s mad not to’
At a time of soaring oil and gas prices it has become
easy and economical in sourthern Portugal to tap into
solar energy in both active and passive ways.
he abundance of sunshine is one of the
T most attractive features of living in
Portugal. The sun is a wonderful source
of comfort and enjoyment. It is also a readily
available provider of energy that is both fathom-
less and free.
With more year-round sunshine than almost
anywhere else in Europe, and with domestic
solar technology now far more efficient and
affordable than ever amid soaring conventional
energy costs, it makes complete sense to take full
advantage of the sun. Or as energy-saving propo-
nent Donald Balfour puts it: “it’s mad not to.”
For new homes, a solar-powered hot water
system to supply the kitchen and bathrooms is
not just an option, it’s a legal requirement. You
won’t get planning permission without it.
Meanwhile, aside from lower CO² levels
benefiting the planet, owners of all types of
home - old or new - stand to gain from solar
water heating because it has become so econom-
ical, says Colin Reid, technical director of the
Enova Group, a leading Algarve supplier of a
broad range of eco-friendly solutions.
An average house needs between two and
six square metres of thermal panels placed in a
tilted, south-facing position on the roof or in the
garden. The water is heated in copper tubing and
stored at a minimum temperature of 60ºC in a
tank of between 150 and 300 litres.
There are three basic types of system. The
thermo-siphon type is the simplest and cheapest,
but the tank has to be positioned at the top of the
panels, which some people consider a bit of an
eye-sore if it is sitting on the roof. The alternative
has an electric pump feeding the hot water from
the panels to an indoor tank from where it can
reach the taps quicker and with less wastage.
Apartment developers install a third version
involving a central tank which distributes the
heated water to individual subsidiary tanks.
All three types have a thermostatically
controlled back-up connection which only kicks
in when the water falls below a minimum
temperature. The back-up will probably be
needed during dull periods in winter but the sun
will supply as much as 85% of a home’s year-
round kitchen and bathroom requirements, says
John Woodhams, managing director of SACL,
one of the oldest and largest companies dealing
with solar heating systems in the Algarve.
Any reputable specialist company in the
Algarve will be happy to send a representative to
survey a home site, advise on the most appro-
prate equipment and give a quote. For a standard
domestic system, expect to pay between €3,000
to €5,000, including 12% rather than 20% IVA.
Energy savings should allow a family of five to
recoup the initial outlay in four to five years,
depending on usage.
Active solar systems can be designed to go
well beyond heating water for the kitchen and
bathrooms. If solar is used for underfloor heating
it can cut fuel costs by about 70% to 75% a year,
63
says John. “The initial cost of the equipment:
€14,000 - €15,000. Annual savings: €3,000.
Payback: four to five years. That’s at today’s
prices, but gas and oil costs are bound to keep
going up.”
An increasing number of his clients are con-
verting their existing underfloor system from gas
or oil-fuelled to solar powered, keeping the gas
connection merely as a back-up.
Underfloor heating is attractive because the
water needs to be heated to only 45ºC compared
with the 75ºC required in radiators. For swim-
ming pools, however, solar is a bit more prob-
lematic - especially in homes used only for
holiday rentals or part-time occupation - because
of the sheer volume of water and the far greater
spread of panels needed.
Solar photovoltaic
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are some-
thing else. They use the energy from the sun, not
to heat water but to directly generate electricity.
Small ones are being used to power such things
as traffic lights. A large enough set of PV panels
connected to a battery storage system could
make a house self-sufficient in electricity.
For the present, though, the best PV option
for home owners is to generate electricity which,
having been converted by an adapter from DC to
64
AC, is automatically fed under licence into the
national grid. It is still early days and not many
owners have yet signed up, but the company
Energias de Portugal (EDP) is encouraging this
by guaranteeing to buy electricity at a far higher
rate than they sell it back. The buying price is
currently 65 cents per kW hour. The cost of
electricity to consumers is only eleven cents in
the daytime, six cents at night.
The largest PV system that can be installed
for the best return is 50% of the contracted EDP
supply, up to a maximum of 3.7 kW. The down-
side is that 30m² of panels are needed and the
cost is near enough €23,000 with a payback time
of about seven years. Still, the lifespan of a PV
system is reckoned to be about 25 years, accord-
ing to Enova. So owners are generating good
money as well as electricity.
And help is at hand in doing this. The main
banks in Portugal are providing finance for PV
systems. “The initial outlay is covered by the
bank and the money generated used to pay off the
loan. At the end of the loan period, normally ten
years, the system is yours as is the money gener-
ated thereafter,” says Colin Reid.
Passive solar
Many newcomers to the Algarve under-esti-
mate our winters. It is then that encouraging
passive solar energy is most useful. Even in
December, January and February, when outside
temperatures may be cool, the sun’s rays can
provide direct warmth inside the home at no cost.
Sun that is allowed to stream in through large,
strategically placed windows and sliding glass
doors will be naturally stored and later radiated if
it falls on areas of thermal mass in the form of
concrete, stone or tile floors and walls. The need
for central or underfloor heating, stoves or open
fires will thus be reduced.
Conversely, there needs to be some means of
blocking direct sunlight bearing in on areas of
heat-storing thermal mass in summer. Awnings,
over-hanging vegetation, blinds or other forms of
shade should be employed do the job, otherwise
electric fans or air-conditioning units will be
working overtime.
Electrochromic windows are among the most
technically advanced sun blocks currently on
offer. So-called ‘switchable glazing’ automatically
controls the amount of light and solar energy that
can pass through a window by changing it from
transparent to tinted at the flick or a switch or in
response to sunlight or temperature sensors.
Quality overall insulation is key in all of this.
In the good old days, Algarve folks wore clothes
that kept them well covered up all-year-round.
They applied roughly the same principle to their
homes. Town houses and country cottages were
kept cool in summer and warm in winter by
keeping hot or cold outside temperatures at bay
with small windows and massively thick walls.
In recent decades, a great many houses have
been build with empty cavity walls and other
fundamental insulation shortcomings. Owners
need not despair: all sorts of state-of-the-art
materials and methods are at hand locally to make
amends.
From January 1 next year, all properties sold
or leased will require an official certificate show-
ing their energy efficiency rating based on a
number of factors, including solar energy use and
the quality of insulation.
Until now, only new buildings had to be
certified. About 2,000 technicians are now
gearing up to inspect and certify the 200,000 or
so homes of all kinds that are put on the market
in Portugal each year.

State solar
While official pressure is being imposed on
own, the government is placing great emphasis on owned land covering an area almost twice the size
developers, builders and individual house own-
increasing energy supplies from solar, wind and of London’s Hyde Park. Twice the size of any other
ers to ‘go green’, the Portuguese Government is
wave sources. It has been a fundamental pillar of similar project in the world, it is expected to supply
enthusiastically leading the way. It is among the
the present Government’s energy policy from the enough electricity to power 30,000 homes.
most progressive governments in Europe on
outset. In less than three years, Portugal has trebled So in this relatively small and in some ways
green issues in general and renewable energy
its hydro-power capacity, quadrupled its wind less sophisticated European country, solar energy
sources in particular.
power, and is investing hugely in a pioneering is very high on the agenda - not only for the
Portugal now holds 18th place for environ-
wave project. government and big business, but for ordinary
mental performance in a global list of 149 coun-
Perhaps most dramatically of all, is the way in individual householders, more and more of whom
tries, according to the 2008 Environmental
which Portugal is forging ahead with solar energy. are coming to realise that solar pays for itself and
Performance Index published by the World
The world’s largest solar photovoltaic farm is even makes money.
For more information:
Economic Forum. In the European Union context,
about to be commissioned near the town of Moura
www.sacl.net Tel. 282 314 191
Portugal is in 11th place ahead of countries like
just north of the Algarve. It has 2,520 giant panels,
www.enova-group.com Tel. 282 960 969
Italy, Denmark, Spain and Holland. It scores
each the size of a house, set on abandoned state-
higher than the European average in five of the six
categories analysed, namely environmental

‘Flower of the Sun’ on the sea

quality, air pollution, water, natural resources and
climate change.
By 2007, renewable energy sources represent-
ed 40.7% of the total electricity consumed in
Portugal, so this country has already exceeded the
European 2010 target of 39%.
This information was published on the same
day that the European Commission placed
Portugal among the Top 5 countries for its ambi-
tious policies and renewable energies targets for
the 2020.
Portugal’s intentions in this field are clear: it
wants to develop a renewables industry to rival
Denmark and Japan. Without oil, coal or gas of its
An Irish-Portuguese couple, Róisin O’Hagan and Luis
Lourenço have launched Portugal’s first solar-powered boat,
Alvor Flor do Sol (Alvor Flower of the Sun). It was designed and
built in Faro and will take holidaymakers on cruises in the Alvor
and Portimão estuaries and along the coast.
The 12-metre craft runs on a small electric motor fed by
a bank of batteries that store the solar energy collected by 12
panels on the roof of the vessel. With a dozen passengers spared
the noise of a diesel engine, the Alvor Flor do Sol, can cruise
For more information:
along solely on solar energy at a speed of six knots for eight
WWW.
hours at a time.

65
FACT FILE
Buying in Portugal
Agents and
lawyers
Purchasing property is a
straightforward process provided
you stick to the letter of the law and
are advised or represented only by
competent and reputable specialists
who are fluent in a language you
understand.
Deal with estate agents who
are government licensed (mediador
autorizado). Every licensed agent
must display their licence in their
office and quote their AMI number
on all advertising.
It is important, too, that you do
not let your estate agent handle
legal matters if he is doing the
same for the seller.
Deal only with lawyers who are
fully qualified, advogados or solici-
tadores, who come with a high rec-
ommendation from someone who
has used them. Never use a lawyer
who is acting for the seller.
Taxes are based on the value of
the property being bought. So
are legal fees. Taxes and legal fees
66
are paid by the buyer,, as are land
registry and notary costs.
You can give your lawyer or
anyone else specific power of attor-
ney to sign documents on your
behalf, but closely follow that the
proper steps are being taken with-
out any undue delay.
Searches
Having chosen a property,
have your representative search the
local land registry (conser-
vatória do registo predial) to check
that the seller (vendedor) has clear
title of ownership, that no one else
has rights over it, that it is exactly
described and that it is free of
charges or mortgages. Photostat
extracts from the land registry are
valid for a limited period only.
Fiscal number
Apply for a fiscal number
(número de contribuinte) at
your local tax office (finanças).
It will come in the form of a card,
which you will need for payment
of rates.
Tax document
Obtain the official tax document
(caderneta predial) relating to the
property from the seller and check
that the description of the property
(numbers of rooms, area of house,
area of land, etc.) is the same as in
the land registry.
Usage licence
Obtain a copy of the usage
licence (licença de utilização) from
the local town hall (câmara munic-
ipal). For residential property you
will need a habitation licence
(licença de habitação). Check that
the description on the habitation
licence is totally in accordance with
what you are buying. Non-residen-
tial licences need to stipulate the
appropriate commercial or industri-
al use the property is being put to.
Contract
Have a promissory contract
drawn up (contrato promessa de
compra e venda) to be signed by
you and the seller. It should include
all the terms and conditions of sale.
You will normally have to pay the
seller a deposit of 10% of the full
purchase price at this stage. The
contract is signed in front of a
notary. It is legally binding on both
buyer and seller. If the buyer
defaults he forfeits the deposit. If
the seller defaults he has to pay the
buyer double the deposit.
Transfer tax (IMT)
IMT, as transfer tax is now
known (formerly SISA), is
payable on a sliding scale of 2%-
8% on all properties valued at
more than €81,600. There is a flat
rate of 6% for properties above
€510,000 and a flat rate of 5% for
rural land.
 FACT FILE

Medical
and health
Residents who contribute to
the state social security scheme
are entitled to free treatment at
the state district hospitals in
Faro, Portimão and Lagos, or at
any of the local health centres
(centros de saúde), which deal
with less serious cases.
Many foreign residents take
out private health insurance
cover with one or other of the
internationally-known compa-
nies specialising in this field.
This gives them affordable
access to foreign (English,
German and Dutch-speaking)
GP's and specialists practising
in the Algarve. It also facili-
tates treatment at private hos-
pitals or clinics in Portugal,
which are staffed and
equipped to give more person-
alised service than state insti-
tutions can provide.
Education
Education in all
Portuguese state
schools is free.
Young children
are generally
very adaptable
and responsive
to new situa-
tions and learn-
ing a foreign language. The difficulty All of these schools follow the English
comes if parents have opted for the SATS in primary, and shadow the
Portuguese system at primary level, but English National Curriculum leading
wish to switch to English when the chil- up to IGCSE to end secondary school-
dren move up to secondary. ing. São Lourenço and the
There are five licensed English-language International School at Porches also
schools in the Algarve. Three offer both pri- have well-established Sixth Forms
mary and secondary schooling. The other offering A levels.
two are specifically one or the Safeguards that prospective parents
other. The English-language schools, east should look for:
to west:
is the school registered with the

The São Lourenço School -Almancil local authorities and has it been

Colégio Internacional de Vilamoura granted a valid, current licence by the
- Quintinhas, Vilamoura Portuguese Ministry of Education to

International School of the Algarve operate at either primary or second-
- Porches, Lagoa ary level?

Barlavento English Primary School
is the school a member of the
- Ferrel, Espiche Council for International Schools or

Vale Verde International European Council for International
(Secondary) School - Burgau, Lagos. Schools?

Documents
Non-Portuguese who wish to be permanent residents in Portugal must, by law, apply for a
residence permit (residência) through an office of the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras. There
are two such offices in the Algarve: Faro and Portimão. Most EU citizens have automatic entitle-
ment but that does not mean they can ignore the bureaucratic process of applying for and period-
ically renewing permits.
An identity card (bilhete de Identidade) used to be a legal requirement for all permanent res-
idents in Portugal. It is no longer so for foreign residents. A valid passport is sufficient.
The easiest personal document to obtain is a fiscal card. It will give you a número de con-
tribuinte, a number which you will frequently need to quote during financial transactions. These
cards are issued by local tax offices (finanças).
Imported vehicles are subject to tax and must be re-registered and equipped with Portuguese Portuguese carta de condução, but most do not have to undergo a driving test in this country.
number plates. A valid driver's licence issued in any EU country is legally acceptable in Portugal. Non- As well as lawyers, there are knowlegeable and experienced individuals and small companies
EU nationals driving Portuguese registered vehicles must swop their foreign driving licence for a who specialise in helping foreigners obtain documents.

67
HOTELGUIDE

Where to stay when you next

visit the Algarve
Many visitors fall in love with the Algarve and plan a return
visit, whether for a short break and a longer relaxed holiday.
Others decide to buy a holiday or permanent home and may
need to return several times to view and finalise legal details.
the following summary of some of the Algarve’s best hotels
and resorts will make it easy to source reservations.

HOTEL VILA GALÉ TAVIRA ****
Right in the middle of beautiful Tavira. Recent purpose built hotel.
Outdoor and indoor pools. Health club with massage and anti-
stress therapy. Gym. Turkish bath. Jacuzzi. Two restaurants.
Entertainment. Conference and banquet facilites.
RIA PARK RESORT HOTEL & SPA ****
Between Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo in the Ria Formosa
nature reserve. Spa including gym and Jacuzzi. Indoor and out-
door pools. Restaurant. Bar. Conference and meeting rooms.
Banqueting facilities.

Tel.: (+351) 281.329.900 Tel (+351) 289 359 800

Fax: (+351) 281.329.950 Fax (+351) 289 359 888
www.vilagale.pt www.riaparkhotels.com

HOTEL VILA GALÉ ALBACORA ****
A 'character' hotel converted from an old fisherman's community
close to Tavira town. Most rooms have beautiful views. Outdoor
and indoor pools. Jacuzzi. Gym. Turkish bath. Two restaurants.
Kids Club. Boat to ferry you to Tavira Island beach.
RIA PARK GARDEN HOTEL ****
In the Ria Formosa nature reserve close to Quinta do Lago and
Vale de Lobo. Some rooms have sea views. Two outdoor pools.
Tennis. Football pitch. Turkish bath. Jacuzzi. Restaurant.
Bar.

Tel.: (+351) 281.380.800 Tel: (+351) 289 359 821

Fax: (+351) 281.380.850 Fax: (+351) 289 359 889
www.vilagale.pt www.riaparkgardenhotel.com

POUSADA DE TAVIRA PINUS RIA ***

Elegantly converted from the old Convento da Graça in Tavira old
town. Air conditioned 36 rooms and 6 special suites. Two outdoor
pools and exceptional regional restaurant specializing in seafood
and fish.
Tel.: (+351) 281.329.040
Central reservations (+351) 213.300.548
www.pousadas.pt
With a prime location in Almancil and many sports facilities.
Getting to the Quintas shopping centre and the famous Garrão
Beach is easy with the hotel’s free shuttle service.
Outdoor swimming pool. Fitness centre. Tennis courts. Health
club facilities.
Tel.: + (351) 289 359 160
Fax: + (351) 289 359 169

VILA MONTE QUINTA JACINTINA ESTALAGEM *****

A unique country resort with verdant gardens close to Olhão. A stunning 'boutique hotel' between Vale do Lobo and Quinta do
Three-hole pitch and putt golf course, driving range, putting green. Lago. An exquisite blend of 5 Star luxury and home comforts.
Resident pro. Individually themed rooms or suites. Superb restau- Landscaped gardens. Outdoor pool. Gym. Home cinema. Hair
rant. salon. Beauty treatment room.

Tel: (+351) 289.790.790 Tel: (+351) 289 350 090

Fax: (+351) 289.790.799 Fax: (+351) 289 350 099
www.vilamonte.com www.algarvehotel.co.uk

GOLF DOMIZIL COLINA VERDE **** FORMOSA PARK HOTEL ****

A very attractive inland resort with its own 9-hole golf course. The same management look after this and the Pinheiros Altos golf
Beautiful grounds. Swimming pool. Restaurant, popular with and resort. Close to Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo. Suites.
residents as well as guests for its interesting touch with local Special hotel area on Anção beach (200 metres). Outdoor pool.
dishes. Restaurant. Snack bar.

Tel: (+35) 289 790 110 Tel: (+351) 289 352 800
Fax: (+351) 289 791 245 Fax: (+351) 289 352 821
email: info@golfcolinaverde.com www.formosapark-hotel.com

68
 LE MERIDIEN DONA FILIPA ***** HILTON VILAMOURA *****
Inside Vale do Lobo close to the beach. San Lorenzo golf course is Vilamouras newest hotel, spectacular and luxurious. Indoor & out-
part of the same group, as is the Penina hotel. Outdoor pool. 3 door pools, kids club. Algarvian biggest spa with a Balinese theme,
floodlit tennis courts. Restaurants. Bars. gym, indoor golf practice area, restaurant, bars.

Tel: (+351) 289 357 200 Tel: (+351) 289 304 000
Fax: (+351) 289 357 201 Fax: (+351) 289 304 005
www.lemeridien.hotels.com www.hilton com/worlwideresorts

VILA SOL SPA & GOLF RESORT *****
Close to Vilamoura. The hotel overlooks the championship golf
course. Fully equipped business centre, meeting and large ban-
queting rooms. Restaurants. English pub. Café. Spa. Pool.
TIVOLI MARINOTEL *****
Situated on a corner of Vilamoura marina, with stunning views
from rooms overlooking the marina or beach. Indoor and outdoor
pools. Health club. Sauna. Gym. Massage. Restaurants. Bar.
Floodlit tennis courts. Kids' beach club.

Tel: (+351) 289 320 320 Tel: (+351) 289 303 303
Fax: (+351) 289 300 591 Fax: (+351) 289 303 345
www.vilasol.pt www.tivolimarinotel.com

DOM PEDRO GOLF **** SHERATON HOTEL & RESORT *****

In Vilamoura centre, a short walk from the beach and marina. With 9-hole golf course in sensational cliff-top position overlook-
Pool. Floodlit tennis courts. ing Falesia beach, between Vilamoura and Albufeira. 'Pirata' kids'
Sauna. Jacuzzi. Beauty salon. Massage. Restaurants. Bar. village. Pools. Beach club. Water sports. 5 floodlit tennis courts.
Squash. Health club. Sauna. Jacuzzi. Gym. Beauty treatments.
Restaurants. Bar.
Tel: (+351) 289 300 700 Tel: (+351) 289 501 100
Fax: (+351) 289 300 701 Fax: (+351) 289 501 950
www.dompedro-hotels.com www.luxurycollection.com/algarve

DOM PEDRO MARINA **** ALPINUS ****

Like its sister hotel (above) this is in the middle of Vilamoura close A modern suite hotel close to Falesia beach, between Vilamoura
to the beach and marina. Restaurants. Bars. Tennis. Beauty salon. and Albufeira. All suites fully equipped with kitchens, sat. TV, CD
Sauna. Jacuzzi. Massage. Pool. players, air-con etc. Pool. Restaurant. Bar. Watersports on beach.

Tel: (+351) 289 381 000 Tel: (+351) 289 008 900
Fax: (+351) 289 381 001 Fax: (+351) 289 008 950
www.dompedro-hotels.com alpinus@lunahotels.com

VILA GALÉ AMPALIUS **** GRANDE REAL SANTA EULALIA *****

Central, with short walk to beach and marina. Ideally situated to Wonderful views, direct access to Stª Eulalia beach. A mix of hotel
experience Vilamoura. Indoor and outdoor pools. Tennis. Putting rooms & suites, other suites around the grounds. 4 pools (1 sea
green. Spa. Kids' club. Restaurant. Bar. water). 5 restaurants. 6 bars. Gym. Large Thalasso spa. 2 tennis
courts. Kids' club.
Tel: (+351) 289 303 900 Tel: (+351) 289 598 000
Fax: (+351) 289 303 950 Fax: (+351) 289 598 001
www.vilagale.pt www.hotelsreal.com

QUINTA JACINTINA ESTALAGEM

69
 VILA MONTE

BALAIA GOLF RESORT SOFITEL THALASSA VILALARA *****

On the eastern side of Albufeira, with a delightful 9-hole golf Set in a magnificient tropical garden covering 10ha, with direct
course and high quality rental accommodation spread around the access to the beach.5 pools (3 of seawater) 1 heated all year round.
estate. Restaurant. Bar. 3 restaurants (1 low-calories restaurant, 1 gastronomic, 1 grill). 3
bars, Thalassotherapy center. Spa. Beauty parior
Tel: (+351) 289 570 200 Tel.: + (351) 282 320 123 • Tel.: + (351) 289 320 000
Fax: (+351) 289 501 265 Fax: + (351) 282 320 077
www.balaiagolfvillage.com www.vilalararesort.com

HOTEL REAL BELLAVISTA **** VILA VITA PARC *****

In Albufeira, with city hotel atmosphere and luxury resort facili- Cliff-top resort west of Armação de Pera. Stunning tropical gardens
ties. Includes accommodation for disabled. Outdoor and indoor and traditional design. Accommodation in hotel or grounds. Pools.
pools. Complete spa. Health club. Gym. Garage. Conference and Tennis. 9-hole pitch & putt. Driving range. Health, beauty and ther-
banqueting. apeutic treatments. Kids' and teens' club. Restaurants. Bars.

Tel: (+351) 289 540 060 Tel: (+351) 282 310 100
Fax: (+351) 289 540 061 Fax: (+351) 282 315 333
www.hotelsreal.com www.vilavita.com

VILA JOYA SOFITEL VILALARA THALASSA *****

The Algarve's most long-established and famous boutique hotel, One of the Algarve's most respected luxury resorts with a world-
with direct access to Galé beach through lush gardens. Includes famous Thalasso therapy centre. 5 pools (2 sea water). Treatments
the area's only 2-star Michelin restaurant (non-residents wel- fro health, beauty and well-being. Tennis. Restaurants (inc. diet &
come). Beautiful 'Ayurredic' spa with hydrotherapy, massage and gourmet). Bars.
sauna.
Tel: (+351) 289 591 795 Tel: (+351) 282 320 000
Fax: (+351) 289 591 201 Fax: (+351) 282 320 077
www.vilajoya.com www.sofitelvilalara.com

GARBE HOTEL **** SUITES ALBA RESORT & SPA

In the centre of Armação de Pêra, perched directly over the golden Next to Albandeira beach, on the most unspoiled, scenic stretches
cliffs and beach. Extensively remodeled in recent years. Pool. of coastline with walks, cliffs, and beaches. Suites with 1 or 2 bed-
Beauty salon. Tennis and horse riding nearby. Watersports. rooms. Pool. Kids' club. Spa with wide range of treatments. Pool.
Restaurant. Bar. Restaurant.

Tel: (+351) 282 320 260 Tel: (+351) 282 380 700
Fax: (+351) 282 315 187 Fax: (+351) 282 353 027
www.hotelgarbe.com www.albaresort.com

VILA GALÉ NAUTICO **** VALE DE REI SUITE RESORT ****

Just across the road from Armação de Pera beach and a short walk A few minutes' drive from one of the beautiful beaches, Praia da
from town centre. Outdoor and indoor pools. Gym. Turkish baths. Marinha, Benagil village and beach. Hotel or garden suites or
Jacuzzi. Kids' club. Restaurant. Bar. rooms. 2 pools. Tennis. Beauty spa with sauna. Jacuzzi. Steam
room. Restaurant. Bar.

Tel: (+351) 282 310 000 Tel: (+351) 282 380 120
Fax: (+351) 282 310 060 Fax: (+351) 282 380 129
www.vilagale.pt www.valedelrei.com

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 SUITE HOTEL MARINA CLUB ****
A recently opened aparthotel on Lagos marina, close to Meia Praia
beach and a short walk into historic Lagos. Pool. Health club.
ROMANTICA HOTEL VIVENDA MIRANDA Sauna. Jacuzzi. Café. Regata Bar.

COLINA DE MOUROS***
Silves only hotel, just a few minutes walk to the town centre. Tel: (+351) 282 790 600
Dramatic views of the ancient castle. 57 airconditioned rooms. Fax: (+351) 282 790 601
Adult and childrens pools. Restaurant and pool snackbar. Parking. www.marinaclub.pt

TIVOLI LAGOS ****

Tel: (+351) 282 440 420 In Lagos, within a few minutes' walk of the centre and marina.
Fax: (+351) 282 440 426 Outdoor and indoor pools. Health club. Beach club on Meia Praia
beach. Tennis. Water sports. Restaurants. Bars.

TIVOLI ALMANSOR ****

Fronting on to its own beautiful bay and beach. Short walk from Tel: (+351) 282 790 079
Carvoeiro centre. Outdoor and indoor pools. Health club. Jacuzzi. Fax: (+351) 282 790 345
Sauna. Turkish bath. Fitness room. Floodlit tennis courts. Scuba www.tivolihotels.com
diving centre. ROMANTICA HOTEL VIVENDA MIRANDA ****
In Porto de Mos, 2kms west of Lagos. An exceptional small (19
Tel: (+351) 282 351 100 suites, 7 rooms) hotel set in beautiful, lush gardens with stunning
Fax: (+351) 282 351 345 coastal views. Heated pool. Beauty centre. Sauna. Turkish bath.
www.tivolihotels.com Famous restaurant.
CASABELA HOTEL **** Tel: (+351) 282 763 222
Jaw-dropping views west down the coastline. Quiet position just Fax: (+351) 282 760 342
outside Ferragudo. Direct access to beach. Pool. Tennis court. www.vivendamiranda.com
Gardens between beach and hotel. Restaurant. Snack bar. Bar.
BELA VISTA HOTEL ****
Set a little back on a hill overlooking Praia da Luz. Heated pool.
Tel: (+351) 282 490 650 Sauna. Gym. Tennis. Restaurant. Bar.
Fax: (+351) 282 461 581
www.hotel-casabela.de

HOTEL ALGARVE CASINO Tel: (+351) 282 788 655

Includes a colourful casino and views over the still, blue ocean and Fax: (+351) 282 788 656
golden sand of Praia da Rocha beach. 2swimming pools. 3 restau- www.belavistadaluz.com
rants. lush gardens and the beach on your doorstep. Children’s
playground. Water sports. 208 rooms. Sauna. Turkish bath. VILA LUZ APARTHOTEL****
Hairdresser. Jacuzzi Just 100 metres from the sea and 5 minutes walk to Praia da Luz
beach. Adult and childrens pool, snackbar, lounge, snooker and
Avenida Tomás Cabreira - Praia da Rocha underground garage.
8500-802 Portimão
Tel: (+351) 282 771 110
PESTANA ALVOR PRAIA ***** Fax: (+35) 282 771 119
Perched over a delightful beach with cliffs and rocks (Três Irmãos), www.vila-luz.com
and a long duned beach at the side (Alvor). Outdoor and indoor
pool. Health spa. Kids's club. 7 tennis courts. Large conference cen-
tre. LUZ BAY CLUB HOTEL****
Luz Bay Club Hotel offers an atmosphere of tranquility and well-
Tel: (+351) 282 400 900 ness. Restaurant. Bar. 2 exterior outside swimming pools for adults
Fax: (+351) 282 400 999 and 1 seperate swimming pool for children. tennis court. Sauna.
www.pestana.com Squash. turkish bath.

IBEROTEL**** Tel: (+351) 282 789 640

Not far from the beautiful long Alvor beach and colourful riverside E-mail:reservations@maisturismo.pt
village.
Restaurant with bar. Shop. Heated indoor pool (in Winter). Gym. POUSADA SAGRES
Sauna. Steam bath. Jacuzzi. Table tennis. Billiards. Seperated out- The Algarve's most westerly hotel at Sagres, where Henry the
door pool for children. Navigator had his famous navigational school. Outdoor pool.
Tennis courts. Restaurant. Bar.
Tel:(+351) 282 400 525
Fax:(+351) 282 400 528
Tel: (+351) 282 620 240
LE MERIDIEN PENINA ***** Fax: (+351) 282 624 225
The Algarve's famous original golf hotel with Henry Cotton's mag- www.pousadas.pt
nificent 18-hole course, plus 2 more 9-holes. Pool. 5 floodlit tennis
courts. Beach club on Alvor beach. Waterports. Kids' club. Health ALBACORA
club. Restaurants. Bars.

Tel: (+351) 282 420 200

Fax: (+351) 282 420 300
www.lemeridien-hotels.com
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FACT FILE

Why buy property

in the Algarve
The allure of the Algarve is timeless. Despite new fashionable
property hotspots, it continues to offer the safest and most
attractive conditions for those wishing to buy in the sun.

72
 he climate is one of the healthiest and
T most pleasant in the world, comparable
to California. There is sufficient seasonal
variation to make the weather anything but bor-
ing, but winters are never too cold and the sum-
mers never too hot. The skies are predominantly
blue all year round.
The Algarve has managed to retain its timeless
‘old world’ charm and traditional values even
though it is an integral part of an ambitious, for-
ward-looking nation, and tourism is its major eco-
nomic activity.
Tourism has brought considerable prosperity
to the Algarve and contributed significantly to the
overall economic strength of a stable democracy
with a moderate, centrist government within the
European Union.
The nation's constitution and well-founded
legal system give foreign buyers and property
owners the same fundamental rights and protec-
tion as those enjoyed by Portuguese citizens.
New legislation has even abolished inheritance
tax for family members and tax on house pur-
chases has been slashed.
Air links and telecommunication facilities
are excellent. Faro and Lisbon international air-
ports, satellite television, cellular telephones,
fax machines, computer modems and the inter-
net mean you can be as globally in touch as you
want to be.
While you personally may be stepping into
relatively unknown territory by buying property in
Portugal, plenty of foreigners have done it before
you. There is a well-established procedure and
there is no shortage of sound advice available on
all aspects of setting up home in the Algarve (see
examples elsewhere in this magazine).
It is both a place to relax and do little or, if
you prefer it, indulge your every active recre-
ational interest, much of it outdoors in the clean,
fresh air.
The environment is much less spoilt and pol-
luted than in other European countries. Growing
popular awareness, backed by EU directives incor-
porated into Portuguese law, should ensure it stays
that way.
The region is best known for its spectacular
coastline, including scores of glorious beaches.
Less known, but equally attractive, is its hinterland
of vineyards, olive, almond, carob and fig trees,
rising to rolling hills and the plains of the province
of Alentejo beyond.
In the spring, from as early as Christmas until
the end of May, the countryside is in full sparkling
bloom beneath exhilarating azure skies. It is a very
different scene to the grey gloom that pervades
northern Europe early in the year.
From a few kilometres inland, the Algarve is
covered with evergreen trees and shrubs and so the
countryside remains remarkably lush even in the
height of summer.
Language is generally not a problem and, any-
way, you will enjoy picking up at least a smatter-
ing of Portuguese. You can get by in English, so
long as you understand the Portuguese all-purpose
expression that sums up any and all of life's minor
travails: não faz mal - ‘it doesn't matter’.
The cost of living is considerably less than in
the UK and other European destinations.
Inexpensive restaurant bills and the absurdly low
price of wines and spirits make dining out the
norm, rather than the exception, for most foreign
residents here.
The only things completely missing here that
you may find in sunny places such as Italy,
Spain, France, Greece, Florida or the Carribean
are hurricanes, sweltering summers, pollution or
high crime rates.
73
Property LAGOS, LUZ
& WEST
CARVOEIRO,
SILVES
• The A2 motorway runs well beyond & FERRAGUDO
Lagos, giving easy access from Faro air-

listings port and all other parts of the Algarve,

and to the spectacular west coast.
• The delightful town of Lagos is the
• The village of Carvoeiro sits next to a little bay
and is a self-catering holiday mecca in the sum-
PORTIMÃO mer months. The outskirts of the village have
main urban centre in the area. Beyond it
been widely developed, mostly with attractive
lie the coastal villages of Praia da Luz , & ALVOR AREA individial villas.
Burgau and Salema.
• Portimão is the Algarve’s second largest town • Development is gathering momentum around
• The golden sandy beaches north of
after Faro and second largest fishing port after the ‘unspoilt’ village of Ferragudo on the east
Sagres remain unspoilt with Aljezur
Olhão. It is a bustling business and shopping cen- bank of the Arade, near the mouth of the river.
becoming an increasingly popular town,
• Silves, the capital of the Algarve in medieval
The next pages
well worth a visit. tre on the west bank of the Arade river.
offer an • Praia da Rocha is a popular beachside suburb of times, is steeped in Moorish history.
Portimão. The beach is vast and overlooked by a
unrivalled
long promenade lined with holiday apartnent
selection of blocks, hotels, restaurants, bars and shops.
• To the west, the fishing village of Alvor has seen
property around a considerable amount of residential and holiday
the Algarve, development all around it, but the village proper
has retain much of its charm .
• Inland to the north lies the town of Monchique,
from west to east.
and the Serra de Monchique range of hills where
the air is cooler and the lifestyle relaxed and rural.

74

ALBUFEIRA
& GALÉ
• Albufeira has long been the unofficial ‘tourist
capital’ of the Algarve. The town has expanded
widely, both to the east and west, from the old
town centre. A new marina has added another
dimension to this vibrant and cosmopolitan
resort
• Galé is one of the several beautiful beaches in
the vicinity of Albufeira with nearb homes for sale.
VILAMOURA FARO, OLHÃO,
AREA TAVIRA & EAST
• Vilamoura is reputed to be one of Europe’s •Faro, the regional capital of the Algarve, is
largest private develoopments. In adduition to a small but busy provincial city. Although
its thousands of permanent residents, it attract there are some interesting sights of historic al
large numbers of holidaymakers throughout the interest, few foregn residents or visitors see
year. much of the city apart from the international
•The Algarve biggest concentration of golf airport on the outskirts.
courses is located here. The most recently built •Olhão, the region’s biggest fishing port, is
of the five excellent 18-hole courses is the one of the main towns on the edge of the Ria
Oceânico Victoria, which hosted the 2005 Golf Formosa nature reserve. The shallow lagoon
World Cup. LOULÉ waters, sandbanks and islands are a refuge for
• Vilamoura’s wide range of facilities include many species of wading birds and wildfowl.
the region’s biggest marina, top hotels and
& ALMANCIL •At the western end of the Ria Formosa,
plenty of restaurants and nightlife, including a Tavira is one of the Algarve’s most picturesque
• Loulé is the Algarve’s largest inland market
casino. and delightful towns. Vila Real dº Santo
town. It is the administrative centre for Almancil
• António and Castro Marim are the region’s
and the region’s most exclusive coastal resorts of
• The drive to Faro airport is just 20 minutes, two most easterly towns, situated next to the
Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Vilamoura.
to the Spanish border 40 minutes and Lisbon is estuary of the River Guadiana that forms the
•Almancil is a centre of commerce serving the
just over two hour’s drive away. border with the Spanish province of Andalucia.
nearby luxury resorts, the hub of the so-called
• Property is now available on the new Arnold •Until recently, the eastern Algarve had seen
‘Golden Triangle’ where property prices are the
Palmer golf course. little residential or tourist development of
region’s highest.
interest to foreigners. That has changed fairly
•No area favoured by foreign investors has
dramatically over the last couple of years.
quicker or easier access to Faro airport.
75
 Lagos

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 Albufeira

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Albufeira

81
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83
 Castro Marim

84
Tavira

85
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91