Rent an Algarve Holiday Villa this winter and Soak up the Culture

We all like to dream of escaping to somewhere warm and sunny when the dark winter nights (and mornings) start creeping in. Renting an Algarve holiday villa offers a seductively sunshine-filled escape during the winter months and if you travel during October and November, you can also soak up the culture as you soak up the sun with a series of film festivals behind held around the Algarve throughout the winter period.

The Algarve is home to a vibrant, exciting arts scene dating back many generations. From film to music and beyond, the arts have played such a central role in Portugal that the winter culture programme is a rich tapestry of performance and society. In fact, there’s so much going on that you could easily base yourself at a luxurious Vale do Lobo villa and then proceed to explore the entire southern tip of the peninsular simply by visiting a handful of concerts, festivals and fairs.

Algarve International Film Festival

The Algarve International Film Festival is held between November 19^th and 29^th. This is the country's oldest motion picture event, and conjures up a real sense of the incredible early days of European cinema. There’s also evidence of an increasing passion for  contemporary developments on the Portuguese art scene. The Festival takes place in the town of Portimao, in the Faro district on Portugal's South coast. This is a truly idyllic setting for a break at any time, and when you throw the amazing celebration of film culture into the mix even more so.

Premier Holidays has a selection of apartments and Vale do Lobo villas, conveniently located a few miles from Faro which would make the perfect base for a film festival visit. One of the most sought after locations in the Algarve, there’s also lots to do after the final credits, with incredible sandy beaches, world-class golf courses and bustling towns and villages all within easy reach.

Saint Irene's Fair

Also in Faro, Saint Irene's Fair runs for ten days between 19^th and 28^th October.  An homage to Santa Iria in Largo Sao Francisco, this is a genuinely unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Portuguese culture. Browse the many stalls selling traditional wares, enjoy the free exhibitions and displays or simply settle back and wait for the daily street entertainment to start.

If you’re planning to attend Saint Irene’s Fair, any of the Vale do Lobo villas by Premier Holidays are conveniently located just a few miles away. After a day of culture, why not choose holiday accommodation with a private pool, so you can continue to rest and relax in complete and luxurious privacy?

Algarve Jazz Festival

If you like a spot of jazz, look no further than the fantastic Algarve Jazz Festival. The event is a long one, and has been ongoing since February, winding up in November. The Festival has attracted some amazing top performers throughout its course and shows no signs of stopping now.

You can hear the soulful tunes at many of the Algarve’s most picturesque locations, including beaches and atmospheric open air theatres. Concerts by many top international artists feature on the bill, including performances by Stacey Kent, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, McCoy Tyner, Matt Bianco and Archie Shepp Quartet.

Many of us often find ourselves torn when it comes to choosing a holiday, particularly during those punishing winter months. Choosing between a city break that brings culture and a beach break for relaxation is something that we naturally think of. However, there's really no need to make that choice, or to compromise in any way on your winter holiday satisfaction. Choosing the Algarve brings both culture and glorious beach side refreshment. There's no danger of running out of things to do, so you can achieve your own perfect combination of activities, however fast or slow paced you feel like taking things.

To plan you accommodation in the Algarve and browse the entire range of accommodation options including Vale do Lobo villas close to the heart of the winter culture program, visit http://www.premier-holidays.com

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Enjoy Summer in the Algarve with Premier Holidays, the Portugal Villa Specialists

If you can handle the heat, few places can compete with the beautiful Algarve in summertime. A hidden treasure with paths much less well travelled than those of its Iberian neighbour, Portugal is stuffed full of cultural, oceanic and gastronomic delights just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

One of the best ways to get out and about and discover Europe’s unsung jewel is to rent a private holiday villa in the Algarve. There is no more getting up early to bag a sun lounger or waiting in line for the hotel buffet when you rent a villa in Portugal, you can simply relax and unwind and take your holiday at your own pace.

If you choose to rent somewhere in the southerly tip, you’ll find lots to see and do in the sun-soaked Algarve. Fringed by the Atlantic Ocean, miles and miles of sandy beaches hug the curvaceous, undulating coastline, studded with traditional towns, rural enclaves and cosmopolitan hot spots like Vale do Lobo. The golf and beach resort is perhaps the best known of the Algarve’s holiday centres, thanks to two world class courses developed by the respected American golf architect, Rocky Roquemore. There’s also a two kilometre stretch of beach for non-golfers to enjoy.

An Algarve holiday apartment like the ultra chic Vista Bonita townhouse is a great way to enjoy a break in Vale do Lobo and is a hot tip for July and August when a series of cultural and sporting events take place. Golfers and non-golfers alike are sure to enjoy the Concert on the Course – a classical music concert featuring the Algarve Orchestra, set against the beautiful sunset backdrop of the Ocean Golf Club.

If art is more your speed, the international engraving exhibition runs from August to October and brings together a collective of engravers and artists from around the world. Or, sit back and enjoy a few sets of sublime professional tennis when the August Black Rock ATP Grand Champions fixture comes to town. Now in its tenth year, some of the greatest tennis champions from the last decade will be hitting the court and slugging it out from mid-August onwards. 

Off the beaten track, the historic town of Lagoa can trace its origins back to 1733 but the surrounding villages of Estombar and Porches are known to have played an important role in the Islamic and Medieval periods. Today, Lagoa is a labyrinth of emblematic white-washed houses, including the beautiful Casa Amoreira, an Algarve Villa that is almost palatial in appearance.

Eroded over time, the nearby coastline of Carvoeiro is a perfect day trip into a past era where colourful fishing boats chug slowly past, watched over by the fort of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and traditional houses hug the bends and curves of the coastline. Fashioned by the wind and sea, the rock formations of Algar Seco can be found. When the tide is high, the fissures and cracks become booming organ pipes, played by the forces of Mother Nature.

Premier Holidays has almost eighty Algarve villas and holiday apartments to choose from, allowing you to make the most of your time in Portugal. Visit www.premier-holidays.com or call 0800 047 0400 for more information.