The Old Village Vilamoura

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Algarve Golf Courses

• Alto
• Benamore
• Castro Marim
• Carvoeiro Vale da Pinta
• Carvoeiro Gramacho
• Pinheiros Altos
• Quinta do Lago
• Quinta do Lago Ria Formosa
• San Lorenço
• Vale do Lobo Royal
• Vale do Lobo Ocean
• Vilamoura Pinhal
• Vilamoura Laguna
• Vilamoura Old Course
• Vilamoura Millennium
• Vila Sol
• Pine Cliffs
• Salgados
• Penina Championship
• Penina Resort Course
• Palmares
• Boavista
• Parque da Florest
• Boavista
• Quinta da Cima
• Quinta da Ria

 

Vilamoura Algarve Portugal

Europe's largest, most complete and diversified tourist resort has turned into a unique spot to live in or spend glorious holidays.
The dream began about 40 years ago and has never stopped - those early ideas and blueprints have turned into today's reality. A unique destination in the national and international tourist scene, Vilamoura is the answer for those searching for a special place.

Its temperate climate and beautiful landscape are combined with sustained and sustainable development. Vilamoura grew but has nevertheless maintained its environmental heritage. Quality reigns in the resort and is followed religiously in all aspects: infrastructures, landscaping, roads, hotel units, housing complexes, sports and leisure facilities. This harmonious development is Vilamoura's brand image at the start of this new millennium.
Whether at the splendorous marina, the prestigious golf courses or the colourful and diversified shopping area, Vilamoura has everything you could ask for, including tranquility and good taste.
Around here the days melt into a sequence of memorable moments: on a yacht, a golf course, a walk along the beach or the excitement of radical sports. The lively nightlife is the perfect way to end a day lived well and intensely. An outdoor café overlooking the marina is the ideal moment to propose a toast to the best that life has to offer: Vilamoura, naturally.
Vilamoura never stops.
There is always something going on. Look towards the horizon and you'll see sails glistening against the endless blue backdrop, look inland and watch dozens of horses strutting at the equestrian centre. Chances are you'll pay a visit the resort at the time of one of the major international golf tournaments or when you can see the best international game fishermen sailing excitedly from the marina, keen to catch a prize-winning white or blue marlin.

Vilamoura has unmatched conditions for a number of outdoor and indoor activities, and it has therefore attracted a variety of renowned international events. The International Carnival Regatta, one of Europe's largest, is already a tradition, as well as the International Horse-Jumping Contest that every year attracts many of the world's top equestrians.
But golf, sailing and equestrianism are not the only sports at Vilamoura. Residents and visitors alike can unwind at a Lawn Bowling Club, Tennis Club, Diving Club or other top quality sports facilities.
Vilamoura's Sports Park, a 20-hectare green area, has an exceptionally good cross-country grass track on which the acclaimed International Almond Blossom Cross-Country Race is held annually. The park has ideal facilities for outdoor sports including a grass football pitch used for training by some of Europe's best football teams. It is also used by the Vilamoura Football School to coach its aspiring young players.
But Vilamoura's essence is incomplete without an historical account. And, in fact, its known history spans back to the 1st century A.D. when Romans started living here. Visit the Cerro da Vila Museum and the Archaeological Site to take a glimpse back in time when those early settlers made this place their home.
Whether it's a morning jog on one of the various tracks, a parasailing flight or a dive into the coast's enticing blue waters, Vilamoura encourages you to be physically active everyday.

Vilamoura offers you every thing needed to enjoy your holiday including, 5 top quality golf courses, The marina celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1999. Just as Vilamoura has matured well over the years, so has the marina. It has established itself as an enjoyable place to visit, an interesting, fun place to be. It can offer visiting sailors just about everything - excellent services, full technical back-up and friendly, efficient staff - with plenty to do when the work is done!

Vilamoura is a special place, a unique leisure and recreation resort community where the pace of life is so easy it feels like summer all year round. Designed from the start to be self-sufficient, Vilamoura is ideally located, features a wide choice of prime accommodation, including The Old Village Apartment complex offers the commercial structure for day-to-day needs and is bursting with sporting and leisure facilities for the whole family. It is a place for rest and relaxation but also for pursuing active pastimes and all types of sports, including 5 of the best golf courses in the Algarve, "Algarve Golf Heaven"; a friendly and safe residential haven, but also a vibrant and exciting night-life centre. It is a luxury hotel, a private villa or a serviced apartment for the visitor, but also a home to the resident and seasonal population. It is Portuguese, but also truly cosmopolitan. Away from the hectic pace and the stress of the modern world, all who visit are revitalised by the lifestyle, the convenience and the hospitality of this truly special place.

Vilamoura and the Environment, Vilamoura is well known for its environmental management program, and in particular the Vilamoura XXI initiative which won the 1999 'Tourism and Environmental Award' granted by the Imobiliário (Real Estate) magazine in the its Real Estate Oscars feature. Vilamoura was also one of only two European tourism destinations honoured in 1999 by the prestigious US magazine Condé Nast Traveler in its Ecotourism Awards category.

Vilamoura also has the renowned Green Globe 21 Award

Courtesy of Lusotur SA.

Hottest Summer Yet 2007

If you love basking in the sun then you are in for a treat this year as 2007 is predicted to be the worlds hottest on record, according to weather experts.

The worlds 10 warmest years have all been within the last 12 years and this latest forecast is based on climate change and the release of heat from warmer oceans due to the El Nino effect.

The UK’s Met Office predicts that the average temperature across the world over the course of the 12-months, January to December, will be 0.54 degrees warmer than the long-term average of 14 degrees.

They also believe there is a 60 per cent probability that 2007 will be as warm as, or warmer than, 1998 – which was 0.52 degrees above average and the world’s hottest year since records began in 1850.

However, the news is not all good. “This new information represents another warning that climate change is happening around the world,” said Met Office scientist Katie Hopkins.

Scientists have repeatedly warned that the longer the world delays making the environmental changes needed, the greater the risks of more extreme weather, including droughts, bush fires and coastal flooding.

A recent World Meteorological Organisation report found that 2006 was likely to be the sixth hottest on record, marked by droughts in Spain and Portugal, heavy flooding in the Horn of Africa, record number of bush fires in the US and the warmest autumn in Europe.

This week, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology released its annual Climate Statement, which confirmed that Australia was getting warmer slightly faster than the global average. Australia’s hottest year by far was in 2005, when the average annual temperature soared to 1.06 degrees above normal.

US weird winter weather

Meanwhile, over in the US, most of the Midwest and East Coast has been basking in one of the warmest winters on record, with temperatures running 10 and 20 degrees higher than normal in many places. For the first time in almost 130 years there was no snow in New York City throughout November and New Jersey had its warmest December since records began.

The causes are thought to be El Nino, a cyclical warming trend now under way in the Pacific Ocean, which can lead to milder weather and the jet stream, the high-altitude air current that works like a barricade to hold back warm Southern air, which is running much farther north than usual over the East coast.

Cold blast in the Balearics

However, over in the Spanish Balearic islands, Majorca, Ibiza and Minorca have been experiencing the worst cold front of the winter. Heavy showers caused severe flooding in parts of Ibiza and gale force winds caused several accidents. Sea crossings were also hit by the weather and many sailings between the islands and the mainland had to be suspended. People were advised to stay away from the beaches, while home owners and tourists were advised to clear their balconies of any loose objects.

Courtesy of Algarve Resident

Accommodation

It's easy to find somewhere to stay for your dream holiday in the Algarve. There is a wide variety of excellent accommodation, such as boarding houses, apartments and villas for rent, campsites and pousadas, all around the region.

Tourist accommodation is classified as follows:

Hotels: offering a diversified supply of services and the possibility of meals; classified from 1 to 5 stars, depending on the quality of the facilities and services provided, as well as the location of the hotel.
Aparthotels: offering all the services of a hotel, as well as greater independence; classified from 2 to 5 stars.
Boarding Houses (Pensões): classified as "Albergarias" of the first, second or third category, “Pensões” are seen as a less expensive alternative to hotels.
Inns (Estalagens): friendly and welcoming hotel accommodation offering visitors all the typical characteristics and comforts of the surrounding region; classified from 4 to 5 stars.
Motels: offering direct access from outside and equipped with private parking facilities; always located close to the main road; classified from 2 to 3 stars.
Pousadas (State-run Luxury Hotels): located in areas of exceptional beauty or in ancient monasteries, castles or palaces; divided into four categories: Historical, Historical Design, Nature and Charm. Accommodation is best booked in advance (ENATUR - Pousadas de Portugal: www.pousadas.pt).
Tourist Villages: accommodation classified from 3 to 5 stars; located in areas that include various services and support facilities.
Tourist Apartments: for those who wish to enjoy complete autonomy; classified from 2 to 5 stars.

Note: Hotels and Boarding Houses that only offer bed and breakfast and have no restaurant service are classified as Residenciais (B&B). In all forms of hotel accommodation, restaurants and travel agencies, a complaints book is always available.

Tourism in the Country (Turismo no espaço rural – TER)
Offers a wide range of private accommodation at magnificent country estates, manor houses and farms, where guests are welcomed into a warm family atmosphere. Guests enjoy a unique opportunity to mix with the local people and discover the regional traditions, in a special environment where they can commune constantly with nature.
This type of accommodation is identified with a metal plaque bearing the letters "TER" and is classified as follows:
Tourism in a Manor-house (Turismo de Habitação - TH): Manor houses or residential houses of recognised architectural, historical or cultural value and adequate dimensions, with quality furniture and decoration.
Rural Tourism (Turismo Rural - TR): Rustic houses having the characteristics of the rural environment in which they are located, being simultaneously used as the proprietor’s home.
Agricultural Tourism (Agro-turismo - AG): Houses or their complements forming part of a farming estate, where tourists may take part in the work on the farm or in complementary activities.
Country Houses (Casas de campo - CC): Private houses or shelter houses located in rural areas and providing accommodation, whether their proprietors live on the premises or not.
Tourism in a Village (Turismo de Aldeia - TA): Accommodation services provided in a tourist development consisting of at least five private houses. Located in a historic village, rural centre or village, maintaining the traditional urban, aesthetic and scenic appearance of the local region.
Rural Hotels (Hotéis Rurais): These family-run hotels are located in country areas, away from the large urban centres. They are run directly by their owners or relatives, who also use them as their own homes.

Camping Campsites are divided into two groups, classified from 1 to 4 stars: public campsites, open to all those who pay at the entrance; and private campsites where admission is restricted to members or special beneficiaries. These latter sites must display the letter "P".
To stay overnight, campers will need to identify themselves either through their passport, identity card or a camper's card issued by a national organisation or the "carnet camping" from the F.I.C.C (Fédération Internationale de Camping et Caravanning).

A very personal way of doing, feeling and celebrating
Much more than its magnificent beaches and favourable climate, the Algarve offers up its broad and diverse ethnographic heritage as a wonderful complement to its sun and sea. Indeed, such heritage justifies its very own consideration. The Algarve is home to customs dating back centuries, traditions that have survived the ages in the company of the region's built heritage and can be enjoyed all year round. And the customs particularly come to life on the occasion of festivals (such as Easter, Christmas, Spring or many others) set against a backdrop of buildings dating back to both distant and recent times. Naturally, such dates include the very best of the regional cuisine. Throughout the centuries, the Algarve's inhabitants have stood guard over a legacy that so richly deserves a closer look.

All you need to live life to the full!
Simultaneously cosmopolitan and rustic, the Algarve may be enjoyed in all its calm or all its excitement, depending on your mood or preference.
For those seeking the best in bars and discos, the Algarve nightlife features the very latest in music, and every kind of hot spot has its own respective cult followings. All across the region, there is a plethora of café terraces, discos, marinas, casinos, bars and restaurants providing atmospheres to satisfy all tastes.
There is also a great deal on offer during the day. From the theme parks to the shopping malls, including every type of cultural event, quality is guaranteed to ensure your holidays take on that very special dimension.
For those wishing to take a calmer approach to life, the options on offer range from the sophistication of Thalassotherapy centres to the healthy life of a Spa resort or the peace and quiet of a rural estate.