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Original poster

Portugal Advice

22 replies

Crewcut · 22/02/2023 06:39

I am in the USA and my 22 & 19 yr old daughters are planning on spending the summer traveling in Europe, so we thought we would meet up for a family holiday and bring our teen. My husband visited (during the winter) about 10 years ago and loved it and we also are considering retiring there so I want to look around.
Can you advise on lovely areas with beaches that would avoid the British/German rowdy crowd? I heard the Algarve is not a nice place to visit because of that. Is this accurate? Thanks.

OP posts:
Michellebops · 22/02/2023 06:42

What's wrong with British and German rowdy crowds??

I think you're being a little snobby..

If you want to avoid us then go onto Lisbon and go up or down the west coast!

Mindymomo · 22/02/2023 06:46

The Algarve in Portugal is lovely, Vale de Lobo is a very exclusive resort, which sounds what you are looking for. Avoid Albufera, that’s where the youngsters go partying.

Captainladder · 22/02/2023 06:55

Lots of lovely places in the algarve - if you stay away from the main tourist hot spots. Rent a villa rather than stay in a hotel and you should manage to avoid the "holiday" crowd?
my mother has a place there and we go in the summer.
Tavira has a lovely beach, the beach on faro island is good (less sloping and better for kids I think!)
we go to the beach on Trafal usually. Not seen many "rowdy" English / Germans there.....

Ylvamoon · 22/02/2023 06:55

areas with beaches that would avoid the British/German rowdy crowd

You lost me there! Better stay away from Europe.

redspottedmug · 22/02/2023 06:57

Head to the western algarve.

ScentOfAMemory · 22/02/2023 08:07

Ignore the sniping. (It's because you're American, if you'd asked the same question without saying that they'd have agreed with you)
Most of the Algarve is beautiful and not many resorts attract the typical Brits abroad. I'd avoid Albufera and Vilamoura- still not full of McDonald's and puking in the street but definitely more of a young good time vibe.

Tavira, Carvoeiro, Alvor, Olhos d'agua all beautiful.

ScentOfAMemory · 22/02/2023 08:08

Michellebops · 22/02/2023 06:42

What's wrong with British and German rowdy crowds??

I think you're being a little snobby..

If you want to avoid us then go onto Lisbon and go up or down the west coast!

Weird to admit to being rowdy when on holiday.
How embarrassing.

WarningToTheCurious · 22/02/2023 09:02

The Western Algarve is lovely, we’ve stayed at Lagos several times, and I’d also look at the Silver Coast between Lisbon and Porto, we’ve stayed around Lourinhã and São Martinho do Porto. Both Lisbon and Porto are great to visit.

TheLeadbetterLife · 22/02/2023 09:13

The Algarve is beautiful, and other than The Strip (the nightclub-strewn street in Albufeira) in August, it's not rowdy at all.

The beaches are full in the Summer of course, but it's just families doing beach stuff.

Get out into the villages and hills and it's peaceful and old-fashioned, and the weather is fabulous.

If you want to be walking distance to a beach there are lots of quiet villa estates on the coast. If you don't mind driving I would rent a countryside or village house somewhere like Porches, Alte, or Paderne. You'd be fairly central then for visiting the east and the west. The western side is wilder, with cliffs and rougher sea. The eastern side has a big estuary at Faro with lots of wildlife. Faro also has some very interesting modern architecture.

Starlightgreen · 22/02/2023 09:16

Olhos de agua is stunning. It is on the algarve. You don’t get British lager louts there.

Think beautiful sandy beaches, fresh seafood… bliss!

midsomermurderess · 22/02/2023 12:26

The Alentejo Is a very lovely region. It has a coast and also a beautiful rural interior. Not many rowdy lager-lout Brits or Germans there.

girlmeetsboy · 22/02/2023 12:36

I second Carvoeiro, we stay in May every year and its the perfect size for us to have a relaxing holiday, plenty of restaurants and a lovely beach.

Oblomov23 · 22/02/2023 12:40

I think the Algarve gets a bad reputation but most parts are just lovely. I've been to Lisbon and Alvor before and going to both again this May. Totally different places, both lovely.

Galadriel90 · 22/02/2023 12:42

I avoid rowdy brits too op! Another vote for Alvor here. Lovely small town by the sea with the most fabulous beach. Went last spring and everything was covered with flowers.

PillBoxes · 22/02/2023 12:45

Watching with interest. To those of you who are familiar with the Southern coastal region, is it easy to get a train to points East, and if so where would you recommend for two codgers who want a relatively quiet place but with restaurants, good (flat) walks, and a bit of life about it! Thank you.

Mangolist · 22/02/2023 12:55

East is much quieter than West. Smaller places like Fuseta, Santa Luzia and even Tavira for fewer tourists (if you don't want them!) The train goes from west to East and is really regular. We go every year

PillBoxes · 22/02/2023 13:14

Mangolist · 22/02/2023 12:55

East is much quieter than West. Smaller places like Fuseta, Santa Luzia and even Tavira for fewer tourists (if you don't want them!) The train goes from west to East and is really regular. We go every year

Thanks. Was actually looking at Tavira but know nothing about it! Was thinking we might stay around there and (somehow or other) go across the border to Cadiz, then up to Seville and home from there, having flown into Faro first. Or vice versa.

Looking at the streetview it looks very nice around St. Luzia.

TheLeadbetterLife · 22/02/2023 15:08

Galadriel90 · 22/02/2023 12:42

I avoid rowdy brits too op! Another vote for Alvor here. Lovely small town by the sea with the most fabulous beach. Went last spring and everything was covered with flowers.

Spring in the Algarve countryside is stunning. Wildflower meadows everywhere - poppies, camomile, lavender, penny royal, borage, fennel, thyme. And of course the orange blossom. Blue skies, birds of all kinds, goats grazing. Fabulous.

Mangolist · 22/02/2023 15:17

PillBoxes · 22/02/2023 13:14

Thanks. Was actually looking at Tavira but know nothing about it! Was thinking we might stay around there and (somehow or other) go across the border to Cadiz, then up to Seville and home from there, having flown into Faro first. Or vice versa.

Looking at the streetview it looks very nice around St. Luzia.

Show quote history

It's beautiful. You can get a ferry to the 'spit' of beach which is amazing. Walk for a while and you'll see nobody. Ditto in Fuseta. We have got little boats across and literally been the only people on a deserted stretch of sand!
Tavira is bigger and more bustly, but the castle is worth a visit for sure

ohfook · 22/02/2023 15:25

Just stay away from Albufeira and you'll be fine.
Sagres in the Algarve is beautiful and the Alentejo region of Portugal is lovely too. I love Lisbon too and caixas, estoril and Sinatra near to Lisbon are really nice. Basically Portugal is amazing you won't regret going!

Holidayqueen1 · 22/02/2023 15:26

Another vote for Tavira and St Luzia- gorgeous! The Alentejo also nice and like a pp we have also stayed on the silver coast in Lourinha which was lovely- good surfing waves too. When we went we had a sea grey every day ( in August) so it was a bit chilly, not sure whether we were just unlucky but worth checking out!

Michellebops · 22/02/2023 17:11

@ScentOfAMemory hahaha I've never been rowdy in my life.

However I am Scottish so our accent is entirely enough to make people cringe.

But you're assumption of me definitely cheered me up.

Run along now as I didn't admit to anything

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