PRAIA DA LUZ COTTAGE Algarve The Algarve is the southernmost province of Portugal facing south towards North Africa enjoying some of the best temperate climates in Europe. Summer temperatures seldom rise above 85F and rarely fall below 55 F in winter. The countryside is green and covered with wild flowers in spring, while Bougainvillaea, Hibiscus, Oleander, Morning Glory abound in the hot summer months. The golden beaches stretch endlessly from Vila Real de Santo Antonio to Sagres and then northwards along the Atlantic towards Lisbon. The Moorish market towns are full of historic charm with their lovely old buildings surrounding inner patio gardens. The streets are largely excluded to traffic providing lovely walkways between colourful shops and open-air restaurants delightfully blending the new with the old. Faro airport is only 2 hours flight from most European cities making the Algarve easily and economically accessible. Lagos and Praia da Luz Lagos is a delightful small city, at one time, the district capital of the Algarve; some 80-Km from Faro easily reached by rail and the new expressway. Lagos has lots of restaurants, cafés, discos, shopping, markets, churches, a yachting marina, a live fishing fleet, and an auction fish market serves the city well. It has become fashionable with the rise of traffic to build numerous roundabouts. One of these is a local landmark entering in the directions of how to get to the supermarkets and best seen at night. It has some chairs and called literaly Rotunda das Cadeiras. There are several different beaches and many things to see. In contrast with many other places in Southern Europe Lagos still derives some of its income from Agriculture and Fisheries and has a buoyant market economy though building has in recent years been a growth industry. Lagos has had a long association with the building industry. In the 1775 earth and sea quake it was completely destroyed and the city had to be rebuilt. Its planning department then and now has successfully guided moderate development to a consistent city plan despite the external pressures. Last year the Algarve saw a general crack down in beach shacks some of which had for years evaded planning controls and many were suddenly taken down overnight allowing for better-regulated establishments. The new marina and the bridges over the river estuary as well sea front promenade and the welcome management of vehicle traffic have been some of the recent improvements that have added much value to this city. Outside of the main urban areas look out for the 50 Kph traffic lights as these change to red if one exceeds the speed limit. Praia da Luz (pronounced prier der loosh) has traditionally been a fishing village specialising, until recently, in octopus potting and at one time had its own fishing cannery factory long since closed. In antiquity Tuna had been trapped here and behind our house and Phoenician settlement of several dwellings awaits state funds to do an official dig. It has always been a quiet beach resort visited by our grand parents and the Portuguese flock here in droves in July and August. New visitor related businesses such as sailing windsurfing and deep-sea diving are some of the activities pursued by younger persons though older men still fish in the winter. Alas today's youth is not as attracted to the sea as before and are seeking the higher wages in construction work. Luz's streets are cobbled and the village is without through traffic. The cottage Our cottage is a charming end of terrace two-bedroom quality seaside house or villa (Casa de Praia) commanding stunning beach and sea views and surrounded by a larger garden situated close to the village church. One of its most fabulous features is the morning sunrise over the ocean which fills the house with light and colour. For those accustomed to Northern climes this is truly spectacular. The cottage will comfortably sleep 5/6 people. There has been no need to install air conditioning equipment required in other parts of Portugal. There are two bedrooms downstairs, balconies stairs to garden below and bathroom with glorious shower. Upstairs, there is an open plan sitting room with fireplace, outside balcony and dining area as well as a good-sized modern kitchen complete with washing machine to lighten your travelling load. Decoration is in keeping with local Portuguese styles thus all walls are white, beautifully tiled kitchen, pink marble in the bathroom, white marble stairs. Furnishings are all of good quality wood furniture beds with good mattresses. Floors are in burgundy tiles and balconies and terracing in (tijoleira) hand made local light clay or terracotta brick tiles matching colour clay roof tiles. The balconies upstairs overlook the beach and sea with splendid views of the Rocha Negra and southern ocean. Luz beach is literally below the house or a 3-minute walk. There are a number of other local beaches all with different characters whilst the West facing beaches are the most spectacular and falling within the National Park. Magically on a very still morning a mirage of Casablanca 600Km to the south may be seen in the horizon, complete with cars, traffic jams, bustle the images of which may be seen blurring into outlines of the city port with ships. This is rarely seen and remains a truly outstanding event. The following web link is for some pictures: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/praiadaluz/Casa%20de%20Praia.htm How to get there Fly and fly/drive to/from Faro or train to Lagos and Taxi to Luz. Train is approximately £3.00. Taxi from Lagos another £4.00 approximately. Trains do take bikes if you're cycling. Car & Bike rental is available in Luz and at the airport. http://www.algarve-region.info/de/traffic/car-rental/ Railway timetables at http://www.cp.pt/ An increasingly popular alternative because of the greater flexibility with flights is to fly to Lisbon and drive down as it is now motorway most of the way. A stop at the university town of Évora is also worthwhile. Mind though the Alentejo in the summer can be especially hot and an air-conditioned vehicle is desirable. Activities Obviously Golf, beach, sailing, fishing and water sports are the major attraction but there is much to captivate adults and children in this part of the world not least the bird life, the night sky, restaurants, walking, cycling and sea fishing. Luz is a pleasant and quiet environment. Light pollution is low so do take a set of binoculars as there is still the opportunity to see some of the bigger planets like Jupiter and its moons. And during the day rare birds! In the spring and autumn flying high arriving or leaving the continent. For further details and bookings please contact us on 00 44 208 677 2183 or 00 44 7973 309 485 E-Mail Ramos-de-Deus@msn.com Golf Courses nearby Penina 00 351 282 41 54 15 Palmares 00 351 282 76 29 53 Parque da Floresta 00 351 282 653 33 Herewith some pictures. http://www.holiday-villa-rental-algarve.co.uk/algarve/villas/casa-de-praia.html