Thread revival.
Thinking about going back in September for 8 nights. Would stay at Lagos again for 4 nights and visit Lisbon for a day but would anyone recommend anywhere nearer the Spanish border to stay that is coastal for 4 days? We didn't really go that way last time.
September seems more expensive for accommodation than April was for some reason. Approx 50% more. (After UK school holidays finish)
Places near the Spanish border; there is Vila Real de Santo António, Monte Gordo, and IMO a real little gem, Conceição de Cabanas, there is a rail station there, take the train to Tavira, a whole slew of good restaurants are there.
Some 13-15 years ago I took my wife to a Belgian tooth implantologist in Albufeira, we'd been quoted £25,000 in U.K., the Belgian dentist did it for £11,500, and my wife ended up with movie star Hampsteads.
It meant three long weekend trips to Algarve, but even with all the flights, renting apartments, car hire etc., we still came out in front, and had three mini holidays.
On our last visit, we stayed in Cabanas de Conceição, a longer drive to Albufeira to see the dentist, but worth it to dodge chav city Albufeira.
I was just a working class London black cab driver, with no delusions of grandeur, but most of the bars on the Strip, and in the Old Town were wall to wall East Enders, Coronation Street and football on T.V.
All we were interested in was a clean bar, hopefully live music, a couple of bottles of wine and some good sea food.
The clientele in most Albufeira bars mostly had broken noses and tattoos, and some of the men were just as bad.
One year we joined my younger son and his family, in a villa in Carvoiero, Algarve.
The only flights available were RyanAir, and after two flights with them to Stockholm, my wife said that she'd sooner go to Southend for a holiday, so we flew Iberia, Heathrow to Sevilla, rented a car and drove across the border near Ayamonte.
In my opinion, both Lisbon and Oporto are well worth a trip, oh, and a slight correction to a post up above, when a woman says thank you, it's obrigada, not obrigado, that's what a man says.
If you go, have a great time.
