Hi is anyone going to alto da colina between 14th -28th May and have a three year old as i would love my little boy to have a friend while we are away! Hes really excited about the bugs bunny club but i dont think he will be happy to play unless he has a friend!

thanks leigh and ken i hope you have a nice time i look forward to reading your report on your return, could you include if there are a lot of mossies

Hi, My family - 2 Adults and 3 kids 7, 5 and 1 are for Club Alto da Colina in August - can anyone out there who has been let me know what it is like and how child friendly it really is!!

Hi all,

We fly out on saturday 21st for two weeks, so far have found the front desk very helpful via email ( see earlier post )

will post a report on our return

2 adults and 2 children 5 and 4 years

Clayton

We are going to Club Alto do Colina in July. 2adults & 4 kids. However, I have been disappointed to read that there is still some building work going on in the complex. It is the multi sports complex. Would love to hear from somebody who has stayed there. I have 2 soccer mad boys and it was one of the things I looked for when booking the holiday and I will be rather disappointed if there is no area for them to play ball. Would love to hear from someone who has stayed there. Thanks for any advice.

We have just returned from the alto da colina this satarday we had a two week stay. Can i just say your in for a real treat it was amazing!
Please dont worry about building work as the hotel was vertualy completed when we were there and as for having kids who are football crazy well they are going to love it. There is a soccer school every day on a fantastic astro turf pitch and to top it off one of the soccer school coaches was David Howells who used to play for Tottenham! There is also lots of grassy areas for them to kick a ball around. The hotel had only been open for two weeks when we arrived and little jobs were still being done like putting up fences and lights and the odd poster here and there but it did not affect our holiday or any standard of the hotel. By the time we left there was hardly anything left to do! so please dont worry.
The First choice team were amazing and the kids club was fab there is so much for the children to do you wont see them!
When we arrived we thought we were a little far from every thing but actualy we realised we couldnt be in a nicer place there are two beaches that you can walk down to and they are both very beautiful and there are a couple of shops and super markets within walking distance. You need to catch a cab to the strip or you can walk but we had babies, the strip is a good night out but you'll be glad your not staying there! Eat at El Rancho lovely food. Now the old town is something else beautiful you must go there and you must try a cataplana a portuguise dish its gorgous i had the chicken one as i dont like fish!
One more thing i will say is get a cab to Modelo which is a supermarket in the old town we did a huge shop and cooked quite a lot in our apartments the meat was lovely and very cheap beer and wine.
Any way i hope ive been some help to every one i could go on for hours you will love these apartments i even had channel 1 so i could whatch Eastenders and the kids had Ceebeebies! Anyway have a fantastic time we certainly did.

Hi Lucy so glad you had a great holiday We are hoping to go here next year so a couple of questions.Can you walk into town and how long would it take?Is the walk very hilly?
Thanks Sue
P.S We will have teenagers with us

:Ddear lucy
thanks for the info we are off in 5weeks time and i am really looking forward to it. my grandson(12) will go mad for the footie cheers.

Wow Lucy that sounds really fab and I cant wait to go now. Really great to hear from someone who has actually been. I have been checking this site most days waiting for someone who has been to reply.

Just a word for Duch, if your grandson is mad into the soccer you might need to think about pre booking the camp. I was advised by my travel agent to do that as seeming these can get very booked up in peak season. Roll on July.

Dear Waterford,
Thanks for the tip will check with our travel agent.

Lisa, another question for you what were the onsite restaurants like. Thank You.

Just been reading about the shopping centre Algarve Shopping and I was wondering if anybody knows if it easy to get to from Club Alto do Colina. We will have a car for a week.

Hi All,

Just got back yesterday and wish we could go back 36c when we left and 16c at gatwick.

Some answers to the questions posted.

soccer school was in full swing with 2 guys running it ours were too young to join in but we wacthed the matches.

we had a car for 2 weeks and were really glad with the little ones the strip is about 2.5kms and the old town 5 kms road is a bit climb most people took a taxi the the hotel will call for you.

for shopping ie supermatket we found a lidl ( you would need to drive ) directions if needed
(5 liters of water hotel 1 euro, local supermaket 69cents lidal 41cents)

the algave shopping is easy to find on the main n125 there is also some factory outlet shop in the same area.

the rep are all good the pools are lovely ( if a bit cold but the temp is starting to climb ) there are some minor bits still be finished around the hotel but they don't get in your way.

hope that helps a bit.

Clayton

Clayton, were you very impressed with the complex overall. What was the onsite restaurant like. I know you drove your self but how long did it take to get from the airport to the complex.

Waterford2005,

Yes we were impressed overall with the complex, the children loved the kids club and the pools we used the one behind the hotel by the sports courts. it got water fountain fun area too as well as a bar. as others have said lots of grass area which the kids loved to run around on with a ball

we never ate in the restaurant had a couple of bar meals ( which were ok nothing special ). we preferred to go out. there are some other places to eat nearer than the strip but we didn't use them.

Following the direction and map sent to me from the hotel front desk it took about half an hour to get from the airport.

hope that helps.

Clayton

Thanks Clayton, this site is keeping me going until I get to go. Only 6 wks to go.

Thanks
Michelle

We returned yesterday after an extra nights stay due to our aircraft being hit on the ground! The apartments are first class and very spacious, but like most accomadation abroad you can hear your neighbours we were woken for the last 7 days by children being allowed to drag furniture around and play with all their toys on the balcony from 5.30am (why do adults let this happen?) hotel reception staff very polite and helpful, Bar staff also very freindly but they do work at a differnt speed to us english. The kids club reps are fantastic and there is plenty of sessions for them if that is want you want they also have a creche and a nice play area with slides ect. The soccer school is now run by 2 young lads since David Howells left last Friday and is played on a astro turf pitch I must say the kids we saw using the soccer school seemed to really enjoy it the cost is, I am told is 44 euros for 2 sessions. Both pools and the splash area were good and clean, we were told by Dave on our welcome meeting that the one at the back is the largest freeform pool in the Algarve, yes they were a bit on the cold side but by our second week when the weather was hotting up it was a blessing to jump in and cool off. When we arrived our apartment was being painted and so did not get in untill late in the day and this seemed to happen to quite a few people throughout the 2 weeks, there was only what I would call normal onsite matainace going on and it did not affect the holiday at all, there is what looks like a building site waiting to happen by the astro pitch with a crane sat in the middle but it is well away from the appartments. The walk to the strip is not something I would like to do very often and the trek to the beach via the Alfaga site is not advised if you are of a nervous dissposition! steps are very steep and wobbly. The old town is lovely and worth exploring and Madelo supermarket is worth going to for your shopping, the only thing I could not buy there was squash for the children but that can be found onsite in the supermarket run by Louise who was lovely. We ate out every day as we normally do on holiday but I must say we found it very expensive for 4 adults and 2 children we were spending between 80 to 160 euros each evening (and we are not drinkers) Most of the restaurants on the strip only offer burgers, chicken nuggets and fish fingers for the children if you look further there are some lovely places to eat and all are children freindly. On the down side we found the onsite entertainment very poor our 2 weeks had the same acts for each week, we only had one show by the first choice team and that was on our last evening, the previous Wedensday's show by them was cancelled for the football, they did put on kids mini disco and bingo every night but in general that was it from the reps for the evening, the parrot show starts 2 hours after it is meant to because they go around taking pictures, Presumed innocent (girl dancers) were good, they make the small bar area come alive when they come on stage and they do audience participation and the folk dancers were worth watching, one act on the second week failed to turn up but we did not miss him too much. The on site bar food and restaurant are a let down compared to the rest of the facilities. For us the holiday was spoilt by the on site food and entertainment and is not up to family plus status, that might well change by the time you get there as I know quite a few people were going to write to say the same. As with all holidays it is personal choice, I have posted these coments based on previous holidays we have taken as a family.

Can i just say i feel the on site restaurant and bar food were more than adequate and catered for everyone with a good choice of basic but good food, ok its not the savoy but what do people expect. Remember youve gone self catering and for around £3 you can get a taxi to either the strip or the old town where you will find a range of good food, it is expensive to eat out every night so do as we did and go to Modelo and stock up and you can cook some lovely meals in your room, whilst drinking lots of cheap portuguese rose on the balcony overlooking the sea!
I wouldnt recommend the walk to the strip as it is quite a trek it is so quick and easy to catch a taxi i would recommend this. Also the beaches are beautiful and not to be missed but there is no need to go through the Alfagar and down the hard way you can use the road access its much easier.

THanks Lucy, for the clarification about the restaurant. Its just we arrive at the hotel about 2pm and I was just wondering if we will be able to get something to eat without having to trek into the strip.