Carvoeiro newsletter May 2018

Margarida Sampaio @

The sun has got his hat on and wow we are all shouting hip hip hip hooray!

It finally feels like it won’t be a risk to hang out the washing or wear an open toed shoe and everything is drying out after what has seemed like the longest winter imaginable.

Luckily, the return of the sunshine handily coincided with our first glut of bank holidays and it was fantastic to see so many people heading down to the beach – although throwing myself into the sea was a step far too far.

The sunshine appears to have lured everyone out of the shadows again and I am pretty sure I have even seen a good few locals cracking a smile or too after the long and dark winter months.

GETTING SUMMER READY

I have already started to try to dig out the summer clothes and sun cream and Carvoeiro is also well on its way to being ready for the summer.

After the massive storms that we have had this winter, the beach has been left with lots and lots of sand pushed up towards the wall on the square…it’s so high that there aren’t even steps onto the sand anymore!

We have had diggers on the beach to make it more level and to prepare it to lay down the decking that leads on to the beach and to make it ready for the beach bar and sunbeds and shade for the bathing season.

The bathing season is about to begin this month which means that we will have the lifeguards back on the beaches as well as the beds and shades.

In the Lagoa area we confusingly have different dates for the start and the end of the bathing seasons but it is important to know these dates, particularly if you have children and would feel more comfortable on the beach with a lifeguard.

Benagil, Caneiros, Carvoeiro, Cova Redonda, Pintadinho, Senhora da Rocha, Vale Centeanes and Vale do Olival all have bathing seasons between 15th May and 15th October.  Carvalho, Ferragudo, Marinha and Albandeira all have bathing seasons between 1st June and 20th September.

The great news is that all of the beaches have been awarded with blue flags – with Pintadinho beach getting theirs back for this year.  The Blue Flag Programme, is an initiative which “promotes sustainable development in freshwater and marine areas. It challenges local authorities and beach operators to achieve high standards in the four categories of: water quality, environmental management, environmental education and safety. 

“Over the years, the Blue Flag has become a highly respected and recognised eco-label working to bring together the tourism and environmental sectors at local, regional and national levels.”

So we can all feel very happy knowing that the local beaches in Lagoa are all up to standard for everyone to enjoy!

CONGRATULATIONS CARVOEIRO

This month we have had some massive news in Carvoeiro with the beach in the town being voted as the best beach in Europe!

The accolade has been bestowed on Carvoeiro beach by European Best Destinations in association with the European Commission and came following 12,840 people voting for their favourite beach in Europe from almost 130 countries in the world.

The organisers of the awards said that Carvoeiro “is probably one of the most beautiful places we have visited during our travels in Europe.  The water is neither too hot nor too cold, the waves can be strong or on the contrary gentle enough for paddling and discovering the coves around it”.

You have probably read about the award in the paper or online or in one of those Facebook posts because it appears that many people are very excited about the award – especially any of the businesses linked to tourism who are able to use the award to help further promote the award and Carvoeiro as a destination.

Having spoken to people aroud the town about the award it seems that the people here are actually pretty torn about it with some people stating that there are far more beautiful beaches in Europe to choose from while others are worried it is going to ruin the town if even more tourists come to visit.

Personally, I think the award is well deserved.  So the beach may not be the most beautiful, but it is way up there on the best beaches to post on to your Instagram account!  It is also important to remember that

GET SPORTY

The warm and sunny weather makes it far more fun to go out and watch other people in competitive sports.  If you are a fan of golf then just down the road at Morgado Golf the 56^th Portuguese Open is taking place between 10^th May and 13^th May.  The Algarve may be one of the best places in the world to come and play golf but it turns out the Portuguese Open is not exactly a top competition, even the tourist board released information saying “The Portugal Open is once again taking place at Morgado Golf but with a downgrade: it’s no longer a dual ranking tournament, i.e scoring simultaneously for the European Tour and the Challenge Tour, but will now be part of the latter…”.  It is a bit sad to hear that the tournament has been downgraded, however there is no reason it won’t be a great day out for golf fans, visit www.opendeportugal.com for more info about the event.

Some of the best gymnasts in the world will be coming to Portimão between May 11^th and 13^th at the Portimão Arena for the 8^th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup.  This is a free event to go in and watch and an incredible one to witness, even if you know absolutely nothing about gymnastics.  In total gymnasts from 33 different countries will be competing as teams and as individuals – be prepared to be wowed!

One of the more unusual events that takes place each year in the Algarve is the Powerboat F1 World Championships and it is back this month along the waterside in Portimão on 19^th and 20^th May.  Park yourself up along the waterfront and then watch as these incredibly fast boats travel through a technical course that I have never really worked out but still love to watch each year.  I usually pack a bit of a picnic and make a day of it while shouting to friends and family over the roar of the engines!

If you want to do a bit of sport yourself then head up to the Carvoeiro tennis club on Thursday evenings where you can join in netball sessions for all levels, alternatively you can always visit the multiuse courts at the top of the village near to the Mirchoro hotel which are open for everyone to enjoy – so take a ball up there!

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BLACK & WHITE NIGHT IS COMING!

I know I keep on going on about Black and White Night but it is almost here and I don’t want anyone to say that they didn’t know it was going on!

The Carvoeiro Black and White Night is taking place this year on Saturday, 16^th June and from what I have been hearing around the town a LOT of people have booked to come out especially for the night so it looks like this could be the biggest Black and White night ever!

If you have not booked your flight or your accommodation then it is a good idea to do that as soon as possible to make sure you can join in all the fun.  Also, if you plan on having a meal out in the town on that night then you need to make your reservation as soon as possible also because the sheer number of people who will be out for the night means that finding a restaurant with table free will be a challenge!

Don’t forget to dress in black and white for the evening and be ready for the biggest party of the year in Carvoeiro!

 AND FINALLY…

A replica of the frigate Hermione is in Portimão until 10^th May and looks like being worth a trip down to have a good look at.  You can see it for free from the waterside or can get on board yourself for €3 for adults and €1 for kids aged 6-12.  You have to love the Algarve for having such a strange and varied offering of experiences!

I’m off to the beach now to try and work on my tan before it becomes too hot to sit in the sunshine and tanning becomes an exercise in shade dodging.

Until next month

Margarida