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.