Algarve / Spanish Marinas & Towns.

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We intend to base the boat abroad from spring 2015, initially living onboard (say 4-6 months a year off season) and then perhaps looking for a retirement property and downsizing the boat when it gets too much for us.

We have scouted out the Med (as far as Cyprus) but before we make a final decision we want to have a quick look at the coast between say Lagos and Gib. We intend to do a quick Fly/Drive there next week mainly as a recce but also as a break (we need it!).

In short we need a marina (64' x 15.5' x 8'9"), plus at least a decent size town with a choice of restaurants etc. and perhaps the possibility of settling there at some time. We intend to drive the coast so any nice hotel recommendations also gratefully received!

Any thoughts on which Marinas / Towns might be worth a quick look?

Cheers.
 
drumbeat said:
We intend to base the boat abroad from spring 2015, initially living onboard (say 4-6 months a year off season) and then perhaps looking for a retirement property and downsizing the boat when it gets too much for us.

We have scouted out the Med (as far as Cyprus) but before we make a final decision we want to have a quick look at the coast between say Lagos and Gib. We intend to do a quick Fly/Drive there next week mainly as a recce but also as a break (we need it!).

In short we need a marina (64' x 15.5' x 8'9"), plus at least a decent size town with a choice of restaurants etc. and perhaps the possibility of settling there at some time. We intend to drive the coast so any nice hotel recommendations also gratefully received!

Any thoughts on which Marinas / Towns might be worth a quick look?

Cheers.
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All you need to know about Lagos is here:

http://liveinfo.lagosnavigators.net/httpdocs/

Most of the residents there have tried all the marinas on the Algarve; Lagos comes out as the best all round.

Why?

Plus side:

1. The town is nice and remains open throughout the off season.

2. The marina staff are extremely helpful.

3. The security is good.

4. Communications to Faro airport is good.

5. An abundance of bars and restaurants.

6. The beautiful West coast is accessible and popular to visit.

7. Active liveaboard community (if that is your thing - not mine but it does not bother me).

8. Nice climate, Atlantic influence - unlike hot arid Med.

Negative side:

1. Getting a little run down; not much inward investment apparent.

2. Town is crowded from mid-July to mid-Sept (but not as crowded as other Algarve resorts).

3. Some of the bars around the marina can be 'lively' - but not unbearably so.

4. Chandlery mega-expensive.

5. Petty bureaucracy can be tiresome (but that is the case everywhere).

Can't comment on hotels.

As far a property is concerned I would take great care. There is huge choice - particularly from expats who have got cold feet and want to go 'home'. Personally I would take my time. Rent first (long leases are very cheap).

Good luck. I wish I was there to show you around but not back until mid-Sept. If you come back for a second look later, give me a shout.
 
I think the Algarve has a lot to offer and when we were in Albufiera for 12 months there were quite a few Spanish flagged yachts permanently there which tells a story. We liked Albufiera, it suited us and we got a good deal. We also know quite a few who liked Portimao though that never featured high on our list. Lagos botted it's copybook for us with a very noisy bar on the critical night though I believe it has since either closed or changed hands. It is well worth trying each place out for a spell to get a feel for what it is really like rather than just pitching up at one and staying. We find that car hire of season can be very competitive if you shop around and look on the internet. All the marinas have good transfer opprtunities as there are hotel complexes on site which makes the ecconomy pickups work.

Property prices on the Algarve are hardening a bit, and estate agents were taking on staff earlier this year, but I would suggest buying only if you can afford to tie up the cash for a good few years. Having said that we know of a few people who have sold recently but at prices well below the peak prices, but a few years ago property was not moving even at the right price. Long term rental is good and there are quite a few good properties available at good prices especially away from the coast.
 
Safetywise, Lagos & Albufeira are the best sheltered, Chinita has summed up Lagos, Albufeira marina is like a ghost town in winter and 20 mins walk from town. I wouldn't consider leaving a boat in Portimao particularly the north basin, too exposed. Last winter fingers broke off walkways complete with boats, walkway bridges in the water and a mate had his fairleads ripped out of the toe rails. There's always Vilamoura of course:dread:
 
Thanks folks, lots of good advice. Do you guys just spend the year in the Algarve (is there enough to do there?) or do you use it as a base to explore further? It's amazing that we have never been there (by land or sea) but for some reason we always by-pass it to either get down to Gib and the Med or are heading overland to Maroc and the Sahara - maybe the Algarve is the little jewel that we have missed :D
 
drumbeat said:
Thanks folks, lots of good advice. Do you guys just spend the year in the Algarve (is there enough to do there?) or do you use it as a base to explore further? It's amazing that we have never been there (by land or sea) but for some reason we always by-pass it to either get down to Gib and the Med or are heading overland to Maroc and the Sahara - maybe the Algarve is the little jewel that we have missed :D
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It is and the weather is more stable than the Med.
 
drumbeat said:
Thanks folks, lots of good advice. Do you guys just spend the year in the Algarve (is there enough to do there?) or do you use it as a base to explore further? It's amazing that we have never been there (by land or sea) but for some reason we always by-pass it to either get down to Gib and the Med or are heading overland to Maroc and the Sahara - maybe the Algarve is the little jewel that we have missed :D
Click to expand...

It's possibly the best winter weather in Europe, often nice sailing weather. No need to use marinas, enough anchorages. SW Spain, Gib, Ceuta etc are within easy reach, this year we've spent 3 months on the west coast, to Porto and back.
 
drumbeat said:
Thanks folks, lots of good advice. Do you guys just spend the year in the Algarve (is there enough to do there?) or do you use it as a base to explore further? It's amazing that we have never been there (by land or sea) but for some reason we always by-pass it to either get down to Gib and the Med or are heading overland to Maroc and the Sahara - maybe the Algarve is the little jewel that we have missed :D
Click to expand...

I can only speak for Lagos but I don't think that many spend the entire year there. The marina charge a nine month rate and an annual rate. The three months - 15 Jun to 15 Sep - are as expensive as the nine months. This means that people, generally, either lift out and store in the Yard (Sopromar) or bug out for the three months. The Yard gives the hull an opportunity to dry out and maintenance to be done; it is also very secure.

Those who leave tend to go East - to the various anchorages on the Algarve, up the Guadiana for a while and then on as far as Gib. Alternatively, some head to the Canaries via Madeira. Others beat their way up the West coast for as long as they can stand (!) and some go out to the Azores.

For the winter period there is a lot going on if you fancy getting involved. Walks, talks, birthday/anniversary parties, group meals out, fun sailing on Sundays, darts, bridge........ sounds dreadful but, in spite of the rather jaundiced view of some, there is no pressure to get involved in anything. It is there if you want to play; ignore it if you don't. I generally don't bother as I have other interests to keep me going.

There are hundreds of restaurants - from dirt cheap Portuguese upwards. Indian, Thai, Japanese......The maria has a plethora of bars and restaurants. Being the Algarve there will clearly be tourists but not the sort of mass tourism on the Costas. Again, some may knock the bars but, especially around the marina, they are fairly couth and there is never any aggro. Others may sneer but I very much enjoy spending my winter weekends watching six nations and Heineken Cup rugby with a bunch of like-minded mates.

I find the weeks fly by. I have a couple of friends with small boats and we usually go for a day out in the bay every week -one of the advantages of small, simple yachting. We chuck a few sarnies and beers in the cockpit and enjoy a mid-winter jog under blue skies and a benign Atlantic (a MAJOR plus is the prevailing northerly which ensures a lovely offshore wind most afternoons).

You can, of course, develop cabin fever stuck in the marina and we find it essential to get away from time to time. We have a white van with all the camping gear in the back. It is super to get out to the dramatic West coast and drive North towards Lisbon. When the day draws to a close we simply pop into a cafe for a bite then back the van up to the edge of the cliff somewhere like Carapateira, Bordeira or Zambujera do Mar and enjoy the silence and the stars.

Car hire in the winter is very cheap and you can spend a week just touring the Algarve coast and inland to the Alantejo. The public transport system is fun as well. The train runs from Lagos, through Faro and on to the Spanish border at Vila Real. There are local buses which take you out to Sagres and Cape St Vincent. There is a twice daily bus to Seville and you can even get a Eurolines coach from Lagos to London if you are mad enough!

I ended up there because my ten year old boy lives in Luz. It just happened that we were in Lagos when we split up. I think we were very fortunate. Sadly, my days there are numbered as my ex is moving to Geneva next June. I am currently investigating Sete as the next base.
 
chinita said:
I can only speak for Lagos but I don't think that many spend the entire year there. The marina charge a nine month rate and an annual rate. The three months - 15 Jun to 15 Sep - are as expensive as the nine months. This means that people, generally, either lift out and store in the Yard (Sopromar) or bug out for the three months. The Yard gives the hull an opportunity to dry out and maintenance to be done; it is also very secure.

Those who leave tend to go East - to the various anchorages on the Algarve, up the Guadiana for a while and then on as far as Gib. Alternatively, some head to the Canaries via Madeira. Others beat their way up the West coast for as long as they can stand (!) and some go out to the Azores.

For the winter period there is a lot going on if you fancy getting involved. Walks, talks, birthday/anniversary parties, group meals out, fun sailing on Sundays, darts, bridge........ sounds dreadful but, in spite of the rather jaundiced view of some, there is no pressure to get involved in anything. It is there if you want to play; ignore it if you don't. I generally don't bother as I have other interests to keep me going.

There are hundreds of restaurants - from dirt cheap Portuguese upwards. Indian, Thai, Japanese......The maria has a plethora of bars and restaurants. Being the Algarve there will clearly be tourists but not the sort of mass tourism on the Costas. Again, some may knock the bars but, especially around the marina, they are fairly couth and there is never any aggro. Others may sneer but I very much enjoy spending my winter weekends watching six nations and Heineken Cup rugby with a bunch of like-minded mates.

I find the weeks fly by. I have a couple of friends with small boats and we usually go for a day out in the bay every week -one of the advantages of small, simple yachting. We chuck a few sarnies and beers in the cockpit and enjoy a mid-winter jog under blue skies and a benign Atlantic (a MAJOR plus is the prevailing northerly which ensures a lovely offshore wind most afternoons).

You can, of course, develop cabin fever stuck in the marina and we find it essential to get away from time to time. We have a white van with all the camping gear in the back. It is super to get out to the dramatic West coast and drive North towards Lisbon. When the day draws to a close we simply pop into a cafe for a bite then back the van up to the edge of the cliff somewhere like Carapateira, Bordeira or Zambujera do Mar and enjoy the silence and the stars.

Car hire in the winter is very cheap and you can spend a week just touring the Algarve coast and inland to the Alantejo. The public transport system is fun as well. The train runs from Lagos, through Faro and on to the Spanish border at Vila Real. There are local buses which take you out to Sagres and Cape St Vincent. There is a twice daily bus to Seville and you can even get a Eurolines coach from Lagos to London if you are mad enough!

I ended up there because my ten year old boy lives in Luz. It just happened that we were in Lagos when we split up. I think we were very fortunate. Sadly, my days there are numbered as my ex is moving to Geneva next June. I am currently investigating Sete as the next base.
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Brilliant! Thank you Guys.
 
I suppose the Algarve could be boring, but most people do not find it so mainly because it is so easy to make friends, both local and various forms of expat. We had the boat in Albufeira for a year and yes it is a 20 minute walk to town, but the bus every 30 minutes makes up for that. Yes the marina gets very quiet over winter but we liked that, and there were always a few bars etc open. Plenty of decent shops and as already noted like every where in the Algarve plenty of places to eat and drink. We can still get a 3 course meal with drinks and coffee for 6 euros, though that price is not so easy to find these days 7-8 is more common. Local food is in general very good and well priced, and the Algarve is the home of the barbecue. We also rented houses for 2 years and now take or motorhome out there for the winter, we found the summers too hot for our liking. The bus and train service along the Algarve are good and regular. Taxis are not too expensive, though buying second hand cars tends to be pricey compared to the UK.The locals are delightful in general and very helpful
 
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