Nah-Nah Bar, Lagos, Algarve - 2010 Season Opening - 1st April 2010

The Nah-Nah Bar, Lagos, Algarve, Portugal, reopens for its 2010 Season opening on Thursday, 1st April 2010.

Lagos' favorite chill out joint has been remodelled with a totally new interior!

Selmo, Julz and Raff have also been re-botoxed over the Winter!

Julz has souped up the menu!

And Tobyone starts things off with a big blowout at 18:00.

Be There!

Location: http://bit.ly/nahnahbarlagos


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TAP Airport Portugal - Pilot's Strike - Easter 2010

It was announced last night that TAP and the pilot's union have resolved their differences and that the pilot's strike scheduled for next week has been cancelled.

See: (in portuguese):

http://bit.ly/tapgrevefim

Hotels in Lagos City Centre

If you want something near Porta da Vila, you could consider the Aqualuz. Using the foot path and tunnel under the main arterial ring road, you can be within the walls within 7-8 minutes.

Also have a look at Casa da Moura. I was in there for the first time recently and its quite nice and within the city walls.

See:

http://www.casadamoura.com/

Travel from lisbon to alvor

There is only one bus company offering a service from Lisbon to Alvor.

this is: http://www.renex.pt

If you are arriving at 18:00, by the time you clear customs, immigration, collect your bags and get a cab to the bus station, the only suitable bus will be the departure at 21:00 arriving 01:05.

This bus departs from Lisbon Gare Oriente Bus Station.

You can take the Aeroshuttle from outside the airport terminal to Gare Oriente.(CARRIS Nº96) - Available everyday, every 30 minutes between 7am and 11pm, the aeroshuttle connects the Airport with Gare Oriente.

The bus will stop in the centre of Alvor but at 01:05 there may be few taxis around.

Portimão - Port Enhancement - Report

Good article here on the enhancement of Portimão Port.

http://bit.ly/portimaocruiseships

Where to stay in Lagos?

Difficult Combination.

The best beaches at Porto de Mos and Meia Praia are about 1,5 km from the Centre where the nightlife is.

You basically need to decide between somewhere near the city walls or somewhere near a beach and then compromise. For the kids sake, I would find somewhere near the city walls and then accept that you will have a longer walk to the larger beaches or accept that you will make do with smaller beaches closer to town such as Batata, Pinhal and Dona Ana which are likely to be very crowded at that time of year.

A final note: The ferry over the river to Meia Praia from the old town should be operating in in the day time at that time.

Estrada Da Meia Praia - road works

Use it every day!!!!
Its continues to look like a bomb site......The wet weather has delayed works substantially. I am hopeful that the deviations and construction along this section between the Yellow Berlin Wall building and the Vila Galé will be finished before summer.
There is no confirmed news on the upgrading of the rest of the road along Meia Praia. The New Yellow Hotel being built on the site of the old Meia Praia Aqua Hotel site will probably result in further improvement (????) works.
Furthermore, markers have been placed in the past few weeks from the roundabout near Meia Praia halt up over the ridge. Methinks this is probably the start of a new road around the Palmares Golf Course to take vehicular traffic away for said installation.
In all, methinks we are in for another couple of years of construction works!
I have been monitoring the Council Plans and website. It appears that the parking areas along the railway line are safe from substantial construction but there was a rig along there a few weeks ago taking soil samples.

Almaverde Alma Verde

Alma Verde location shown here on Google Maps

http://bit.ly/almaverdealgarve

Paris to Portugal Paris to Portugal

Ryanair.com starts operating direct flights from Paris Beauvais to Faro, Airport 4 times a week from April 2010.

Unfortunately, Easyjet's flights from Orly appear only to start from 1st July or so. (To be confirmed.)

You best bet for Barcelona, would be either by Ryanair.com from Faro to Madrid and then train/plane to Barcelona. Alternatively, as you propose fly to Lisbon, pick up a car, travel to Lagos and then back to Lisbon.

There is no direct train link from Faro into Spain.

Easyjet - Paris-Orly to Faro - Summer 2010

Looks like easyjet will be operating direct flights from Paris Orly to Faro from July 2010 till September 2010.

Monchique

We took a day of yesterday and on the first really sunny Sunday following three months of rain and cold, went up to Monchique for lunch. We ate at the Restaurante Palmeirinha dos Chorões. I had a great Bacalhau à Portuguesa.

Some Photos:

Villa da Naranja - Lagos - Location

Its amazing how fit most owners and purveyors of holidays rental villas world wide are.

I know that somewhere in my genes, I have simian roots, but to date I have never been called the uncle of one!

If the location of this property is within "10 minute walk of Lagos" then you may call me one!

I can't recall the property in question exactly. They have been very clever in not placing any images that may give away the location. However, I magnified the on of the one of the patio door and the reflection seems to show Funchal Ridge and the health centre access A22 road gap in the Ridge in the distance. Combined with the fact that they state the property is 1km from Porto de Mos beach, I surmise that this property is situated close to the new Gil Eanes School.

I reckon that someone walking at double pace going into town downhill, might just, might just get to the old city walls in 10 minutes. However, I reckon it would take 15 to 20 minutes comfortable walk to get into town and coming back, with the climb, 25 to 30 minutes at a comfortable pace.

Will try to check it out when in the area.

The arrow on the following map gives a rough indication of the area I think it is in:

http://bit.ly/czAjmR

Lagos, Algarve - Is the building works at the sea front complete?

We are slowly getting there!

The remodelling of the area around the fortaleza and the church are complete.

We now await completion of the car park which, despite the recent rains, I understand they are rushing to complete. I rode along Rua Barroca yesterday on my way home and the structural works on the new car park looks almost complete....Kitting it out is what now remains.

TAP Airport - Pilot Strike - Easter 2010

Pilots at Portugal's National Airline, Air Portugal, voted last night to strike in the week before Easter from March 26 to 31.

See:

http://bit.ly/tapairportugalstrike

Free Public Wifi Albufeira

There are two free public wifi points in Albufeira operated by the http://www.algarvedigital.pt project as follows:

1) Espaço Internet Albufeira

2) Câmara Municipal de Albufeira

Lagos to Ibiza

There are no cheap nor low cost direct links between Lagos, Algarve, Portugal and Ibiza.

In fact, there are relatively few air links between the Iberian Peninsula and Ibiza.

https://www.balearia.com operates ferries from Barcelona, Dénia and Valencia to Ibiza. However, this would mean catching a bus from Lagos to Seville and then another to one of the above centres, then a ferry. Total transit time would be possibly in excess of 48 hours.

By air, there are two options but both will probably be quite expensive during the period in question.

1) airberlin.com from Faro Airport,(70 km from Lagos) to Palma de Mallorca and then ferry to Ibiza.

2) ryanair.com from from Faro Airport,(70 km from Lagos) to Madrid and then Spanair, Iberia or Air Europa to Ibiza.

Itinerary - Portugal - Summer - Pt II

Burgau is not a town! It is a small old fishing village with two or three streets and is likely to be very busy during the period you are in Portugal. The same may be said of the village of Salema 5km down the coast.

The Southern Region of Portugal, including he Algarve region, and the Southern Alentejo region,boast very few towns with traditional architecture and "quaint streets". This area was the last region of Potrugal to develop.

The Southern towns with "traditional architecture" and "quaint streets" are few and far between and include Lagos, Tavira, Monchique, Silves, Tavira, Mertola, Alcoutim, Beja, Serpa, Evora. There are many lovel villages but throughout the region but these do not generally boast "traditional architecture".

The Algarve and Western Alentejo seaboard has a wonderful coastline but does not boast many towns with an historical coastline.

Again, I must reiterate that the whole coast, like around Burgau, is likely to be heaving during the period you intend to visit. In the case of Burgau, this is likely to be exacerbated by the volume of day trippers visiting from the Spanish Cities of Huelva and Sevilla.

I think it is quite possible to have a very enjoyabable visit to Portugal without visiting the South. The historic original regions of Portugal lie to the North around Guimarães and Porto.

See this wikipedia article for more: http://bit.ly/wikihistoryofportugal

Charter fishing in Lagos.

Hmm.....badly engineered website......

English version here:
http://bit.ly/charterfishinglagos

Itinerary - Portugal - Summer

July 22nd to August 5th is high high peak tourist season even in the North Of Portugal,as menay Portuguese living in Northern Europe head home by car in their droves for the summer break.All the beaches from North to the South of the Country will be heaving. A "beach (non-touristy, good food, beautiful architecture)" at this time of year is probably impossible.

The other issue is that apart from the extreme north of the country around Bragança, and the Serra da Estrela, you should be prepared for temperatures that may reach between 30ºC and 40ºC. Not sure if this is ideal for a 4 year old and a 6 month old.

As regards a "a quaint non-touristy town", you probably need to look at Peniche or Nazaré or one of the towns north of Portugal.

Lagos - Algarve - Portugal - Motor Scooter Hire

Hire of bicycles, scooters and bikes in Lagos, Algarve, Portugal see:

Motorent - http://bit.ly/lagosmotorent

and

Luis of Sidecar 32 in Torraltinha,Lagos is one.

He can be contacted via the following address.

Side Car 32 - Motociclos de Aluguer, Lda.

R. St Casa Misericórdia

8600-621 LAGOS

email: filipe_bolota@hotmail.com

Tel: 282798383

He can deliver a bike to you in town at the Reposl Garage on the Avenida.

Buses from Portimao

There are regular buses from Portimão to Monchique (the mountains), Lagos and Silves.

However, be aware that the quayside is about 1,5 km from the town centre where the buses leave from.

Have a look at Cubsur's website:

http://www.algarvebus.info

where you wil find full details on Algarve bus services.

Lanseria Airport, Johannesburg

A point on Lanseria Airport. Lanseria started life as a general aviation airport in the '70's. I recall attending an airshow there in 1977 when a visiting pilot from Britten-Norman was demonstrating the BN Trislander. Unfortunately, on landing he had forgotten to recalibrate his instruments to take account of the Rand's altitude....+- 2000m!!!!

A most interesting proof of the Trislanders ruggedness then ensued when after a low level loop it ploughed into the ground 150m from the crowd...and the pilot walked away.

Lanseria has since grown into one of the largest General Aviations Airports in the region. Its interest for commercial flights comes from the move of many companies and businesses from the old Johannesburg CBD to the Northen Surburbs around Sandton and the Halfway Housr/ MidRand Business District near the old Kyalami Race Track, halfway between Jo'burg and Pretoria.

There is therefore a substantial catchment area for business orientated commercial flights from Lanseria.

Website here: http://bit.ly/lanseria

Lagos - Supermarkets open on Sundays?

At present, both Pingos are now open on Sunday afternoons until at least 20:00.

Modelos and Intermarche close at 13:00.

The mini-market by the REPSOL garage on the Avenida transmuted last year into an Ecomarche which is open 7 days a week till 20:00 at least.

The kitchens in most restaurants / takeaways close between 21:30 and 22:00.

The exception is the Adega da Marina on the Avenida where the kitchen stays open till at least 01:30.

Travelling to Portugal - English

If one is visiting the main centres in Portugal and or the main tourist areas, it is almost certain that there will be people around who can speak some modicum of English.

In the interior rural areas, one may encounter some difficulty in finding English speakers, but even in these areas, as the Portuguese have for centuries been travellers, one cn usually find someboday who speaks a few words of the Bard's tongue.

Restaurante Borsalino, Lagos, Portugal

Restaurante Borsalino, Lagos, Algarve, Portugal is a quality restaurant offering Italian cuisine.

It is not a typical Pizzeria, but a quality Trattoria offering a wide range of pastas and other Italian cuisine.

I ate there last week and the Spaghetti Carbonara was to die for.

Its is an ideal location for that special meal with friends and family.

See their blog here:

http://bit.ly/pizzariaborsalino

Location map here: http://bit.ly/borsalinomap

Address:

Urb. Rossio de S. João
Lote 4 - Loja A
8600-643 Lagos
Tel: 282 782 417
email:rest.borsalino@gmail.com