Hi

Just got back from a fab week in Carvoeiro and have a few recommendations for things to do in the area, that we all really enjoyed.

There is a lovely beach in Ferragudo which currently has huge inflatables in the sea. You pay 5 Euros and get an hour to play on them, life jackets included. There were loads of games including see-saws, trampolines, slides and a huge rock shaped inflatable called the Iceberg, which you have to climb up, which is quite an effort! I'm not a great lover of the sea, but this was hugely enjoyable! We spent ages there, and it was so much fun. There were people of all ages there, and I would recommend it highly.

We went to 2 water parks whilst we were there - Aquashow, near Quarteira, and Slide and Splash, near Lagoa, both of which were really good, with lots of rides. I think Aquashow was 20 Euros to get in and Slide and Splash was 18 Euros, but both well worth it for the day. Once inside, you only need to pay for a locker (think was about 3 Euros) and food. No hidden charges for the use of inflatable rings as I've found with other water parks!!

Also, if you find yourselves getting bored in the evening, there is a bar called the Cocktail Garden, in Monte Carvoeiro square which is really nice for some after dinner meals. They have a large range of alcoholic and non alcoholic cocktails, although I will admit that some of them are not so cheap. But they are all the best cocktails I have tasted - I recommend the 6-pence and the June Bug (think that's what it was called). Anyway, they also have many logical puzzles for you to play with whilst enjoying your cocktail, and if solve 10 of them then you get a free cocktail. Some of them are fairly easy, some more difficult, but it's definitely a talking point!

And lastly, and I can't recommend this enough, we went horse riding. We first went to these stables a couple of years ago and loved it so much we went back twice this holiday and are already planning to go back in October so we can go there again. The place is called Country Riding Centre and is located near Silves, on the Messines road. It's run by Martina and Steve, and they're both lovely people. Steve is from Nottingham originally and is really easy to chat to and is really funny! They're both really professional and, despite having ridden before, I learnt a lot from them. They cater for riders of all levels of experience and are really friendly and helpful. We went for a couple of hacks into the hills and the views are just stunning.

Laura