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Previous issues for Faro
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Portugal : Faro - March 2010
Country Code: Dial 1 for PortugalThe green shoots of economic recovery are becoming evident as spring arrives in the Algarve, so what better time to splash out on a little self-indulgence at the higher end of the market? Paul Rouse flexes his credit card
Getting around
Faro International Airport
Bus: Eva Bus connects the airport with the city centre. Services run every 30 minutes from 7.05am to 9.15pm. The journey takes 20 minutes and a return ticket costs €4 while a single ticket costs €1,55.
Train: A single journey from the airport to Faro for up to four passengers costs around €15 and takes 15 minutes.
Tourist information: The main tourist office is at 8-11 Rua da Misericordia (tel. , visitportugal.com).
FARO AND THE EASTERN ALGARVE
Faro is the gateway to the Golden Triangle of Vale do Lobo, Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura – an area of designer resorts, gourmet dining and some of Europe’s top golf courses.
Sleep soundly – Opening in May, the five-star Real Marina Hotel & Spa (Olhão, tel. , realhotels group.com, ‘soft opening’ rates from €85) occupies a prime waterfront position, and will have two restaurants, two bars, a thalassotherapy spa, health club, panoramic outdoor pool, business centre and conference facilities.
Culture vultures – Take a golf lesson from resident pro Antonio Sobrinho at Vale do Lobo (valedolobo.com), then play 18 holes at one of the resort’s two championship courses (the Royal and the Ocean). Non-golfing partners can indulge themselves with the range of treatments at the sumptuous Royal Spa.
Must eat – It’s wise to come hungry and meat-loving to São Gabriel (Estrada Vale do Lobo-Quinta do Lago, tel. ). This Michelin-starred Germanic paradise serves pheasant, quail and 30-hour cooked beef, and makes few concessions to nouvelle cuisine pretensions. And there’s a new name and style of cooking for the former Ermitage, now transformed into the Uruguayan steakhouse Gourmet Natural (Estrada Ferrarias-Almancil, Almancil, tel. ). Sizzling steaks cooked over a firewood-flame barbecue are the order of the day here – choose from rib eye, sirloin, fillet and rump.
Dance the night away – Piano bar, Japanese restaurant, lounge garden or late-night disco? Take your pick at T Clube (Buganvilia Plaza, Quinta do Lago), which draws a crowd spanning the age spectrum. Top DJs grace the turntables at one of the Algarve’s hippest nightspots.
Shop til you drop – You know you’re in a top-end supermarket when it has its own made-to-order sushi section. Apolónia (Avenida 5 de Outubro, Almancil) also has a superb selection of meat, fish, everyday items and luxury foodstuffs, and is a great place to stock up on Portuguese wine. It even produces its own glossy magazine, packed with recipes and restaurant reviews.
FURTHER AFIELD – LUXURY ALGARVE
If there’s a special celebration coming up, spoil your loved one – and yourself – with some of these great suggestions for a memorable occasion.
Sleep soundly – Barely an hour from the coast but in another world, Herdade dos Grous (Albernôa, tel. , herdadedosgrous.com, rooms from €125) is an exclusive Alentejo country estate offering luxury accommodation in an idyllic rural setting. Dine on fresh produce from the organic farm, taste the award-winning wines and enjoy a range of leisure pursuits, including walking, boating and horse riding.
Culture vultures – Why not arrive in style at your hotel, villa, golf course or social event? VIP Chauffeurs (vipchauffeurs-algarve.com) offers a limousine transfer service, complete with smart and courteous driver. Or get a bird’s-eye view of the spectacular Algarve coast with a helicopter trip courtesy of Algarve Helicopters (tel. ) – you can even take the controls if your nerve holds.
Must eat – Find out why everybody is talking about the Algarve’s latest Michelin-starred restaurant, The Ocean (Vila Vita Parc Resort, Porches, tel. ), where chef Hans Neuner gives an Austrian twist to locally-caught produce. Try St Peter fish with cream, pear and macadamias, or mussels with pumpkin and honeyed caramel. And if you want to impress with your cooking skills or need ideas for dinner parties, book a cookery masterclass with Fine Dining In Style (Almancil, tel. ). Michelin-trained chef Sascha Epphardt lets you in on some tricks of the trade, then you and your guests eat the fruits of your labours in the company’s private dining room, with waiter service (and washing up) provided.
Shop til you drop – There’s a wide variety of paintings and photographs from Algarve-based artists on sale at Londot Gallery (611 rua Cristovao Pires, tel. ), including work by João Viegas, Jessica Dunn, John Lamonby and Meinke Flesseman.
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Previous issues for Faro
|
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| Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, please confirm event/venue details in advance. |
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