Hotel Apartamento do Golfe

I really liked having a balcony that looked out over quiet parkland, trees and plenty of birds. The whole place is peaceful, with friendly locals and the old golf course nearby. The apartments are simple but clean, with enough kit to cook: a two-ring hob, microwave, toaster, kettle, fridge with a small freezer section, and the usual dishes and cutlery. The beds were very hard, though. I was there in May and hardly anyone used the decent-sized pool because the water was so cold. There’s a snack bar, a small restaurant, a bar and a games room, which I saw people enjoying but didn’t try myself. Reception is open around the clock. A nearby supermarket has a bakery and a small selection of hot food and coffee, with two tables outside, and it’s handy for fruit, rolls, ice cream and breakfast basics. A free shuttle goes to the marina and beach three times a day. It takes about eight minutes by car, or you can walk in roughly 50 minutes if you’re not in a rush.

We only meant to stay three nights, but liked it so much that we added a couple more. They sorted the extra nights out without any trouble. The apartments were lovely and clean, and the pool area was beautiful. It’s a couple of miles from the beach, so having transport makes it a great base for exploring. There’s also a hotel shuttle to the marina and beach. This was a last-minute holiday, and we had a lovely stay.

The staff were lovely and helpful, and the apartment had plenty of space, a roomy bathroom and two balconies. There are two TVs, two wardrobes with lots of hangers, and a little kitchen with a two-ring hob, fridge and toaster. You can arrange daily cleaning if you want. Some apartments have a few steps to reach them. There’s a pool table by reception and a book-swap shelf too. We were out exploring most days, so the quiet evenings suited us. There’s no evening entertainment, but you can sit outside at the bar and watch the sunset, and they serve food until around 9. A Spar close by is useful for bits and pieces; excursions also pick up and drop off at the bus stop by the roundabout. We had great days out on the excursions to Silves, Monchique and the mountains, and to the Saturday morning gypsy market in Loule. The town was bustling and beautiful, though it shuts down at 1pm. The jeep safari was fantastic too, cultural and informative. I’d recommend all of them. We also spent 11 hours in Albefuria old town after taking an Uber through the Bolt app. We found it fairly cheap, and there was lots to see and do, including bars and shops. Skip 'the strip' in Albefuria, though. It was awful and smelly, with street cameras everywhere. The rest of the Algarve is beautiful and safe, and there were no lucky lucky men hassling us there. We walked down to the marina another day and clocked up 32,000 steps. There are bars and higher-end shops, no tat shops, so have a wander and take it in. We’d go back in a heartbeat.

The apartment was great for our family, and the whole place was clean and tidy with friendly staff. We booked this as a last-minute trip and felt we got our money’s worth. It’s arranged over three levels: the living area and kitchen are on the first floor, with a sofa bed, the shower room is on the second, and the double bedroom is on the top floor. The restaurant food was good and reasonably priced. Dinner for four with drinks came to about €40. There’s also a local shop and cafe five minutes away on foot. Two lattes and four pastries cost €5 there. We’ll come back.