I have seen hell, and it's name is Vilamoura

[GrahamM376]

Always amazes me when people slag a place off after a short visit.
We spent two winters in Lagos and absolutely loved the place...in all that time never ever once encountered "pissed up Brits"

Why do you assume opinions are only formed after short visits. As Nortada (a Lagos resident) says Lagos during the summer holidays is very different to Lagos at other times of the year".

I understand exactly where Nooka is coming from. The Algarve can be a cultural shock after the west coast but he'll find it has a totally different atmosphere once the package holidays and stag parties have mostly finished. Having spent nearly 50 years visiting Portugal with the last 10 sailing mainly the Algarve, we avoid most of the holiday resort marinas in summer.

 

[capnsensible]

Long enough to form them. In the case of Vilamoura, I think it was about 20 minutes walk around the marina environs, by which time I had got up to, I think, 12 Irish pubs, 4 sex shops or massage parlours, as many groups of drunken English speaking blokes singing football songs or something, and what seems like Sunseeker's complete output from the past decade, the owners of a surprising number of which seemed to have been blessed with damned fine genes, judging by their daughters who adorned the bathing decks.

You have just reminded me how brilliant it is with chips too. :encouragement:

 

[stranded]

Ohh boy I'm there this weekend, land based but planned on scouting around marinas and anchorages.

There are lots of lovely places, and clearly very, very many people love the places I am less keen on. My observations were my opinion on two places, one of which I hated, and one of which is, I think it is undeniable, focussed on the cheap and cheerful end of the tourist market. But we can see the attractions of Lagos, and we will be overwintering our boat there. En route to the Guadiana now, which I am expecting to be very different, then we will pootle back to Lagos over a few weeks when hopefully the busier anchorages may have quietened down a bit.

 

[stranded]

Am I to take it that Tangier is no longer an option? I'm heading to Lagos today to look at the viability of overwintering there, so will be interested to see what it's like!

Yeah - Tangier still say they can accommodate us, but not what security will be provided, so as we will not be aboard for much of the time, I darent risk it. Shame - maybe it'll be fully open by the time we are on our way out.

 

[Ludd]

I wonder what it is that you don't like about us locals ?

I was suggesting that OP would always find fault . I could possibly be called a Portuguesophile--- now THERE'S a word to conjure with!!

 

[nortada]

I wonder what it is that you don't like about us locals ?

Do you really want to know?

 

[GHA]

There are lots of lovely places, and clearly very, very many people love the places I am less keen on. My observations were my opinion on two places, one of which I hated, and one of which is, I think it is undeniable, focussed on the cheap and cheerful end of the tourist market. But we can see the attractions of Lagos, and we will be overwintering our boat there. En route to the Guadiana now, which I am expecting to be very different, then we will pootle back to Lagos over a few weeks when hopefully the busier anchorages may have quietened down a bit.

An evening out in Albufeira might not be up your street either....

Thankfully the Algarve isn't like Spain after Gib, not too many sky sport/full english breakfast tourist strips and a load of places you can get a boat into that are still quite local.

 

[stranded]

This is what cruising all about . Some places you like and other don't ,
otherplaces you hate and others people will love .
Over the 40 years cruising Europe and the Med since I left my home land , many a time people have said how lovely a place is , only to arrive and think what a dump .
If you don't like drunken Brits ( or others ) singing song , your going to have a problem , as even the small island in Greece at time you will find them .

So my suggest is , open your eyes and take a look at all the other wonderful things you see around you ,
for ever one bad place you come across you find five great once ,
For ever one moron , you meet Ten lovely people .
enjoy your cruising , this can be a wonderful way of life ,
And if the worst come to the worst , you can always return back home , find a job and go back to weekend sailing when the weather lets you .
There are some that would give their right arm to do what your doing .

Whose complaining? No problem with the life Vic, just some bits of the world. Unless it has changed dramatically over the past three or four years, I don't expect to find too many Vilamouras in the eastern Med, and when I do, I'll move on.

 

[Gerry]

Personally we have always found that it's the people you meet and get to know that make a place. Have wonderful memories of Vilamoura- great group of locals who used to meet up at the 'taxi' bar for the daily lunch special... Some of the places with the worst reputations nave given us some of our most treasured memories.

 

[25931]

. I could possibly be called a Portuguesophile--- now THERE'S a word to conjure with!![/QUOTE]

Perfectly good English and an admirable sentiment.

 

[nortada]

Should add that Vilamoura is probably my least popular marina in the Gulf of Cadiz.

Not so much what's on offer ashore; which is heavily populated with golf tours.

Rather Vilamoura Marina is very power boat orientated. The pontoons are not very sailboat friendly. Nor are the marina staff. Finally, the reception is a long hike from the moorings.

If transiting in short hops along the Algarve, we would go direct Albufeira to Farol/Santa Maria and drop the hook at the western tip of Culatra. Tucked well back out of the flow an excellent anchorage, almost always deserted, good holding in about 6/7m. Oh yes only very few locals and fishermen.:encouragement:

A great place to capture sunsets

 

[stranded]

Personally we have always found that it's the people you meet and get to know that make a place. Have wonderful memories of Vilamoura- great group of locals who used to meet up at the 'taxi' bar for the daily lunch special... Some of the places with the worst reputations nave given us some of our most treasured memories.

Certainly agree with that. But the odds of doing so are reduced if the place itself is so unappealing that you don't stay long enough to find out!

 

[Garry & June 'Friendship']

Why do you assume opinions are only formed after short visits. As Nortada (a Lagos resident) says Lagos during the summer holidays is very different to Lagos at other times of the year".

I understand exactly where Nooka is coming from. The Algarve can be a cultural shock after the west coast but he'll find it has a totally different atmosphere once the package holidays and stag parties have mostly finished. Having spent nearly 50 years visiting Portugal with the last 10 sailing mainly the Algarve, we avoid most of the holiday resort marinas in summer.

Describing Lagos as "Blackpool without the Class" is ridiculous...and hints to me that this opinion was formed after a short visit....agreed during the summer nearly all marina's/resorts are totally different...so why form an opinion at that time...
and then to make that ridiculous comparison and then later admit he was wintering there just adds to the silliness of the post !!

However do agree that during the summer months...Who wants to be in Marina's !!

 

[nortada]

Describing Lagos as "Blackpool without the Class" is ridiculous...and hints to me that this opinion was formed after a short visit....agreed during the summer nearly all marina's/resorts are totally different...so why form an opinion at that time...
and then to make that ridiculous comparison and then later admit he was wintering there just adds to the silliness of the post !!

However do agree that during the summer months...Who wants to be in Marina's !!

My understanding is that Nooka is hauling in Sopromar for the winter so straight across the road to the railway and out of town.

No risk of contamination from the inmates in Lagos.:encouragement:

Wintering ashore in Sopromar (first Algarve yard after Cape St Vincent) an interesting choice?

 

[Fluvial66]

I have always liked Lagos when calling in there, although this June we did
have northerly gale force winds blowing right through the marina for 4 out
of the 5 days we were there, which dampened my enthusiasm somewhat.

However, Vilamoura ..... spent 5 days there and agree with the OP - we were
glad to leave. Just not our sort of place. Interested though that about 2/3 of the
boats there appeared to be British registered. And the vast majority power boats.

 

[Roberto]

I. And the vast majority power boats.

A sailor friend of mine once said "it s like being in that part of the boat show one never visits"

 

[Heckler]

Awful place, Faro lagoon.....

Culatera last year

View attachment 66323

Stu

 

[nortada]

Hi Nooka,

When do you plan to haul in Sopromar? If your plan is to initially go into the marina, I am sure we can organise a reception party so you can meet up with some of the longer term berth-holders. ?

Of course, all in the best possible taste!?

 

[GHA]

Culatera last year

View attachment 66323

Stu

Awful place, gimme the solent any day....

 

[25931]

I am not quite sure what I expected when we reached the Algarve. One or two replies to my earlier thread which intimated that the Spanish Rias were as good as it would get should have raised alarms. Lagos was a bit of a shock - like Blackpool without the class. But Vilamoura. Flippin' heck - human variety is a wondrous thing.

You ain't seen nothing yet -they have announced an expansion which will include 55 acres of lakes 5ft deep - acomodation for hundreds of mobos.