Carvoeiro newsletter June 2018

Margarida Sampaio @

Regular readers will know that I love to start with a moan about the weather and you will be pleased to know that I intend to continue with tradition!

I have been coming to the Algarve for decades (I won’t reveal how many for fear of giving my age away) and I don’t think I can ever remember such a cold first five months of the year - not only cold - wet too!

As I sit here on the first day of June the sun is actually shining but I am still wearing my jumper and a pair of boots because you would have to be mad to strip off when it isn’t even pushing the 25 degree mark. There are of course some brave visitors around the town wearing their flip flops and bikinis, however it is easy to spot the local right now as they are the one walking down the street with their coat on.

Usually by this time of the year I have managed to give myself some form of minor sunburn at least a couple of times but instead I have actually only managed to make it onto the beach a couple of times and both involved some pretty nippy winds ad no chance of throwing myself into the ocean.

I am therefore asking everyone to cross their fingers toes, and anything else the more bending of you can manage, to hope for some real summer weather down here in the Algarve ... or I may be considering relocating to someone nearer the equator.

BLACK AND WHITE NIGHT

First things first, this is your final warning for Carvoeiro black ad White Night!  The event is finally only a couple of weeks away and will be taking place throughout the streets of Carvoeiro on Saturday, June 16.

If you want to eat in a restaurant on this night then you need to make some calls now because it will be very unlikely that you can just walk into a place, especially if there are a few of you in a group.  If you are travelling to Carvoeiro by car then you can take advantage of the free bus line running between Carvoeiro and Lagoa between 6pm and 4am.  You can leave your car at Fatacil parking, Aldi car park, the wasteland opposite Aldi, Apolonia or Intermarche and the bus will then bring you in as far as the entrance to the town - the rest of the roads are closed off for the night.

There are going to be 2 stages on Rua dos Pescadores (the in road), 1 stage on Rua do Barranco (the out road), 3 stages on the Farol road (restaurant hill), one in the main square by the beach, one stage above the toilets on the beach and a final stage up by the church.

The full programme has now been released and it looks like being a great one!  The entertainment begins at 8.30pm with street entertainers and living statues and then the kids corner in the main square by the beach opens between 9pm and midnight.  Between 9pm and midnight there are then bands and musicians and DJs performing on all the stages as well as fire performances at different times.  The main live act, Six Irish Men, begins at 10.50pm on the main stage and then from midnight until 3am there will be a DJ dance party down on the beach!

To say we are all a little bit excited about the night would be an under statement so make sure you dig out all your black and white clothing and join Carvoeiro for what really is the biggest night of the year!

WHAT’S NEW

There has been a huge amount of activity in Carvoeiro these past few weeks - not to mention a good amount of road works going on - which is a little annoying as I am not sure why we appear to be digging up the same stretches of roads over and over again...

What was the paper shop on Rua do Barranco opposite Imprevisto bar, was magically transformed almost over night into a new Ale Hop shop.  Ale Hop is a franchise selling what I usually describe as “stuff you don’t need but feel somehow that you do” - and is one to avoid with tween children keen on sparkles and phone cases.  I am sure the shop will be very successful and I spotted a few useful items in there.  The prices also seem a little more reasonable so it will be interesting to see how other sho0ps selling similar goods in the town react to this...watch this space.

We have also seen a change about with Casa do Bife and Gale restaurants.  Gale on the O Farol remains open but they have now taken over what was Casa do Bife and have kept some of the favourites on the menu while have brought their own style of service from across the road.  Early reports have all been great for the place so best of luck with this new venture!

A little further down the hill, what was the first floor Chinese restaurant opposite the taxi rank has now been transformed into a new restaurant called Albatros.  Through the grapevine it sounds as though they have a great team of staff going to join them so this is a place I will be checking out very soon.  Next door on the ground level we also have a new Wine/Bistro being put into place - I don’t have many details yet but it is looking pretty swish and looks like a welcome addition to the town!

What used to be Taste restaurant, located on Rua do Barranco and also on Rua dos Pescadores, has been having some major works on it.  The workers appear to have been pulling out all of the stops on the new place and we now have signs outside confirming that the restaurant is called “Chef’s Kitchen” - it looks like they are trying to open very soon - I will keep you posted!

I am not one hundred percent on this next one so please don’t shoot the messenger, however there has been talk of a barbershop opening in Carvoeiro!  I saw some rather attractive young men fitting out a shop on Rua dos Pescadores next to what used to be Dirty Nellys in the yellow building there on the right hand side.  A barbershop would be a great addition to the town as I am always a big fan of real amenities for residents and visitors and it will mean that many of the guys out there won’t need to travel into Portimão or Silves anymore to get their beards trimmed up or those fancy lines in their hair - if anyone knows more about this one then let me know - although I currently have my facial hair under control at the moment so I am alright for a couple of months or so.

The final bit of news is that the team who were behind the Smokehouse, previously located at Boa Nova near Sesmarias, have announced that they have been asked by the Carvoeiro Clube Group to take over the restaurant and bar at the Vale do Milho Golf Club.  According to their Facebook page they have accepted the challenge and will be updating on when they will be taking over and opening up the clubhouse with the new management - good luck to all involved and best of luck also to Andy and his team who will be leaving.

I am sure there are lots of other new things happening in Carvoeiro but I think you all have enough to be going on with there for now!

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Please visit www.algarvedriver.com for car rental & airport transfers. Car rental prices start at just 35 Euro per week in the low season November to March included!

WHAT’S GOING ON

Well the biggest event of the month is by far the Black and White night in Carvoeiro, however we have plenty of other fun going on in and around Carvoeiro this month as we ramp up for the summer months.

INTERNATIONAL ALGARVE FAIR - This coming weekend, on June 2 and 3, we have the return of the International Algarve Fair which this year is back for the 13th time!

The event is held at the Fatacil showground in Lagoa and is a great on for anyone wanting to meet with local business owners, try out some delicious food and support local charities.  The Algarve Dog show is also part of the event so if you think you have a dog worthy of an award then see details in the local press about how you can become part of the event held each day from 11am.

This is a great one for kids and there are lots of free activities for them to enjoy, with some new features this year designed for slightly older kids looking to enjoy some adrenalin filled fun!  There will also be lots of live music and performances and plenty of chances to pick up a bargain or two - head down this weekend!

FOOD BANK COLLECTIONS - Also taking place this coming weekend on June 2 and 3, there will be collections by volunteers at the local supermarkets in aid of the Algarve Food Bank.  When you go into a supermarket this weekend you will be offered a plastic bag and asked to fill it with some basic food stuffs - please consider taking part in this - you really don’t have to spend very much and at the end of your shop just hand over the bag to the volunteers who will then take it to the food bank for distribution to local needy families.  We are all very lucky to live in such a beautiful place but the reality is that minimum wage here is still less than €600 a month and benefits from the state are slim to none for the majority of people.  We all know how much it costs to rent a place here or to buy shopping, not to mention the cost of petrol or electricity - so if you can help others less fortunate out this weekend it will be greatly appreciated by all involved.

LIVE MUSIC IN THE SQUARE - you know it really must be summer when the live music comes back to the square in Carvoeiro!  Love it hate it, the live music will be on every night from June1 until 15th October - I have yet to see the line up yet but I’m guessing we are not going to be seeing any major changes from previous years - so get your dancing shoes on for a boogie after dinner!

AND FINALLY...

If you are at a loss for something to do this weekend, head down to Carvoeiro beach to watch the beach football - you dont really need to be a sports fan to enjoy this one and it is a good, free way to enjoy the day at the beach!

I’m off now to find my outfit for black and white night...

Have a great month

 

Margarida