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Clube Praia da Oura, Algarve, Portugal
Portugal, a territory once occupied by the Celts, Visigoths, Romans and Arabs, this small country on the Iberian Peninsula is one of the oldest nations in Europe. A seafaring nation, the Portuguese set sail on epic voyages that would put them as the first explorers to discover the ocean routes to India, Brazil, China and Japan, carrying their language and culture to all corners of the world.
If gorgeous beaches, warm water, golf, tennis and year-round sunshine are what you seek, Algarve is a dream come true. Travel to the southern coast of Portugal by car or by air is no longer an obstacle. A modern highway (toll road) connects Lisbon to the southern most territory and there is an airport in Faro connecting the area to central Europe, England and Canada. The distance between Lisbon and ALbufeira is less than 300 Kilometers or about 2 ˝ hours driving time.
Albufeira, similar to many of the coastal towns along the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, was once a peaceful fishing village Albufeira has maintained its narrow streets in the old town and whitewashed houses perched over charming beaches in protective coves.
Clube Praia da Oura is a resort in the truest sense; located on the southern coast of Portugal in the state of Algarve you will find facilities that are excellent and on par with the better resorts in the USA. Staff members are friendly and courteous, each with delightful smiles and a generally pleasant disposition.
Family orientation describes the atmosphere of the resort with activities for all ages from Baby Disco for the young to lawn bowling the not so young. A concierge is available to book reservations for local tours, golf outings or other assistance you may require. Amenities are abundant. The highlight is the private sandy beach set into a protected cove. The views’ of the blue expanse of the Mediterranean Sea are magnificent and there is visibility of the sea from most timeshare units.
As other commitments prevented us from arriving until Sunday, we arrived late; our week was Saturday to Saturday. Our late arrival presented no problem at reception. Check-in was quick and easy. You must remember to bring all adult passports along with your RCI confirmation paper work as you sign-in for your week.
Morning coffee and snacks throughout the day are available at the main reception area, full food service can be obtained on-site at Jackie’s bar and restaurant, the ocean bar offers drinks and light snacks throughout the day and Amanda’s Bar provides a party atmosphere with evening entertainment throughout the week. For those who wish to stock their apartment kitchen a grocery (Alisuper) is also located within the resort and though the prices are high they most of what you might want for a short stay.
We dined at Jackie’ Bar and Grill our first night. The menu is limited but sufficient to give variety to everyone’s taste. The service was slow, quality of the food standard at a price typical for a resort. Coffee the following morning was purchased from the small snack-bar located adjacent to reception. Coffee in Europe is not like coffee in the US. Should you want a cup of coffee that is close to the strength of what you normally expect in the U.S. order your coffee ‘white’.
On our first day we traveled west along the coast seeking castles and forts. We drove slowly on the local highway through the towns and villages passing a Marine Land and two water slides before we reached a point where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean. Everything of this sort was closed this time of year. While in Serga we toured the fortress and school for navigation built by Henry the Navigator and it was from here that Prince Henry ventured forward beyond the Canaries and opened up trade routes to Northern Africa. The primary reason to visit the Ponta de Serga is to see the is to witness the Rosa dos Ventos enormous pebble wind compass and the small chapel of Nossa Senhora da Graca and a view of the Atlantic Ocean where it meets the Mediterranean Sea.
We worked our way back toward Albufeira, stopping at a couple of pottery outlets along the way. The savings were nominal and these saving are not effectively realized when you include shipping. Most items we saw on display could be found in any several fine stores in the US. The greatest advantage to purchasing pottery items here in Portugal is that there is the wide selection of patterns and colors not normally found elsewhere.
Golf was the main event for the following morning. Albufeira is the center of great golf in Portugal. There are15 to 20 quality golf courses within 30 miles east and west of Albufeira. I played 18 holes at Herdade Dos Salgados Golf; a membership course that is open to the public.
Tee times at most courses are essential. You may call the courses direct or book your tee time through your resort. I took my chances and was fortunate to be paired with two club members, David from London and Dillon from Scotland. There was water-water-everywhere, left and right on most holes. The course is directly on the sea making wind a factor on every hole. Fairways were soft, the greens were fast and difficult to read.
The first challenge was club selection; course in Europe are measured in meters, not yards. The course provided distance markers to the center of the greens; poles with one stripe, 50 meters, two stripes 100 meters and four stripes 150 meters. (To convert from Meters to Yards, multiply the meters by 1.09. For example: a seven iron is my normal club from 150 yards. At the 150 meter marker it is 163.5 years causing me to go to a six iron).
I scored as I would on my home course, 95 with 3 penalty strokes for going in the water. I would rate this course on par with a typical municipal course found in the U.S. All-in-all it was an enjoyable round of golf, pleasant playing partners, but a bit pricey considering the course layout and condition.
Our final excursion was to the east of Albufeira to Faro. The ancient city at city centre is surrounded by Roman walls. The city has both Arab and Roman ruins but most of the present attractive older buildings were constructed in the 16th and 18th centuries resulting from disastrous earthquakes. The Moors occupied Faro from the 8th to 13th Century. During this time Muslim culture had a great impact, especially in the southern region of Portugal. The independence of Portugal took place over a period of time in the twelfth century. It was not until 1249 that the Moors were defeated by the forces of Dom Afonso III.
Faro is picturesque, full of history and art. In one afternoon you can visit. As noted at http://www.algarve-info.com “Inside a spacious open square, once the site of the Roman Forum, is a 13th Century Cathedral that faces the 18th Century Episcopal palace. A 16th Century Convent has been transformed into the home of the city’s archaeological museum. Within it is a section devoted to the Arab occupation. The "golden" church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo is claimed to be the best example of gold-leaf woodwork in southern Portugal. It is also contains the macabre spectacle of a chapel lined with the bones from over 1.200 monks! Next to the small boat basin bordering the Praça de Dom Francisco Gomes is a small Naval Museum composed of scale model boats and galleons showing the maritime history of the coast”.
Our visit to Portugal was a pleasant experience. We met friendly people, enjoyed wonderful weather and found time to relax and enjoyed the sun, the sand and the serf.
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