Vale de Carros

We came back from Portugal yesterday and had a good experience. My friends and I booked two rooms in Vale de Carros, the rooms had the basic essentials you would expect. There was a door between the rooms that allowed us to share both rooms. This was very useful for our group. The staff were helpful and accommodating to our requests.

There was an electric cooker, sink and fridge freezer, which meant we could cook inside if we wanted to instead of going out to eat. It was nice having the choice, so we made use of it which saved us quite a lot of money. We spent most of our time outside absorbing the heat.

I was happy with the size of the Swimming pool. There was more than one swimming pool so there was always plenty of space to swim. The pool was quite clean and there were plenty of sun beds available for my friends to use while we were swimming. The pool wasn't too deep and it made it easier for me to learn how to swim again.

Vale de Carros is a budget resort a little bit away from Albufeira so you'll need a taxi to get into Albufeira, if you are going in a group it doesn't cost much. The area is nice and quiet which makes it perfect for the weekend getaway. There are restaurants and a supermarket very near to the place. There is also a beautiful beach fairly close. It took us around 15-20 minutes to get there by walking. Having a Google Maps on our phones helped a lot.

We found the beach to be quiet and clean, there were no nasty broken seashells, it was very comfortable sitting on the sand. The beach was clean and I went in for a swim even though I brought no shorts with me on the trip. I was dry within 15 minutes. I liked the beach near Vale de Carros more than the beach in Albufeira.

Some things to note; since this was a budget location it did cost a little extra for some other bits (a bit like Ryanair's service model). We had an option to hire an iron or kettle for a euro. Towels were changed every 3 days, so it was a good thing we brought a few of our own. Internet access was available through an Internet Kiosk or Wi-Fi near the Bar.

They have their own van so they took our group places we wanted to go. It often worked out cheaper than using a taxi company. They exchanged our pounds to euro and gave us a better rate than what the other places were offering at the airport.

Finally, If you're staying anywhere in Portugal, remember to bring some mosquito repellant for during your sleep.

Overall, I think for the price we paid, we got the best value we could for our money. It's not the most luxurious of locations, but it is worth the stay.