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Portugal is a great place for holidays. Take the family to the beautiful beaches of the Algarve or enjoy Golf, horse riding and other activity breaks. There lots of luxury villas and cities like Lisbon and Porto.
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We believe that our personal and old fashioned approach to service is the reason why so many clients choose to book with us year after year."
Prices are competitive and if you are looking for an out of season bargain there are some big villas (sleeping 6 or over) that are under £1000 per week.

Labels: Algarve Holiday, Holidays in Portugal, Portugal Holiday
The awe inspiring Portuguese coastline and the relaxed people with such a rich historical heritage are attracting large numbers of discerning over fifties looking for a holiday with a difference. It really is a lovely country and so much more than the famous Algarve. North and South there are great holidays to be found, countryside, beach or city.
Labels: Holidays in Portugal, Over Fifties, Portugal Holiday
The Algarve is a great place for a mountain bike holiday. Just inland a bit from the coast there is a range of hills that mountain bikers love. The reasons are many: dirt track roads, tougher single track paths, riverbank paths, remote villages, stunning views and the mediterranean climate. Have a look at Activity Algarve or Extreme Algarve for some Algarve mountain biking holiday ideas, or perhaps you'll be caught by some of their other adventurous activity offerings.
Labels: Algarve, mountain biking, Portugal
Hotel Quinta Lagrimas looks like the perfect place to disappear for a few days and get out of the rat race. It is near the centre of Coimbra in Central Portugal. Historically it was a beautiful Manor House and it still has the twenty acres of gardens with rare and exotic species of trees. It is located in Coimbra, about half-way between Lisbon and Oporto, near the Santa Clara-a-Velha Convent. It is easy to get to because the Lisbon to Porto motorway is only 4 kilometers away.If you are looking to immerse yourself in the romance of historical Portugal but have at hand all the modern comforts expected of a first class hotel - then this could be for you !
Labels: Coimbra, Holidays in Portugal
Albufeira is the tourist capital of the Algarve. If you want to make the most of your trip to the Algarve, then Albufeira has to be visited. Albufeira has the golden beaches, it's luxury holiday resorts, many golf courses, great restaurants and a boisterous nightlife. Albufeira is the number one town of the Algarve. The truth is that Albufeira is the sort of place you love or hate. Many people from all age groups like it. Retired couples feel just as at home here as wild life teenagers and families with young children.Albufeira is spread out rather than high-rise with it's "old" and "new" sections which merge seamlessly into an sprawling holiday world spread east along the coast to Balaia, Olhos d'Agua and Falesia, and west to São Rafael, Galé and the links golf course at Salgados. This area is the most tourist-intensive location in Portugal. It cannot claim to be real Portugal but thousands of visitors come here in again and again to have a great time.
Portugal is a special destination - usually a quieter, more relaxed destination than it's more excitable neighbour - Spain. This is not always the case though - and you young party animals can still find plenty of fun to fill the early hours on the Algarve and in Porto or the capital, Lisbon. But there is also, of course, the sophisticated Port drinking side to the country, fine cuisine - particularly the seafood specialities, and this can make your trip a festival of the senses. Don't forget the beautiful, greener North of Portugal, where there are less crowds and more chances to unburden yourself of the daily grind, credit crunch blues and any other tails of woe you want to massage away. So, get browsing around the world wide web - which has more than enough to keep you occupied, and what better way to start your search for the perfect Portugal getaway than Holidays In Portugal - a damn fine directory of Portugal Holiday Ideas for the last five years - your dreams can come true !
Labels: Holidays in Portugal

The Serra de Estrela was given National Park status back in 1976 to protect the rural character of the Serra de Estrela villages and the countryside. This was an important step which has helped conserve the wildlife which includes birds such as Black Storks, Eagle owls, Black Kites and Peregrine Falcons, many types of Bat, Iberian Rock Lizards and Iberian Frogs.
There is a lot of great mountain biking trails for all skill levels including a bike park with 3 downhill routes that has a 1000 metre cable car with bike hooks. More info at the regions main tourist website turistrelaNear the town of Manteigas (pictured) is Skiparque which has a dry slope ski run for skiing and snowboarding. There are also boats for hire, bicycles, horse riding, climbing, orienteering, paintball, paragliding, 4x4 tours, and target shooting - http://www.skiparque.pt/
More Serra de Estrela Tourist Informatio here http://www.rt-serradaestrela.pt/ENG/index.htmlLabels: Portugal, Serra de Estrela

Labels: Algarve Holiday, Algarve Holidays, Portugal Holiday, Portugal Holidays

Labels: Holidays in Portugal

Labels: portugal golf

A quick look at Porto’s history and you’ll see how important the port trade has been and still is today. The people of Porto,the Portuenses, are very into their history, and are quick to point out that their region offers far more than the fortified wine many of us have over indulged in during the festive season. There is a big art scene, their own food specialties, North Portuguese fashion and a buzzing nightlife, which make the second city of Portugal and the Douro Valley a popular destination.
Vila Nova de Gaia is just across the Douro river from Porto. This is where all the famous Port houses are including Ramos Pinto (the fine bottle pictured here is a Ramos Pinto). The walkway along the river is crammed with cafes and restaurants, and most of the Port houses offer tastings.
Porto has a bunch of new wave of chefs and restauranteurs who have jazzed and twisted the traditional local cuisine into their own wonderful creations. After tucking in to a fine supper you can then maybe crawl the bars around the city's trendy suburbs and enjoy a long, long night, through to the rising sun like so many of the locals do.
This region of Porto and the Douro Valley is one steeped in history, ancient towns and villages, monastries and quintas (equivalent to the French Chateaux). It is a beautiful area, and offers the chance of a wonderful holiday.
Try our selection of North Portugal, Porto and Douro Valley holidays
Labels: Douro Valley, Miguel Castro, North Portugal, Porto, Ramos Pinto


Spain has its haciendas, Portugal its quintas - country estates with bags of character. Some are hidden in the hills, some on the coast, some cheap, others very chic, but glorious scenery and a slower pace of life come as standard. In this preview from the new edition of his book, Alastair Sawday picks his favourites:
Gone is the annoying zone system introduced in the 1990s, and once again all InterRail global passes now give unlimited train travel across the whole of Europe, from Portugal in the West to Poland in the East, Helsinki in the North to Istanbul in the South. There are two options for those not expecting to travel all the time, either five days unlimited travel in any 10-day period or 10 days unlimited travel in any 22-day period (what days you travel is up to you at the time). There are also two continuous options for those expecting to zip here and there most of the time and they are either 22 days or one month.
Labels: Cow Parade, Lisbon
The panoramic wooded hills of the Serra de Monchique in the unspoiled regions of Algarve are a beautiful place for a walking holiday. Descend the trails to some of the finest coastal paths of the Iberian Peninsula passing sandy bays as you head to Cape St Vincent, the very edge of Europe. A strong sense of history pervades the region, with crumbling forts and tales of famous wayfarers.
This Christmas and New Year spend a magical Christmas in Portugal, with Father Christmas and decorated trees, together with some more unusual traditions. On Christmas Eve in Portugal, salt cod is the traditional dish and meat is served on Christmas and Boxing days. For dessert, the menu includes crown-shaped Bolo Rei filled with crystallised fruit, and traditional fritters. The pastries, filhozes, sonhos and rabanadas, are delicious. At home, just as in the local church, people find a special place to put the Saviour’s crib from the nativity. It was the idea of St. Francis of Assis in the 13th Century to re-create the stable where Jesus was born at Christmas. In the regions of Bragança, Guarda or Castelo Branco, a Yule log is burned in the atrium of the village church after mass. It helps keep everyone warm through the night and to wish family and friends a Merry Christmas. Stay for the New Year celebrations. At midnight, there’s a fireworks display in every town. Everyone eats 12 raisins, with one wish for each month, and drinks champagne to bring in the New Year. The party in Madeira is renowned for being the most dazzling, with a display of light and colour over the whole island you can even see from the ocean. At the start of the New Year, you’ll see people singing in the streets. These are the Janeiras (new year’s carollers). They sing traditional songs and those who pass by are wished a Happy New Year full of luck.
For many people if you mention Portugal as a holiday destination they will conjure up images of neatly clipped golf courses, luxurious villas, modern resorts and sandy white beaches of the southern Algarve. Yet away from that package holiday haven lies another country, equally as tempting for different reasons.
In the Atlantic lies the Portuguese Emerald island of Madeira. With it’s sub- tropical climate Madeira boasts a fantastic variety of fruit, flowers and vegetation. Plunging cliffs and steep cultivated and terraced fields create a dramatic holiday destination for those seeking peace and relaxation.