For some time now Portugal has been the understated chique of Vacation Holiday Accommodation in the Algarve ! and although many holiday visitors have heard of the airport Faro, its not that well known of where the airport actually is located !

The country of Portugal has a rich history and stretches in length almost all the way down the west side of Spain. Not directly classified as being on the Mediteranean the Southern end of Portugal known as The Algarve does enjoy the warm sunshine renowned for the southern parts of Europe and the Mediteranean.

As such, the whole area is one vast devlopment of luxury apartment complexes, gated villa resorts and lovely townhouses that many Europeans have been quietly buying as holiday homes for the past 20 years.   Compared to the Spannish Mediteranean resorts, Portugal remains to its routes in style and countryside besides some notorious developments such as Villamoura which cater to the jet set lifestyle of the rich and famous.

The private pools usually found within the holiday resorts and private villa locations tend to be on the larger side as compared to Spain, and the number of top quality Golf Courses squeezed along the Algarve certainly gives Spain a run for its money too !  With the ocean providing a better  atmospheric condition throughout the year than Spain, the golfing tends to be enjoyed around the year to its full as the Algarve tends to have less rainfall during the year compared to places like Marbella Spain.

If its sailing that you are after… beware, firstly the coastal waters are not calm like the Mediteranean. . . as such, navigating the ocean is a totally different excercise and therefor carries a different set of requirements for renting sail boats or charters !

If you plan on taking a sailing course in Portugal . . then you will need to be able to speak Portugese as well as write it, as the ecxamination papers are in Portugese and the examiners refuse to speak any other language.

Without a Portugese Sailing Licence nobody will let you charter / hire a boat either !  so my advice is for all those sailors looking to try out the great sailing off the coast of the Algarve – better to go find a beautiful Apartment Rental in Tenerife or go USA and enjoy the oceans over there instead !