Old Village Vilamoura

Sue in the restaurant was attentive and kind, and the food was great. The receptionist on duty during regular hours was also professional and nice. The village setting is lovely, with classic Portuguese-style buildings and quiet, picturesque streets. Vilamoura is about a 15-minute walk away. The apartment itself had a long list of problems. The power kept cutting out, so we repeatedly had to press the green button on the fuse box. The kitchen extractor fan was broken, the dishwasher was clogged or not working, and neither the TV nor its remote worked. The AC blew visible dirt from its filters when we switched it on. My partner developed cold or flu symptoms, and we suspect the AC may have contributed, though we can't be sure. Bathroom tap handles were missing, and the bedside lamps had UK plugs for Portuguese sockets, which made little sense. We had to pay cash for the sunbeds and tourist tax, while the on-site ATM charged €5.95 per withdrawal. It was also hard to find the place on Google Maps, and nobody replied to our message about late check-in the day before, so we had to work it out on arrival. The shower floor was dangerously slippery. I was lucky not to end up needing a hip replacement.

The Dolphin Pool was a lovely spot to unwind, and the staff there were friendly with excellent food. Our apartment was clean, comfortable, and had everything we needed. The gardens are beautifully cared for, with gorgeous views. I'd definitely recommend the old village.

We fell in love with this place and are already planning to come back next April. It's the prettiest holiday destination I've visited in a while. Our apartment was stunning, especially the roof terrace.

The bars have a long happy hour, roughly 10am to 9pm, and the value is great. When I wrote this, a pint of San Miguel was €2.20. There's a reasonably priced supermarket on site, plus Spars within a 10-minute walk. The marina is close, about 15 minutes on foot, or you can take the €5 return train, which also tours the area and is a lovely ride. It's a stunning village, the pools are clean, and the staff are great.