LOULÉ, 16 km northwest of Faro along a good road, is a vibrant and typically Algarvean market town set in almond-covered foothills. It is an ancient town, but only remnants of its once Roman, later Moorish castle walls remain. The castle walls are in the central area which is best known among visitors for its craftsmen, its old-world charm and its keenness to party.

As you stroll around the narrow, cobbled streets, you will come across dimly-lit workshops. Peer in through the gloom and you will find artisans beating copper, stitching leather or selling wrought-iron, cane furniture, basketwork or embroidered goods.

Visit Loulé at Carnaval time, usually February, and you won't see much gloom. The merrymaking doesn't quite rival that in Rio de Janeiro, but people from all over the Algarve converge on the town for a couple of days of float and fancy-dress parades, general high-spirits, youthful high jinks and sometimes unfunny practical jokes involving fireworks or paint. If you intend to attend, wear old clothes.

The VILAMOURA complex farther west is reputedly the biggest private holiday development in Portugal and perhaps the whole of Europe. Amid quality hotels and masses of apartments, this is a holiday playground offering a large marina, a choice of three golf courses and a wide range of other sports facilities. For those with the means to avoid heavy road traffic, there's even a private airstrip. The Roman gentry liked it here too. You can visit the site of a first-century nobleman's villa.

It is such a vast sprawl, and even though it is copiously signposted, it can be a confusing place to find your way around. Outside of the individual complexes within the overall complex, the heart of the matter is really the yacht-crammed marina. There are many restaurants and bars on or near the marina quayside.

Nearby, the Vilamoura Casino is not quite up to Las Vegas standards, but you can try your luck on the one-armed bandits or on the more serious gaming tables. The cavernous casino restaurant features a nightly floor show with high-kicking dancers. For film buffs there's a comfortable cinema with English-language films.

Standing somewhat less salubriously next to Vilamoura is the once-upon-a-time but alas long-gone "quaint little fishing village" of QUARTEIRA. It's now a big beach resort. Over the past 15 years or so, Quarteira has been messed up, built up and now, thankfully, cleaned up.The neighbours over in Vilamoura might look down their noses and the Quinta do Lago folks wouldn't be seen dead there, but masses of package holiday-makers actually enjoy Quarteira's combination of high-rise apartments and down-to-earth diversions.

It has an extra-long beach and certainly no shortage of eating-houses and watering-holes with grub which is familiar enough no matter what language you speak.

The keyword at Quinta do Lago is exclusivity. It is apparent in every aspect, but most of all is the sumptuous properties - three, four and five bedroom luxury villas with pool and garden. Since the estate’s creation in 1972, a strict low-density building policy of eight percent of the total area has been observed and the staged release of land by the main developing company, Planal S.A., ensures that there is only a limited number of exclusive plots available at any one time. Without a doubt, Quinta do Lago is a very special place. Don’t you owe it to yourself to be a part of it?

Golf is a way of life at Quinta do Lago, in the Algarve, Portugal - and rightly so. Host to the Portuguese Open TPC seven times, the championship Quinta do Lago courses are acknowleged as among the best in the world. Part of an internationally-recognised natural park, Quinta do Lago has centuries-old scented pine forests and fresh and seawater lakes as the setting for acres of lush fairways and manicured greens.


Visit: Câmara Municipal de Loulé