We've collected together some of the 'things to do' suggestions from both ourselves and from various groups who have stayed in the villa. Hopefully they may help you make the most of your stay, please do send us suggestions of your own.

Weather

For most of the summer it is sunny in Aljezur although some days a sea mist can roll in and linger. It tends not to rain between May and September. Still it is always nice to know that tomorrow will be sunny too. Expect the temperature to be heading towards 30ºC during the day and down to a comfortable 18ºC in the evenings. We recommend the following weather web-sites;

• AccuWeather (Aljezur)
  
• MetCheck (Aljezur)
• Ventusky - do play about with this weather map, it is stunning if you zoom out to a global scale.

Restaurants

If you are going to be out here on holiday then naturally you will on occasion/frequently be eating out. Luckily there is no end of good restaurants in the area, here are a few of our favourites;

• Varzea This restaurant opposite the Intermarché (leave your car in the supermarket's car park) is run by the team behind Gulli which was in its time a fantastic bistro. Same sense of style but more focused on Portuguese cuisine. Outstanding food and value for money. Link


• Pont´a Pé, by the footbridge in the old part of Aljezur, put your name down for a table then walk up to the ruined castle to work up an appetite or sit in the small square by the river and wait to be called. Good 'home style' Portuguese cuisine, they do fantastic soup and sweet potato cakes for dessert. Link. Their basement is over a thousand years old, they sit customers down there as an overflow, definitely the more stylish area to be seated in.
  


• MADÁ, is situated on the N120 about 4km south of Aljezur (where Gulli used to be), they do great steaks, somewhat up market from Altura. Link.
  


• Altura Steakhouse Head north out of Aljezur on the N120 towards Rogil, on your left as you reach the end of the climbing bends up on to the plateau. They do massive steaks, get one between two or possibly three else bring the rest home as a 'take away', you can get two meals out of what you bring home. The place is chaotic in high season but the steaks are really good and well priced. Combine with a trip to Praia do Vale dos Homens to watch the sunset.
  
  
• O Paulo, a fantastic fish restaurant perched on the edge of a cliff, the far side of Arrifana, at the end of the road just before the ruins of the old fortress. A building of modern design with sliding glass walls to give an uninterrupted view of the sunset and the rugged coastline. Be careful if ordering fresh fish to understand what the cost will be. A contender for the restaurant with the best coastal view in the world? Link.

• Terra Mar, also in Arrifana, run by the team behind O Paulo. The food is stylish, somewhat mimicking Varzea but with more of a french touch (catering for the latest nation to have discovered the western Algarve). Possibly a tad expensive with a focus on style rather than quantity, but worth checking out as it may be your thing. . Some guests consider this to be one of the best restaurants they have ever been to. Link.
  
  
• Fortaleza da Luz, is another contender for best coastal view. Situated in the old Luz fortress there are stunning views west along the last bit of south coast before Sagres. Great mojitos. You can’t book to sit outside but if you get lucky with your timing you will get a table right next to the low perimeter wall and can watch the sun set over a sparkling blue sea. The ice creams from the kiosk next door are well worth skipping dessert for. Link.
  
  
• Luar da Foia is a much better excuse to drive along the N267 than 1692.  This very popular restaurant offers stunning views stretching from Portimão to Lagos. Perched high on the road up to Foia it specializes in grilled meat. Absolutely fantastic but the portions are huge. You will need to book in high season, the place for Sunday lunch. Link.
  
• A Tasca do Petrol, is on the N267 heading east beyond Marmelete. It also does a fantastic range of meat dishes to rival Luar da Foia, closer and cheaper but lacking the spectacular view.
  
  
• Restaurante O Camilo, perched on the cliffs of the O Camilo beach to the west of Lagos. Ideal for lunch after a morning mooching around Lagos, a long sequence of wooden steps allows access to the tiny dual coves below. Very busy in the summer so don't head here specially unless out of season. For wine buffs they boast 170+ wines which seem to be good value for money. At night the view across the bay to the lights of Portimao and the silhouettes of the stacks below are quite 'romantic'. It is however a long way to go unless you are headed out there anyway. Link.

Out and about

During the summer it becomes very attractive to remain villa bound; to just swim, relax and chill. Though if you want to explore further afield then the following places come highly recommended.

• Foia situated above Monchique, the highest spot in the Algarve, affording spectacular views of nearly the entire southern coast.Take a pair of binoculars (there is always at least one pair left in the villa).


• Lagos the local administrative centre, ideal for gift shops. Quaint squares and period buildings, lots of eating places spilling out into the narrow streets. Great for trips by boat (or kayak or paddle board) to tour the grottoes and coves. A backpackers paradise with a lively night time economy. An artisan market runs along the bank of the harbour all day and into the night in the summer months. It is true to say that we love Lagos.


• Luz a pretty coastal town, somewhat reminiscent of the French Riviera. Great ice creams from the kiosk opposite the church, eat them on the benches overlooking the sea, before walking towards the beach to your left. Maybe admire the Roman wall and ruins.


• Monchique & Caldas de Monchique quaint little towns famed for their spring water, stunning views with shady walks to explore. Well worth visiting just for the excuse to drive along the twisting N267 (featured in the first ever episode of the Top Gear reboot  'The Grand Tour').


• Portimão is the main centre for infrastructure, large scale shopping, etc.


• Silves has a wonderful castle and a Mediaeval festival in August.


• Cape Saint Vincent the most south westerly point in mainland Europe, marked by a light house, Worth going to for the impact of the barren nature and 'ends of the earth' feel of this far flung place.


• Sagres on the tip of Portugal, has a really interesting harbour, worth the excursion down through the town. Most visitors 'do' the fortress (what's left of it).

Beaches

There are two distinct personae to the Algarve coast. The south coast is typified by modern brash resort towns such as Vilamoura, Albufeira & Praia da Rocha. With cramped beaches and English themed pubs the feel is somewhat like you’d expect for an Iberian holiday destination. Heading west from Lagos onwards there starts to be a change, the beaches are longer, less crowded and the coastline more interesting. Once the coast turns the south western corner at Sagres and you enter the national park the contrast could not be more pronounced. The coast line is rugged, with next to no development. Until very recently most beaches were only accessible by long dusty tracks, the more off-road the drive the more deserted and beautiful the beaches. In the last few years EU funding has helped improve access to more of them, yet they are still far enough off the grid to not be overly crowded. North from Cape de Vicente up to the delightfully flirtatiously named Odeceixe there are some real gems to be found. Vale do Pereiro is situated within easy driving distance (10-20km) of the finest west coast beaches.

A collection of photos of the nearby west coast have been assembled here. Some beaches we'd recommend running north to south;

• Odeceixe - Beach can be accessed from either side of the river but it is much better to go from the south side, turning sharp left before the river crossing bridge on the N120, immediately after the sequence of descending bends. Park up just before, or more likely after, the little hamlet on the cliff above the beach. A safe family beach with nearby shops & eating places. In 2017 Bloomberg declared this to be one of the 6 best undiscovered beaches in the world!!! Beachcam
  
  
• Praia do Vale dos Homens - Is well sign posted and reached by turning left in the centre of Rogil. A viewing platform on the cliff top is a good place to watch the sun set. 280+ shallow wooden steps lead down to a secluded beach. Also try its sister beach of Praia da Carriagem, more rocky but spectacular.
  
  
• Amoreira - Our local beach. It has the most intricate rock formation (just beyond the beach café/bar); which in itself makes it well worth visiting. A dip in the sand catches water when the tide is out, which provides a safe environment for toddlers. The café does great sardines we are told. Easy to nip down to to catch a sunset and to have an evening paddle. It is also well worth exploring up the river valley accessed from the southern end of the beach, this river also offers safer bathing for toddlers. Beachcam (works when beach cafe is open).
  
  
• Monte Clérigo - More a village by the sea. A couple of 'beach front (ish)' bars and a wide expanse of sand. Quite quaint, may be hard to find parking in the summer months. The lay-by on the cliff top above the town makes a great place to park up and watch the sunset on a colder winter's day. Beachcam
  
  
• Arrifana - This is the main surfer beach, down a windy cobbled road, below the town of Arrifana. Parking is in the town above the beach. An enterprising golf buggy will run you up and down the hill for €1. The town of Arrifana offers a few shops and snacking places. Beachcam.
  
  
• Vale Figueiras - A long expanse of beach, accessed down a bumpy but perfectly accessible dirt track. The longest and most invigorating of the local beaches. Our favorite beach due to it being long and mostly deserted apart from the peregrine falcons which regularly nest here. We also love playing in the water here, but note the waves make you feel like you are in a washing machine - strong swimmers only at this beach.
  
  
• Bodeira - Another locally famous surfing beach. From the car park you need to wade across a river to reach the wide expanse of sand. Reached via the N268 with a right hand turn just as you enter the edge of Carrapateira (it's quite a way beyond the town of Bodeira after which it is named). The cliff top drive beyond the beach itself is most spectacular, offering plenty of places to stop and admire the views.
  
  
• Castelejo - reached by driving through Vila do Bispo, here the terrain feels more like Mexico than European. An interesting and photogenic beach. More popular since the dirt track was upgraded to motorway standard with EU money.
  

South coast gems

There are also some real gems of beaches to be found on the south coast between Sargres & Luz. They are not as long and lack the dramatic waves but they are more protected from the full force of the Atlantic and so the waves are more inviting for a gentle swim.

• Raposeira - a cluster of sheltered beaches each in their own cove, which one you end up on depends on which route you take through the small village of Raposeira. Small but sheltered and off the beaten track. They all have parking right next to them which is convenient but not sure how busy these car parks get in peak season.
  
  
• Praia da Figueira - reached by a sharp right hand turn just on the other side of the tiny village of Figueira. The road ends in a largish car park. There is then a delightful half kilometer walk down to the beach on a very gentle incline. There is a short set of stepping stones to cross the river. A really lovely beach with interesting rock formations and lovely rolling waves of clear turquoise water. Oh and it appears to be a nudest beach.
  
  
• Salema - a quaint old fishing village, well worth exploring. A longer but more populated beach, yet still out of the way enough not to be too touristy. Ideal if you like your beaches closer to civilization. If you walk to the eastern end of the town there is an outdoor public gym with an amazing view along the coast, highly recommended for a healthy chill out / workout.
  

See also this suggested list from the Telegraph April 2017.

Sea Sports

By far the best surfing school in the area is the Arrifana Surf Lodge run by Aldo & Sarah. They do private lessons (highly recommended) or you can join a group session. They will provide a wet suit. Their web-site is; http://www.arrifanasurflodge.com. Lessons are typically half a day's duration. Exact times and location depend on tide and conditions and are arranged by text the night before (use the Portuguese mobile from the villa).


Also exhilarating for the fit and adventurous is to go on a sea kayak tour of the caves and grottoes between Lagos & Luz. There are a number of companies which offer this adventure in the harbour at Lagos. It is a matter of turning up and putting your name on the list for a convenient trip. The trips last up to 3 hours and cost €30 in 2017. There are typically 2 people per kayak but single seat kayaks are available if there is an odd number in your group. Ezride Ocean Kayak Tours http://ezridelagos.com come highly recommended. They have a motor boat to drag you back if you get into difficulty. They seem more experienced than some of the other operators and can safely get a group in and out of a cave in swells that put others off. There should be a card for them pinned to the notice board, might be worth phoning to book in advance in high season.

Aljezur Night Life

A number of the local restaurants may get in a DJ from time to time for that faux Ibiza vibe - usually promoted on their Facebook pages.