Hi Ian,

Sounds like an interesting username - must be a story behind that one!

The Sol e Mar is only a couple of hundred yards from the Rocamar and I don't think there will be a problem with the taxi dropping you at the door, or very close. I think Glynis (Admin) stayed there last year so I'm sure she'll be able to tell you more about the ancient (or not) clientele! I know she loved the location - right on the beach with great sea views from the rooms. It's the building nearly in the centre of the first photo, and the street in the second one is right behind the hotel and leads to the main Square. Lots of bars and good restaurants. It'll be a great atmosphere in June.



We nearly always use EasyJet and it's fine, although we don't usually go in the high season. You can book Speedy Boarding which allows you to board the plane first (or bus if one is used to get you to the plane). Everyone one else gets given a code number (A, B, C or 1-30, 30-60 etc) according to the time they checked in, and the groups are then called to board in order of checking in. If you're new to the system you might like to book Speedy Boarding but there are a few points to bear in mind. There are only a designated number of Speedy Boarders allowed on each flight (I think it's something like 30 people). It's also only really worthwhile if you are boarding straight onto the plane, because if you're going on a bus to the plane then the people following you onto it may get off the bus and into the plane before you. As I said, we never bother with it and we don't have a problem, and I would think you'd be fine in June.

Hi we stayed in the Sol e Mar in about March time I think and yes there was a lot of older clientele there then, but many had gone for a long winter break. The Rocamar get's brilliant reviews and I would like to stay there at some point - but I've looked into it and booking there seems to be exclusive in the UK to one company. (I thought it was Thomson but on checking their website I can't see it )

We stayed B&B and although the breakfast was adequate it was nothing special. The rooms however were clean and the views fantastic.

As the hotel is built on the cliff face the reception area is at the top - so request a top floor to be on ground level for reception. There are quite a few steps to climb down then back up on an evening to enable you to access the bars and restaurant area, during the day there's a lift to the bottom (the beach) and if you walk through the tunnel in the cliffs you can access everything from there.. I don't know what time the door at the bottom closes in the Summer - I think it may have been around 6pm when we were there which meant we had to use the steps of an evening.

I used Easy to travel to Faro last July. I am sure they will be fine for you. Even going in mid-July we managed to get four seats together and that was without using speedy boarding.

The only 'difficult bit' was check-in at Gatwick which was a bit of a scrum towards the end. Although in fairness to Easy what they do towards the end of check-in time is open a couple of extra desks to ensure everyone gets checked-in and this is what actually causes the surge forward, with people on the ends of the existing queues moving into the new ones that open. I think outside of peak season there will be no problems. For the 280 pound saving I made over BA I would definately use them again for such a short flight.

easyjet now have speedy boarding plus !!! this gets you to a dedicated check in desk (avoiding the queues) and then called to board the plane first, if buses are used, at faro they have new front and rear loaders, they put you on the bus first and allow you off the bus first so you do get the best choice of seats.of course there is a price to pay for this preferential service so is it worth it up to each individual taste.

Taxis etc are allowed to drop off outside Sol E Mar; access for vehicles otherwise is allegedly for residents only but outside the peak season there seems to be little or no enforcement and the area is full of visitors cars trying to find a car park - there aren't any!

thanks for all your input.

To Rose..is that your finger top right of the 2nd photo..
the username came about from the number of times our flight has been delayed over the years. It only seemed to happen to us. (17 hours one time!) not to bad these days as we try to fly early morning.

I've been reading into speedy boarding since it was brought up here.
as my wife has the fear we'll be last on, she'll be at the front of the plane and me at the back, we might look into it.

Glynis..
The view alone is a big plus
Does that mean the hotel is rather like an upside down one, the rooms are below reception, and I assume, as you mention steps, there are no lifts?.

As the pool is indoors..Can anyone tell me the prices of sunbeds/parasols on the beach, as I can see us spending a few days on there, and are they council owned or private

There are quite a few steps to climb down then back up on an evening to enable you to access the bars and restaurant area, during the day there's a lift to the bottom (the beach) and if you walk through the tunnel in the cliffs you can access everything from there.. I don't know what time the door at the bottom closes in the Summer - I think it may have been around 6pm when we were there which meant we had to use the steps of an evening.

On reading back through the above I can see that it might read as though this is inside the hotel - sorry this is outside to enable you to go down into the resort.

The hotel is indeed upside down and there are lifts within it. This picture shows the 'front' entrance of the hotel at the top, and the steps coming down the side that are used of an evening. Straight in front is the tunnel access from the beach (and hotel) to the shops, square etc.

What happens is, to access the beach you go down in the hotels lift where a door opens up into the cafe area - which is on the beach, and from there you can walk through the tunnel and this brings you within a minute of the square.

So if you look at the picture you can almost imagine the 'circle'. Up the steps, into hotel, take the lift down to the beach, round through the tunnel and then you're back at the steps? But this is only applicable of an evening as during the day you can go in and out by the beach door and use the lift to and from your room.

It's up to you whether you ask for a 'bottom floor' as this will give you access to the beach during the day - or a top floor (as we did) which is near to restaurant and reception and of course the steps. But if you choose a beach front 'bottom room' then you will still need to go up the steps late evening. In June the 'Beach door' will probably stay open later I would imagine.

We didn't sunbathe on the beach as, although the weather was lovely for the time of year, it wasn't sunbathing weather.

Here's the hotel's website this may help if you haven't already seen it.

http://www.grupofbarata.com/UK/default.asp

Hope this helps as it's taken me ages to explain my 'top from my bottom'

To Rose..is that your finger top right of the 2nd photo..

You're not the first to notice my finger, Ian! See Sagres' comment on this thread:-

roseweb,
Re: your photo of the Rua 5 Outubro,- if that's your finger at the top right of the picture I'd just like to say that I don't like your nail varnish !!

What's puzzling me is how my finger got into Glynis' photo!!

Hope this helps as it's taken me ages to explain my 'top from my bottom'

No comment, Glynis!

Hey, is that you in the photo with the turquoise cutoffs?

just wanted to add a comment about sunbeds....we stayed at the rocamar last sept & spent 1 day on the beaches sunbeds...2 beds & a parasol was 15 euros...would work out quite expensive for a full week!

Hey, is that you in the photo with the turquoise cutoffs?

No Rose not me

thank you Glynis..We now understand..
And thank you Ocelot, for the sunbed prices..(15euro's) I think its the average all over Europe ....
for a fortnight, it will cost us £140..That's why I ask, is the beach private or municipal..if its the former, we can negotiate a fortnightly price..if its the latter..we can't.

If you're not bothered about being on the actual beach then you can sit at the tables on the outside patio area of the hotel where you come out of from the lift. There's plenty of tables and they are a sun trap. Failing that (and you are ok getting up from the sand) buy yourself a cheap beach umbrella and take your towels on the beach. We always do this as we like to get right down near to the sea. You can also prop yourselves up by the many rocks on the edge.

When we were there there wasn't any sunbeds around that area.