I think Vale de Parra will suit you well Lisa.

Hi Lisa,

We stayed in a villa in Vale de Para in 2002 on a family holiday. Its a lovely area, relaxing and quiet but only a 10 min drive into Albufeira Old Town. Its a good base for exploring also. Depends on where you are staying but there are several good restaurants around a 5 min drive and a supermarket with an ATM.

We were near the main road and only a minutes walk from the supermarket and the O;Barco restuarant/bar. Other eating places within 5 mins drive are The Jompra, O Gale, Salgados Rock Cafe, Museu dos Salgados, the cafe in the supermarket (good for snacks and coffee), Casa de Carne and quite a few more. There is no nightlife other than restaurants really. Guia is a 10 min drive as well with plenty of good restaurants.

Lots of beaches also close by but around 5-10 mins by car.

We loved this area as it was so peaceful and away from all the madness of The Strip and it was weat we were looking for at that time. 8 euros in a taxi will get you to nightlife if you take the notion.

Anything else you want to know just ask.

Lummie

We've stayed in Vale de Perra a couple of times on last minute bookings with Style holidays (allocated on arrival). It is a quiet area and out of the main season can be a bit like a ghost town. There are a smattering of restaurants in the area, and access to a number of splendid beaches most with facilities. Most nights we ate in Guia, with the odd trip to Albufeira for a bit of life. Those who have not been to the area recently may be suprised at the amount of development that has taken place.

Its an area where you really do need a car, but is also an excellent area for seeing most of the Algarve, most things being less than an hours drive.

Incidentally if you can take the chance and wait till last minute you can do some great deals with Style.

I would second Sunbear's suggestion of Style - my friend and I and her daughter got a lovely 2 bed apartment in Carveorio a few weeks before departure last July.

Thank you all very much for your help.

Sounds like we have made a good decision so far!