Portugal rental cottages blog

 

There are so many things to do during your holidays in Portugal that you are sure to find that the time simply flies by and before you know it it’s time to get back on the plane and head for home. Therefore, while you are here it is important to make sure that you really make the most of being in Portugal and enjoy as many different activities as you can during your holiday.

To make things simple Portugal Holiday Rentals offer a wide range of holiday activities that you can book through our website at the same time as you book your holiday accommodation – giving you plenty to look forward to and ensuring that you don’t miss out on anything.

Our activities include a number of exciting adventure sports that you can enjoy alone or in a group, or you can choose from a selection of guided tours that include many historic towns on the Silver Coast as well as Portugal’s capital which is just an hour’s drive away.

For those who prefer to take a relaxed approach to holiday activities Portugal Holiday Rentals has just the thing – we can arrange for a team of professional caterers to come to your holiday home and cook a delicious lunch or dinner for you to enjoy in the comfort of your Portugal holiday villa.

Now that sounds like a holiday to remember!

A spring holiday in Portugal is a nature lover’s dream with wild flowers in the fields and hedgerows and fruit trees in full blossom that scatters like snow in the slightest breeze. The Silver Coast countryside can prove irresistible to painters and photographers at this time of year with the colourful landscape and bright blue sky creating wonderful pictures everywhere you look.

The weather in Portugal during the spring is often warm enough for the beach but if you fancy getting energetic you will find that there are plenty of other fun activities you can enjoy before the warmer summer months arrive.

Cycling is a popular pastime in Portugal, a sport that is encouraged by the availability of cycle paths and other suitable places where you can get out and about and enjoy the clean fresh air and delightful scenery.

One of the most picturesque cycle paths on the Silver Coast is the one that surrounds the beautiful Obidos Lagoon. Here you can bond with nature in an unspoilt environment and spot birds and wildlife as you ride.

A number of the holiday villas or apartments available to rent through Portugal Holiday Rentals are equipped with bicycles, but if your particular Portugal holiday villa does not happen to have one then they are available to rent from many places here on the Silver Coast – ask for details when you book your holiday in Portugal.

 

If you are looking for a Portugal holiday villa with a difference, how about a gorgeous country cottage in a traditional village complete with a games room and swimming pool? Portugal Holiday Rentals have a simply delightful two bedroom cottage a short drive from the beach on the glorious Silver Coast.

Villa Tranquil is a lovely cottage full of character and with many original features. It is set in a beautiful garden with fabulous views over the Silver Coast countryside and is conveniently close to a number of golden sandy beaches.

The holiday cottage is fully equipped and provides comfortable accommodation for four to six people. The sunny weather in Portugal means that you can really make the most of the private swimming pool in the garden and if you are feeling really energetic you can play a game or two of ping pong on the shady covered veranda. Evenings can be spent enjoying a barbecue in the garden or perhaps a playing a game of pool on the full size pool table in the games room.

This lovely holiday home is also close to many of the hot spots on the Silver Coast and available to rent from Portugal Holiday Rentals for your summer holidays in Portugal this year – but you will have to book soon as it is filling up fast.

Choosing Portugal for your summer holiday this year is sure to be popular with all the family – Portugal is a perfect family holiday destination for so many reasons. The Silver Coast is a region known for its beautiful golden sandy beaches and with plenty of warm sunshine you will find lots of opportunities to enjoy them during your holiday.

When deciding on a family holiday it is often best to choose self catering accommodation as this usually works out cheaper and gives you more freedom when small children are involved.

Eating out in Portugal is very economical – in fact Portugal was recently voted the cheapest holiday destination in which to eat out – so you will not have to worry about the cost of taking the family out to cafes and restaurants.

If you choose the Silver Coast for your holiday in Portugal then you will be just an hour’s drive from the airport – so the kids will not have time to get bored in the car and there are lots of great places to visit once you are here. For instance, take the family to the delightful medieval town of Obidos, where you can really imagine life as it was hundreds of years ago and children can act out fierce sword fights on the castle walls. Nearby is the beautiful Obidos lagoon, a protected natural area with plenty of wild life and safe water for swimming or water sports.

That’s if you can tear them away from the pool at your Portugal holiday villa . . .

 

If you are looking for a beautiful holiday home in Portugal then you need look no further than this fabulous three bedroom holiday villa in Foz do Arelho. This lovely property on the Silver Coast sleeps up to six people and is available to rent at a very competitive price for your 2012 summer holidays.

The spacious and beautifully appointed villa is fully equipped and finished to the highest standard – it has three double bedrooms and four bathrooms ensuring plenty of room for everyone. Set within an exclusive condominium the villa enjoys use of a stunning infinity pool and has breath taking views over the Obidos Lagoon.

Another notable feature of this particular Portugal holiday villa is the superb location – within a short walk of all the amenities of Foz do Arelho including an excellent choice of restaurants, cafes and bars and some useful shops and banks. For nature lovers the Obidos Lagoon is also just a short walk from the holiday villa as is the huge sandy beach that makes Foz do Arelho such a popular holiday destination in Portugal.

All of this is just an hour’s drive from the airport and close to many other fabulous tourist attractions on the Silver Coast of Portugal and is therefore simply perfect for YOUR summer holiday in Portugal. Better book now . . .

Sitting outside a café one sunny afternoon last week I noticed a few English speaking holiday makers enjoying the Silver Coast sunshine alongside the locals. So I took the opportunity to chat to these people and ask why they had chosen Portugal for their holidays.

The group comprised a nice young couple who had come on holiday with their friends so I asked them the main reason why they had chosen to spend their Easter holidays in Portugal. They replied that Portugal had been their favourite holiday destination since their first visit five or so years ago when they had booked a holiday villa on the Silver Coast and enjoyed a romantic sunny break by the beach.

Every year after that they have returned to Portugal for a holiday and having tried various locations they have now come to the conclusion that nothing beats the Silver Coast.

The Silver Coast, they told me, has the most spectacular beaches with miles of golden sand and pretty unspoilt locations such as the Obidos Lagoon. Secondly, the local people here on the Silver Coast are invariably warm, friendly and hospitable.

The third reason they particularly love their holidays on the Silver Coast is the ease of access from Portugal’s main airport, just up the motorway in the capital – but the most important aspect of a Silver Coast holiday is the way you can experience the ‘Real Portugal’, without having to compromise on convenience and luxury.

Well, I couldn’t argue with that!

Should you be planning to spend your Easter holidays in Portugal this year you are likely to notice one or two differences with regard to how the holiday is celebrated. Portugal is a Catholic country that takes religion seriously and therefore the church is the first thing most people in Portugal think about at Easter – however, Portugal is also a very family orientated country and so family get-togethers are also important.

A big family lunch on Easter Sunday is a jolly occasion with a meal of roasted kid traditionally served after morning Mass. Chocolate bunnies and eggs are gradually becoming more popular here in Portugal but by far the gift most frequently given is sugared or chocolate covered almonds.

Another Easter tradition here in Portugal is ‘Folar da Pascoa’ a delicious bread, sometimes flavoured with sugar and spices, that is baked with a whole egg (still in it’s shell) said to represent fertility, rebirth and resurrection.

Most towns and villages in Portugal decorate their churches with palm leaves and hold a religious procession through the streets, each with its own character and traditions.

Easter is a great time to enjoy a holiday in Portugal so book a beautiful Portugal holiday villa through Portugal Holiday Rentals and come and experience the Real Portugal at Easter.

If you are looking for low cost holidays in Portugal then booking a self catering villa or apartment is usually a good option. With the global financial crisis affecting just about everyone there is more and more demand for budget holidays in the sun with Portugal coming at the top of many people’s lists.

If you are looking for holiday accommodation for a large group of friends or family then a beach or country villa in Portugal will be an affordable choice that will also provide a good holiday base for everyone.

Portugal Holiday Rentals have an excellent choice of large holiday villas, some of which can comfortably sleep up to ten or twelve people. For instance the delightful new villa pictured above is in the Silver Coast village of Fanadia. It has five double bedrooms and a gorgeous private swimming pool in the sunny garden.

The villa is surrounded by beautiful countryside and there is an excellent choice of beaches within a short drive. With Portugal’s largest airport just an hour’s drive up the motorway this lovely Portugal holiday villa is very easy to get to and so the start and finish of your holiday will be relaxing and stress free.

Look at other holiday villas in Portugal from the list available from Portugal Holiday Rentals and book yourself a fabulous Silver Coast holiday that won’t break the bank!

 

If you are wondering what to do during the forthcoming Easter holidays you will be pleased to know that it is not too late to book a last minute holiday in Portugal and really give yourself and your family an Easter treat.

Holidays in Portugal are always good value but at this time of year, before the main summer season, they are absolute bargains! Portugal Holiday Rentals have some superb holiday villas and apartments available to rent during the Easter holidays – choose from our extensive list of properties that includes beach houses beside the sea or rural retreats in the beautiful countryside.

If you have children to entertain during the Easter holidays then bringing them to Portugal for a last minute holiday is an ideal way to make sure they have a great time. The weather at this time of year is warm and sunny and so the days of your holiday can be spent on the beach or beside the pool at your Portugal holiday villa.

If café culture is your thing then you can enjoy spending time lingering over a coffee or a refreshing drink and watching the world go by from a ringside seat at a beach front café.

Forget the chocolate eggs – Easter holidays in Portugal are so much more fun, and a whole lot healthier!

We decided to make the most of the beautiful sunshine here in Portugal over the weekend and spent a sunny Sunday afternoon on the beach. The Silver Coast is famous for the great choice of glorious sandy beaches that are all within a short drive of each other. So which one to choose?

As a family we need to have a beach with plenty of space for our lively seven year old to run around and water that is safe for swimming – so one of our favourite beaches here on the Silver Coast is Foz do Arelho.

Foz do Arelho is a popular holiday destination but is not so widely known outside of Portugal, during the summer months Portuguese families flock to the little town to enjoy their summer holidays on the sandy beach at the mouth of the Obidos Lagoon. The beach is lined with restaurants and cafes creating a friendly, holiday atmosphere throughout the summer.

We soaked up the warm spring sunshine and even ventured into the water – first time this year – but then it is only March . . .

If I didn’t live here already I can’t think of a more perfect place to spend my summer holidays than the beautiful Silver Coast of Portugal!

Choose a Portugal holiday villa from the selection available from Portugal Holiday Rentals and book your summer holidays in Portugal now.