Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 282 969 520;
www.outdoor-tours.com
;
Mexilhoeira Grande; trips from €20)
This Dutch-run company
offers biking (€29 to €48), kayaking (€25) and walking trips (from €5 per person) both in
and around the Algarve and Serra de Monchique.
GUIDED TOURS
Alternativtour
( 965 004 337, 282 913 204;
www.alternativtour.com
)
Alternativtour runs guided walks (€50 for
two people), mountain-biking tours (€55 for two people), canoeing trips (€50 for two
people) or combined mountain-biking and canoeing trips (€65 for two people). Prices de-
crease the more people there are. Bike hire costs €20 per day.
Sleeping
Miradouro
( 282 912 163; Rua dos Combatentes do Ultramar; s/d from €30/40)
Up steep Rua Engenheiro Duarte
Pacheco (signposted to Portimão), near the
turismo
, this 1970s hilltop place, run with
great seriousness, offers sweeping, breezy views and neat rooms, some with balcony.
GUESTHOUSE
€
Villa Vina
( 966 765 644, 965 753 393;
www.villvina.pt
; r €78)
Hidden up a tiny pathway (note: the only ac-
cess is by steps) and signed as you cross the Ribeira do Banho, around 500m after the
turn-off to Caldas de Monchique, this lovely rural villa with a pretty garden is perfect for
those who crave seclusion, rather than village infrastructure. Reservations required.
RURAL INN
€€
Albergaria Bica-Boa
( 282 912 271; bica-bao@sapo.pt; d €72; )
One kilometre out of town on the Lisbon road,
this modest, but pretty four-room place overlooks a wooded valley. Breakfast is included
and there's a decent restaurant here, too (mains €8.50 to €12).
GUESTHOUSE
€€
Eating & Drinking
On the road to Fóia, many restaurants offer excellent piri-piri chicken.
A Charrette
(Rua Dr Samora Gil 30-34; mains €10-17; lunch & dinner )
Touted as the area's best eatery for its re-
gional specialities (it recently won an award for its efforts to preserve culinary traditions),
PORTUGUESE
€€