Much the same everywhere. Local press etc is suggesting that visitor numbers this year will be down 10% - 15% this summer.

Think this may be the case in a lot of places in the Algarve and Spain during 2009. Only people who are very secure in their work and financial situations will be having two or three weeks holidays this year. There is a general nervousness about.

Going to Cabanas next Monday with our son and Thai daughter-in-law.
Don't mind if it's quiet....just want lots of sunshine......
especially for my daughter-in-law as she is freezing here in Glasgow!!!!!
Pat

Am sure you'll get the sunshine Pat It'll be interesting to see how you find Cabana's. I'm the same as you I don't mind quiet - infact I think I prefer it to crowds

Glynis,
I can't do crowds and noise anymore......must be getting old.....
Will let you know how it goes.
Pat

Quiet is the way we like it, long may it continue.

It is so quiet that at least two bar owners I know of here in Albufeira will be selling up and leaving at the end of this summer.

They won't be the only ones unless something dramatic happens.

The few people that are here are not going out it seems. They are buying their wine and beer from the supermarkets and sitting indoors drinking. Just like at home. Are the four walls of your hotel room really that nice to look at?

We are considering a new advertising campaign based on the slogan 'Spend some money, you %$%^£$^%$£!"

Like the Joni Mitchell song said "You won't know what you've got 'til it's gone..."

My friend called round last night and said that Quozzies and Esmeralda's were extremely quiet at one point there were 3 people in the bar playing darts, 2 of whom were staff. Quite a few restaurants were closed also.

She wasn't keen on the new bridge (I'm going to pop in there in July to take a look) and said that the mooring platform has spoilt it also. Apparently there are plans to do the sewers this winter and they are going to promenade the main street and make it traffic free.
Will look forward to hearing what Pat thinks when she next returns.

Which new bridge Glynis? Is it to the Island?

Taff

I couldn't quite understand how it works. From what she said it doesn't actually go to the Island but across the water inlet for the boats to tie up to. It appears it's near the fisherman's huts. She also said it was white and wasn't that attractive.

Glynis.

For bridge.....see Marina!

Taff.

See Marina? Do you mean their plans for opening the marina? Is there any photo's yet?

I was in Cabanas a little while ago and I must admit I didn't pay much attention to Marinas and things, but I did notice a sort of bridge that goes out to a pontoon where boats could tie up. There weren't any. Unfortunately I deleted the one or two pictures I took down there as I didn't think they would be of any interest!

Apologies, perhaps Marina is too grand a word, a more apt description probably would be "a wooden jetty type construction that you could tie your boat to with a metal type weird bridge going to it"

Pretty much as Cubsur says really.

Porto Banus it is not.

Ah but Taff rumour has it that they are building a 'marina'? What it will entail I don't know

Well,
Just returned from our 2 weeks in Cabanas and yes, it was really quiet!!! Except on the Thursday and Friday when it was a holiday for the Portuguese and the place was jumping with Portuguese and Spanish!!! It was too busy for us then......that's why we never go in July/August!!!!
After the holiday days, it went back to quiet
I must say, all the restaurants were open, none were closed.

As for the pontoon.....it is right beside the fishermen's huts and there were quite a few boats tied up there.
Again the rumour goes that a bridge was meant to be started to go right over to the beach but it has been put off until next year.....
The new shopping centre in Tavira, Gran Plaza was busy when we were there but it was just opening so the novelty is still there.
I must say I noticed a difference in prices since we were there in February and that was reflected by the drop in people there.
When we left Faro airport on Monday, there was only 1 plane in the airport....ours
Normally there are at least 20.......
It will be interesting to see what happens between now and our return in September.
Pat

Hi Pat, Glad you had a wonderful time, its been the same over in Albufeira as well, very quiet, we where there at the end of May. Hopefully this upsurge in the euro at the moment will encourage folks to book. We are next down in September, 11th to the 20th what date are you there?

If anyone has enough time in their lives have a read of the 26 pages on here relating to some apartments in Cabanas, (I think they are the ones behind the train station in Conciecao)

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=513870

Hi Jayjan,
We arrive 17th September and leave 1st JOctober. (Thurs)
So if we were to meet up it would probably have to be 18th???
Let me know what you think.....
Pat