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Take a look at The Villa Agency

The Villa Agency are specialists in Portugal and nearly all their villas have fine pools. 
They are one of the few remaining privately owned villa rental companies specialising in Portugal. They are fully bonded so your money is 100% safe. 

I have spent some time browsing round their site at http://www.thevillaagency.co.uk/ and their selection of villas looks superb. Also their attention to detail and honesty are refreshing. This is what they say on their front page:

"When you telephone us you will hear a friendly voice, not a recorded multiple choice announcement. We love talking about our villas and have all the time in the world to assist you. Among our staff are mums who take their children to our villas and are happy to discuss each property with you, helping to choose the right one for your family. We can provide a free cot and highchair if required.

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. 

2012 Holidays in Portugal Start Here !!

Happy New Year!! 2012 will see the Chinese Rabbit move over for the Chinese Dragon on January 23rd but forget all that, it's time to start thinking about the most important leisure activity of your year - your holidays. Mirandasbeach is here to help - and the assistance that sites like ours can give is often invaluable, with independent ideas, brimming with variety and so simple and easy to browse.
So whatever your 2012 holiday aspirations - adventure, luxury, family self catering, camping, indoor pool, beach or something completely different, have a good look round and hopefully you will find something that you cannot resist!
And if double dip doom and gloom are getting you and your pocket down then rest assured there is plenty here at Mirandasbeach that has been chosen for it competetive pricing - we are all feeling the pinch except the super rich - and in my business plan I do not have the super rich down as my key target audience - perhaps I'm doing something wrong!!?

Portugal For The Over Fifties

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.

Of course when we think of over fifties holidays we think of SAGA - so I think you should too they are worth a look in my view

Please sppend some time looking around the Mirandasbeach Portugal Holidays site - it is completely independent and we are not trying to sell you anything - it was started because we love holidays and we love Portugal - it is an important resource of top Protugal Holiday links so bookmark it and enjoy!!

Mountain Biking in the Algarve

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.

Sometimes its best to relax on a beach, but that does not suit everyone and sometimes adrenolin needs to pump. Also, the beer does taste better after a long day biking in the Algarve hills!!

Manor House Of Tears

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 !

Albufeira - in the Algarve

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.

Holiday in Portugal - No Regrets !

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 !

Something Different - The Serra de Estrela

The region with Portugal's highest mountain peaks is off the beaten track for most tourists visiting this country. This makes an active holiday break here attractive, given the areas outstanding beauty and perfect setting for great mountain biking and hiking. It is Portugal's largest National Park and the only two rivers that start and end within Portugal's boundaries cross the park - Rio Mondego and Rio Zezere (a classic boulder strewn glacial river).

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 turistrela

Near 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.html

Beautiful Portugal Awaits You !

Portugal is a truly lovely place - I have been there many times and it has never disappointed. More laid back than its macho neighbour, Spain, and there is so much to discover. At the Mirandasbeach Holidays in Portugal Directory you will find hundreds of site links and ideas for all sorts of different types of holiday in Portugal:

Activity Holidays Portugal

Fishing Holidays Portugal

Family Holidays in Portugal

Golf Holidays in Portugal

Holidays in North Portugal

Luxury Holidays Portugal

Holidays in Madeira

Paint and Cook in Portugal

I hope you find the Portugal Holiday of your dreams !

Portugal 2008

It is always a good year to visit Portugal and 2008 is no exception. From the Algarve to the Port Houses of Porto, the stunning countryside of North Portugal and the buzz of Lisbon, Portugal has so much to offer. We have been scouring high and low to find you interesting and tempting holiday ideas in this beautiful country, so have a look round and see if our hand picked directory has something to catch your eye.

By the way, for those of you looking for walking holidays in Portugal (and I know it is popular !), one place worth a look is Headwater who have a good selection of ideas for both guided and independent walking in Portugal, as well as in many other countries.

Also - do not forget our Luxury section, and of course our popular Painting and Cooking in Portugal section, which are brimming with those out of the ordinary holiday concepts that could tempt you into something a bit different this year.

Happy new year ! and good hunting.

Golf in Portugal - you have got to try it !

So, you want to bash a little white ball around a beautiful course in a country famed for its friendliness and relaxed atmosphere ? You want to hit birdies galore and then retire to the nineteenth and enjoy some of the finest wines or even an exceptional port ? Portugal really is a golfer's paradise ! You'll find a lot of useful Portugal Golf Holiday links at the Golfing Section at our Holidays in Portugal site - enjoy

Porto and the Douro Valley

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.

Journey inland along the beautiful Rio Douro, the main artery of the port wine industry. You could elect to take a fantastic five-day luxury cruise up river and enjoy the magnificent landscapes of this world heritage site. If that is too much and you do not want to miss your meal at Miguel Castro Silva’s Bull & Bear (Av Boavista) then wile away a few hours on a rabelo, and get a feel for the river and its beauty.

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

Pasteis de Nata

Pasteis de Nata are delightfully sweet, mellow custard tarts that are all the rage in Lisbon. So if you are planning a trip to Portugal's capital you must see if you catch the addiction. Near the waterfront in the Lisbon district of Belem is the Antiga Confeitaria de Belem, which is famous for making thousands of these nuggets of indulgence a day. You can by them on the premises, but you won't get the recipe ! only three chefs at a time know it and they are sworn to secrecy, never get drunk on their own, and don't take bribes. however, they will give you little sachets of icing sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on your Pasteis de Nata which is very very nice of them. In the summer they are open 7 days a week and open from 8.00am until midnight - so there is no excuse not get on down and let a little bit of Portuguese heritage into your stomach.

Although the recipe is secret you'll find an approximation at leitesculinaria.com

And, if you think it would be cool to shack up near your favourite Custard Tart supplier then try this site for a good selection of Holiday Apartments in Belem, Lisbon.
http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/belem/

Belem is 6km West of Lisbon City Centre - so you may want to be more central, and settle for getting your tarts from less prestigous outlets - so try these sites for more general Lisbon accomodation:
Virtual Portugal
HolidayCityEurope
Hotel Club

And for the more poetic of you - how about the Lisbon Poets Hostel
"Between alleys and old streets, Lisbon Poets Hostel is your best way of getting to know the mythic Lisbon, at the right place to breath it."

20 Rural retreats in Portugal

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:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/mar/25/portugal.escape

Inter Rail away the Blues !

Back twenty or more years ago, if you asked any long or short haired student what they were going to do in their summer holidays then “InterRail around Europe" was the standard reply even from the skint ones. Not much could better the joy of owning that railpass that was going to give you unlimited train travel all over Europe. It was cheap and run jointly by all the national railways. It was started in 1973 and was the “cosmic pass” that opened the doors of Europe to young people eager to make the grand European tour by train, with the freedom to go where they liked and exactly when they wanted. Of course InterRail soon became a cult of huge proportions and young adults were InterRailing all over the continent creating there own adventures as the mood took them North to Scandinavia or through Germany down to the beaches of the Mediterranean.

Budget airlines have cast a shadow over InterRail in recent years, but now that the carbon footprint of air travel is a consideration and environmental awareness is increasing all over, it’s an interesting time for InterRail to offer a completely new range of passes on sale from April 1 this year, and it looks like InterRail is positioned for a powerful return to prominence. The new ticket range offers loads of options and good value, but importantly for anyone over 26 years old InterRail is no longer just for backpacker youth either. There are passes for those of us over 26 and our kids, in both first and second class.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.

The 10 days in 22 days pass allows you to go there and back by train for £175 (under 26) or £263 (over 26). It gives plenty of time for stopovers in Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest or even Transylvania, and of course you can go out on one route and come back on another.

Travel on comfortable (some of the time !) daytime trains or make good use of the overnight sleepers to save on hotel bills and cover big distances. You can get into the thrill and pace of the long train journey – something I enjoy so much more than air travel. It’s not all about getting there as quick as possible, it’s about the journey, the scenery, the people you can meet and the freedom you can feel. And it is that freedom that InterRail gives you that you don't get with the strict itinerary of pre-booked non-changeable air fares. If the mood takes you, you can stay longer; if you are not keen to stay, you can move on to somewhere new. With InterRail and the European train network, you can really go where the fancy takes you.
· For more information on InterRail passes, see raileurope.co.uk, interrailnet.com or seat61.com/Railpass.htm.

Cow Parade

Why now? The Cow Parade in Lisbon, from May-October is the largest public art event in the world. Nowhere else can you watch a herd of multi-coloured glass-fibre cattle being painted by artists who have been so inspired by their gentle bovine muses that they must paint en mass using many bright colours and fantastic designs!
Getting there from Heathrow on TAP (flytap.com), Gatwick with Monarch (flymonarch.com), which has fares under £10 in May, or Luton on easyJet (easyjet.com).
Where to stay: Hotel Metropole (00351 2132 19030, almeida hotels.com) has a great location in Lisbon's main square, from £79 per night. Pricey but nice Bairro Alto (+21340 8288, bairroaltohotel .com), doubles from €280 B&B.
Where to eat: The stylish Bica do Sapato on Avenida Infante Dom Henrique.What to buy Tiles of course, Lisbon's traditional decorative art, from Fábrica Santana, Rua do Alecrim 95. Also marble-encrusted Estromoz jugs and bowls by Vista Alegre at Largo do Chiado 20.

Portugal is a Walkers Paradise

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.


Or there is always the beautiful Lima Valley:
Portugal
Introductory / moderate walking holidays
2007: 14 Apr, 26 May, 6 Oct, 20 Oct
From GB £625 (8 days) excluding flights.
The week offers a rich variety of walks from the dunes of the Atlantic to the wild mountains of the Serra de Peneda.
http://www.responsibletravel.com/Trip/Trip101430.htm




Hidden Portugal - 8 days from £479pp
Guardian holiday offers
Hidden Portugal - 8 days from £479pp
For more information, call 0870 836 0760 or email gux@newmarket-group.co.uk
Departs
June 7, 14, 28; September 6, 28, 2007
From Stansted and Liverpool

http://travel.guardian.co.uk/article/2006/nov/03/portugal.portugal


Try these walking holidays in the emerald Island of Madeira:
http://www.sherpa-walking-holidays.co.uk/tours/inntoinn/jimdos.htm

Enjoy some Christmas Magic in Portugal

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.

Or there’s Christmas and New Year on the beautiful island of Madeira, that is mild all year round:
http://www.whatsonwhen.com
British Airways (www.ba.com) flies to Funchal, Madeira, from Gatwick up to seven times a week this winter, with one way all inclusive fares starting at £59.

More about traditions:
http://www.santas.net/portuguesechristmas.htm
Guardians latest holiday offers in Portugal:
http://travel.guardian.co.uk/readeroffers/portugal
An overview of Portugal:
The travel guardians Portugal section

Portugal has so much to offer !

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.
A country which, though becoming increasingly popular, is still relatively untouched by the excesses of modern tourism. It still manages to exude a natural beauty, a unique sense of place, character and vibrancy. Why not discover this wonderful country for yourself.

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.
Most of the island is a conservation area which benefits it’s rare flowers. Lilies, orchids, magnolias, hydrangeas, bougainvillaea, jacarandas and azaleas bloom in abundance throughout the year and fill the air with a fragrant sweetness.
Why not spend your time wandering along the footpaths beside the “levadas” (small man-made irrigation canals) that wind their way around the island.