Newsletter June 2017

Margarida Sampaio @

It’s feeling decidely hot, hot, hot here in carvoeiro now – which has to be a good thing after a slow start to the summer weather!

A quick look on the webcam and you will see that not only are visitors to the town wearing their shorts and t-shirts, even the locals who rarely step out of their jeans have relented to the heat!

Carvoeiro is officially in the summer swing of things and we are back at that time of the year when it is a good idea to book that table in your favourite restaurant and to get your towel out by the pool a little earlier than usual but it is great to see wo much life around the place and everyone busy in their businesses.

THE NEVER ENDING STORY

Some may say that the best time of the year to complete major works would be during the winter months, but we like to keep things a little different in the Algarve which means that the works in and around Carvoeiro are still going on.

One of the biggest changes you will notice if you approach Carvoeiro from Lagoa is that the house on the Poço Partido junction has been knocked down!  This happened literally in a day and while it seems strange at first to see the empty space that they have now dutifully filled with some grass and flowers, it actually has been one of the better decisions.  Now when you are at this junction you can actually see when the traffic is hurtling towards you and don’t have to rely on the bent mirror to offer a hand!

Works around the rest of Carvoeiro have not yielded such immediate results, we appear to have pavements being added, garden areas, new speed bumps and many, many new pot holes and holes in the road to drive over – but nothing appears to have been completed.

The same situation is true of the EN125 where works appear to be never ending.  We have had the traffic lights in Lagoa by the Fatacil removed and a temporary roundabout sort of system put in place – but being as the other roundabout has never been completed yet, nobody is holding out much hope that this will be finished anytime soon.

My top tip for the entire month would be to avoid the EN125 whenever possible.  The works between Lagoa and Alcantarilha are substantial and there are often very long delays in these areas – so while you may have to pay to use the A22, it really is worth the time to do so. 

Paying the tolls on the A22 is not as easy as it should be but it is possible to get a multibanco reference online so that you don’t have to wait to do this at the post office.  All you have to do is visit here and then type in your car registration number and you will be given the amount you have to pay and a reference for paying online – don’t say I never try to help out!

THROW SOME SHADE

The local children in Carvoeiro will now be able to play without getting sunstroke thanks to the local council paying for a shade to go in the park area of the school.

I don’t think we should mention that school breaks up in a couple of weeks anyway…

The shade has been put up over the play park area at the primary school which is located at the top of the cliffs near to the church in the town and came about after many complaints from parents and teachers who all thought that leaving children to play in the 30 degree heat without any form of shade was beyond acceptable really.

It is good to see that the council is listening to the thoughts of the local residents and even better to hear that the kids can now play safely!

BLACK AND WHITE NIGHT

I have been going on about Black and White night in Carvoeiro for months and finally we have got to June and it is only a matter of days away!

The big event takes place on June 17th – and reports are saying that we are expected to welcome some 30,000 people to Carvoeiro on the night!

The event starts at 8pm and will be going on until 3am with entertainment on Rua do Farol, Rua do Barranco, Rua dos Pescadores, in the square by the beach, on the beach itself and up by the church.

Because Carvoeiro can hardly deal with the normal amount of traffic in the summer and there is no way the town could even accommodate cars for 30,000 people, the local council will be running a free shuttle bus service from Apolonia, Aldi, fatacil, Intermarche and from the land in front of Aldi.  This means that you can park your car in these areas and take the bus directly then into the town.

Look out on the night for dancers, street entertainers, live music DJ sessions and much more and don’t forget to wear black and white – you will seriously regret it if you don’t!

LIVE MUSIC

Now we are in the summer months we have plenty going on in and around the local area.  Already we have the live music back in the square every night from 8pm until midnight and there are also live acts performing in many of the bars around the town, however if you are looking for anything a little more then why not consider some of these…

Lagoa Jazz Fest 17 – Head down to the Fontes in Estombar and listen to some great jazz acts during this annual festival.  The event is taking place from June 23 – 25 each evening from 7pm.  For a full list of the acts and further details visit www.lagoajazz.com

Sunset secrets – Visit Silves castle for their Sunset secret evenings on Thursday evenings within the castle walls.  The sunset evenings take place from 6pm until midnight and cost €5 for the public or €2 for residents and the first act of the summer season will be fado singer Inês Graça on June 29th.

Festival MED – This world music festival is one of the biggest events of the year in the Algarve and attracts thousands of visitors to the streets of Loulé.  This year the festival will be taking place from 29th June until 2nd July each evening from 7pm.  Tickets cost €30 for a three day pass, €12 for a day ticket or €25 for a family ticket.  If you are interested in music from around the world or simply want to enjoy the fantastic atmosphere then make a date to visit Festival MED this year.

Rota do Petiscos – The Tapas route is back this time in the faro area (it will be coming closer to home later in the year).  If you have ever wanted to see what faro has to offer in terms of restaurants then this is a really good way to sample some of the best quickly and cheaply as each tapas dish with a drink costs only €3 while a dessert and a drink is only €2!

Traditional marches – June is also the month of the marches Populares, in celebration of saints days.  These traditional parades are always filled with colour and music and are an ideal opportunity to see a different side of Portugal away from the beaches and the golf courses!  There are parades around the country but some of the best locally are held in portimão along the riverfront on June 9th and along the riverside area in Alvor on 23rd June.

Silves Beer festival – The Silves beer festival is making a return to mark the 30th anniversary of the event which has been off the calendar for a few years.  Those of you who remember it will know that this was a really great event in the past and should be back on form again this year.  The festival is from 15 – 18 June in the Al-Mutamid square in Silves with free entry – no free beer sadly!

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AND FINALLY…

I put together this newsletter each month to try and bring you a little snapshot of what is going on in the town and what to expect during the months but we are always happy to make improvements to make sure it includes all the information that you are interested in!

If you have enjoyed time in Carvoeiro over the month then please feel free to send in your photos and a little caption about what you were up to and we will include these in the next edition!

We are also happy to hear any ideas about how we could make this monthly newsletter better – if there is anything you think we should be including or featuring then just let us know.

I hope to hear from lots of you!

Until then, I am off to find my most outrageous black and white outfit….

Margarida