thetravellingwilbennetts

So after saying goodbye to the phenomenal Villa Deborah after our first week in the Algarve – Part 1 we packed up our cars and headed over to nearby Ferragudo for the last two nights of our trip.

We had selected Vitor’s Village Resort to stay and you can read my review of the property here.  The hotel was located just a short walk up a steep hill from the main village, which even at first glance was really pretty – much more our type of place than the busier Carvoeiro.

The check-in staff sorted all our paperwork out despite not being able to check-in but then said we would be able to collect the keys when we were ready (from 2pm to be precise but earlier than the advertised time).  It was another hot day so we just grabbed our towels, found some sun loungers and set up base for a few hours, (well the afternoon really) only moving to grab a quick bit of lunch from the snack bar.

The pool area was great with a small children’s pool a large family pool and down a few steps in a quieter part there was another smaller pool.  There was a little play park just off the pool so our smaller girls just flitted between the two and then came back for a little cuddle or a read of a few pages of their books every now and again.

We decided to go and explore the village that evening.  Heading down the hill we came across a little square with restaurants all around.  There was a decent choice and we opted for one of the restaurants that offered a bit of everything.  O Barril was right in the centre of the square where there was some entertainment on so a place for the girls to dance whilst they waited.

We started with some cocktails/mocktails and ordered our food.  The grown ups ordering  starter of prawns – I opted for the Piri-Piri and the others Garlic and they were amazing.  Then it was time to finally sample the local dish of Cataplana.  Nigel, Ella and I all decided to share this and went for the meat and fish option.  It was delicious  – so rich and full of flavour – definitely a good idea to share though as we couldn’t finish it.  The others opting for a variety of fish, kebabs and meat and everyone (bar my friend’s little girl with spag bol) were happy and full come the end of the night.

We sat around the square long after the meal, sipping wine and watching the girls dance around and taking in the relaxed holiday vibe of the pretty town.  We took  little walk after dinner around the back streets, meandering in and out of the shops and along the harbour which was lit up and with some restaurants dotted around with fresh fish being cooked over coals.  It was delightful and Ferragudo was such a pleasant surprise.  We knew nothing about it before getting there and it ticked all the boxes.  Family friendly, clean and very quaint.

After our little explore it was time to head back up the hill but the children couldn’t possibly manage without an ice cream.  We obviously obliged and happily made our way back – everyone agreed it had been a gorgeous night.

Next day we enjoyed our first breakfast that we hadn’t had to prepare so it was a nice treat.  Plenty of choice and a good kick of caffeine to start the day.  More pool time to be had in the morning but we decided to head to the beach in the afternoon.

We had been recommended Club Nau for Sunday afternoons but they were fully booked.  By all accounts it is THE place to go for a great afternoon of food and music on a Sunday.  (That will have to wait until next time).

So we set of with all our beach gear and on the way to the beach got to see the pretty town in daylight.  With it’s cobbled streets and small, colourful houses it was worthy of many a picture.  However, as it is a bit hilly the little legs in the party soon started to complain.  We saw a beach which is overlooked by a castle but it was so exposed to the elements that everyone just wanted to turn around and head back to the pool.

Ever the adventurer I (gently) persuaded everyone to plough on to the next beach and within another 10 minutes we were there at Praia Grande which was the home of Club Nau and a couple of other beach café/bars,  a wide sweeping beach which was peppered with sun-loungers and elegant parasols to hire.  It also had a few yachts dotted around and pedalos and kayaks for hire.

Everyone thanked me for pushing on as it was perfect.  We dumped the bags and headed for a bite to eat at another cool hangout called Kalu Beach Bar.  We managed to get a table (outside but in the shade) pretty quick.  There was a pretty long wait to order and ordinarily we may have complained but we just had to remember we were not in a rush and there were worse places to wait.  We ordered some drinks and food which totally did the job.  The view was just perfect.

After our food/drink break we hired a pedalo and a kayak and spent the next hour messing around in the water.

At around 7pm we finally set off back to the village and rather than head back up the hill to get changed for dinner we grabbed a table and a couple of drinks, bought more tat for the girls with their holiday money and then finally headed back to the resort to grab some takeaway food which we ate around the pool.  Not without a late night swim for the girls – they wanted to be the last ones in the pool and succeed.  #holidaygoals

Then it was time for our final day.  Sadly, we packed up but not so sadly we had a late flight from Faro back home so could spend the majority of the day at the pool which we all were so grateful for.  We played games, caught a few last sunrays, splashed in the pool and reflected on what a great holiday it had been and as always regretted not booking more days.

I had such fond memories of visiting The Algarve with my mum and dad as a young girl and teenager and now as a grown up and pretty sure all our little ones will remember this holiday too.

We didn’t do tons of exploring, we were very much slaves to the beaches and pools but it suited us perfectly.  Sightseeing can come another time and I am pretty sure we will be back in the Algarve.