AlmaVerde Village & Spa

A great base for exploring the western Algarve, up on a hill with excellent access to the N125. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the villas are good quality. Make time for Luz beach, and stop at Cafe Havana for a lovely scone and a fabulous sunset.

AlmaVerde is excellent, and the staff covering housekeeping, the grounds, and the pools are all great. Most of the villas are holiday homes, each with its own pool; you can add pool heating to the package, and it’s worth doing. Tennis courts are available for a charge, arranged through reception. The children’s play area is currently in disrepair, though, and some equipment could become dangerous if it isn’t fixed soon. You’ll need transport to reach local restaurants and beaches, but the trips are worth it. There are some very nice restaurants nearby with a good range of meals. Esquina in Burgau stood out to me.

The pool was nice, but it was the only positive for us. We’d booked villa 74, then got a message a couple of weeks before arrival saying it was no longer available. Villa 108 was offered instead, and with little time to change plans, we accepted. It had far less privacy and quiet than number 74, and didn’t seem ready for paying guests. For a week, we had daily problems with the electrics, drains, cooling system, and hot water. People also kept disturbing us and walking around the villa. The kitchen had very few utensils and pans, and the beds felt like concrete. Even with four layers of duvets, they were uncomfortable. There’s no restaurant or hotel at Alma Verde, and without a car you’re very isolated. Ubers are hard to get; the local taxi company takes around 20 minutes, so allow for that if you have a reservation. Reception were often unhelpful, with a 'computer says no' attitude, and ignored some questions in emails. Helena, who works afternoons, was very helpful. I wouldn’t stay here again.

The villas are good, and the reception team were very helpful both before and during the holiday. It’s quiet and secure, but you need a car since there’s no restaurant or anything similar on site. Burgau is worth a visit, and Lagos is very easy to get to. The pool was good, and I was glad we paid to heat it. A small drawback was that some classes, like Zumba, didn’t seem to run. I’d recommend it.