Information about Accommodation in the Algarve
Camping and the Algarve seem to go hand in hand. The Algarve has an excellent climate all year round, with sun and blue skies most days and only infrequent patches of rain, it also has an abundance of beautiful settings for campsites. This probably explains why there are so many campsites and caravanning sites around the Algarve, which are very popular even in the winter months.
Algarve campsites are usually very inexpensive, most you can stay at for as little as 4€ per person, per day, including extras such as showers and parking. Campsites range from small areas with very basic amenities to huge sites, which can accommodate hundreds of tents, caravans and campervans and have furnished chalets and permanent static caravans to hire, as well as shops and sports facilities. It is worth checking out what campsites are around the area you are heading to, because they do vary in size, price and level of amenities, and some may be fully booked in summer.
If you are going to camp in the Algarve you should probably think about getting a “Camping Card International” (CCI). This is an identification document, valid for 12 months that can be used instead of leaving your passport with the campsite office, to use to secure your space instead of leaving a deposit or it can cover third party insurance claims for up to 11 people camping. Some campsites or caravanning sites may not actually let you on to their site without a CCI, and if you’re lucky, some sites may even give you a discount for presenting your card. The card’s cost around £5.00 and are available from main camping clubs.
Camping outside of official grounds is not really approved of in the Algarve and is actually forbidden on beaches, in urban areas and within 1km of a campsite so always try to make sure you have a campsite sorted for the following day before you go off exploring. Also, just be aware that there is a risk of theft from campsites so always have your most important possessions and money with you at all times and make your camping area as secure as possible.
Pensões offer simple rooms to rent and generally fall into the lowest price range for accommodation in the Algarve. Pensões are found in most towns and villages and can be excellent value as well as offering a more relaxed environment than hotels. As with hotels, aparthotels and other forms of accommodation in the Algarve, pensões are officially graded based on the amenities and services they offer. At its simplest, a 1-star pensão consists of a clean bedroom with a shared bathroom. At the more luxury end of the market, 4-star pensões usually offer full board accommodation that includes meals. You may also see the word “residência” used to describe accommodation in the Algarve and these are similar in price and quality to a pensão but they do not usually offer food apart from a breakfast of bread and coffee sometimes.
In recent years, standards of pensões and residênciais have risen in the Algarve. They are well worth considering because a 3-star pensão, offering a well furnished room with its own bathroom and TV, will often be more comfortable, stylish and cheaper than a 1 or 2-star hotel. The price tariffs should always be clearly displayed for you to see. It is always wise to have a look round the property and inspect the room and washing facilities on offer before you decide to stay.
Algarve youth hostels are called “pousadas de juventude”. There are currently five youth hostels in the Algarve, in Alcoutim, Arrifana, Faro, Lagos and Portimão.
Algarve youth hostels are great because they provide an inexpensive form of accommodation in the Algarve and are really popular with backpackers who just want a bed to sleep in for a day or two as they are travelling around exploring the Algarve.
Prices can start from around 11,00€ a night for a bed in a multiple room in low season ( 16,00€ in high season). There are double rooms with W.C from 28,00€ in low season (43,00€ high season) and some of the youth hostels have family rooms for 4 people from 45,00€ low season (70,00€ high season).
Facilities vary between youth hostels in the Algarve, starting from as basic as just a common room to snooker tables, swimming pools, bars, bicycle rental, canoeing and Internet access.
If you are looking to go in the summer, you will need to book your bed or room well in advance. You will have to pay a reservation fee when you book, either an individual fee of 1,50€ for up to 10 people or a group fee of 7,50€ for 10 or more people on reservation.
To stay in pousadas de juventude you will need to have a valid Hostelling International (HI) card, which can be obtained from your home-based Youth Hostel Association:
YHA (England & Wales) Ltd (www.yha.org.uk)
Scottish Youth Hostels Association (www.syha.org.uk)
Youth Hostels Association of Northern Ireland (www.hini.org.uk)
Ireland (www.irelandyha.org)
American Youth Hostels (AYH) (www.hiayh.org)
Canadian Hostelling Association (www.hostellingintl.ca)
Australian Youth Hostels Association (www.yha.org.au)
If you would like more information about Algarve youth hostels look on the Pousadas de Juventude website (www.pousadasjuventude.pt). If you would like to book a room in a youth hostel, you can do it through their website, over the phone, or by post:
Movijovem,
Rua Lúcio de Azevedo,
27 1600-146 Lisboa,
Portugal.
Tel: (351) 21723 21 00
Fax: (351) 21723 21 02
E-mail: reservas@movijovem.pt
Pousadas offer some of the most attractive accommodation in the Algarve. The name 'pousada' takes its name from the Portuguese verb pousar, meaning to rest, and this represents the ideology behind their design. In the early 1940s, António Ferro, a poet, playwright and politician, had the idea of creating hotels that were both rustic and genuinely Portuguese, easily identified by their grace and elegance. This concept was embraced by the Portuguese goverment and pousadas started to be formed, either converted from historic properties, intended to preserve national architectural history, or purpose built in locations of outstanding natural beauty.
Pousada hotels are run to the highest standards and provide visitors with servings of traditional cuisine and regional wines, in places adorned with historic artefacts or lavish furnishings and located in some of the more beautiful settings in Portugal. They are often situated away from popular tourist areas to ensure the tranquillity needed for guests to appreciate the tradition and culture of the Portuguese people.
There are now three pousadas in the Algarve in São Brás de Alportel, Sagres and Tavira, with a new one currently under construction in the gardens of the Estoi palace, not far from Faro. Overall there are more than 40 Pousadas throughout Portugal. Pousada de São Brás de Alportel was the first pousada to be built in the Algarve, in 1944, and it is classed as a 'charm pousada' (providing a 'unique atmosphere') with wonderful views across the countryside. Pousada de Sagres - Infante is a 'nature pousada' (because of its cliff top location) and has magnicifent views of the Atlantic Ocean. Pousada de Tavira - Convento da Graça is a 'historic pousada' because it is a converted convent. It was once the Convent of the Cloistered Augustinian Nuns, which was founded by King D. Sebastião around 1569. So if you are looking for something different out of an Algarve holiday, or you enjoy history and finding out about the Portuguese culture, why not try staying in a pousada in the Algarve.