The Algarve is the land of 100 beaches. As the Southern most region of Portugal, and the home of many ports, the Algarve has been home to many settlers of other civilisations from the Celts and Phoenicians, to the Roman’s and the Moors, and of course the Spanish. The landscape along the beach front offers wide, golden and white sand beaches, with extraordinary cliffs creating stunning vistas and sheltered coves. Because of Portugal’s location and the Atlantic Ocean currents, the sea water stays warm most of the year with a temperature of 23° in the summer.

This region is also blessed with unmistakable natural beauty and bounty. The landscape is home to many indigenous wild orchids while Almond orchards dot the land. Orange trees and acacias fill the air with intoxicating fragrances. Local foods are made with local cherries, strawberries, almonds, chestnuts, grapes, figs and melons.

From the Algarve all the way to Lisbon and the Lisbon Coast, pristine white washed structures beam against the azure blue seas. Many Roman ruins can be found among the villages and towns in this region. While many examples of Mediaeval architecture, the Moorish walled cities and the Christian churches, were destroyed by several severe earthquakes over many hundreds of years, the regions still retain their beauty and distinctively Portuguese culture.

Luxury Self Catering Portugal Villas & Apartments

Family getaways, beach villas and romantic holidays don’t have to cost a fortune when you book online with SelfCatering.ie. With many affordable holiday homes in Portugal, throughout the enchanting Algarve region and along the spectacular Lisbon Coast, you and your family and friends can enjoy a longer vacation break without spending more money. Enjoy the sun, sand and surf or play enough rounds of golf to last you the year, it’s all right outside your door.

If you’re planning a honeymoon or romantic getaway, Self Catering has some of the most private properties and hideaways throughout Southern Portugal. Enjoy a beach front villa with spectacular views or a luxury apartment in Vilamoura along the marina and live like jet setters for a week or a month. Simply find the rental of your choice and book your dream vacation today.

Albufeira Villas

Albufeira is a beautiful mixture of seaside tourist destinations and striking mediaeval whitewashed villas in the historically preserved Cerro da Vila. Still a fishing village, you can watch brightly coloured fishing boats come and go from the soft, warm sandy beaches where sun bathing takes on a voyeuristic appeal as you watch and listen to the sounds of the locals going about their daily business. Don’t miss any of the local art exhibitions or the concerts at Moonspell Bar.

Alvor Villas

Alvor has a rich history which can still be seen along the narrow streets and alleys of this seaside village. For all its quaint looks, Alvor boasts some of the best restaurants, bars and live music entertainment in Portugal. With a stunning natural lagoon at its doorstep, Alvor is the perfect destination for a honeymoon or romantic getaway.

Carvoeiro Villas

Carvoeiro is a family getaway paradise, especially if there are golfers in the family. Carvoeiro is a village dotted with holiday homes and rental villas and has many leisure facilities nearby. There are golf courses, tennis clubs, lawn bowling and because Carvoeiro is by the sea, there are beaches and coves nestled amongst beautiful cliffs offering the best sunbathing in the Algarve region.

Lagos Villas

Lagos is one of the bigger towns along the Algarve regional coast and shares much of the history with the surrounding region. Lagos was an extraordinary port city that became a great trading post between Africa, the Mediterranean and Portugal. Today Lagos offers great shops full of modern fashions and designer clothes, leather goods and exotic trinkets from all over the world. If you want to get out on the water there are many charter sail boat and power boat trips to choose from offering dolphin and whale watching excursions. If you windsurf, this is the place to be, as the location offers fantastic wind currents while the water stays warm all year round.

Villas on The Lisbon Coast

The Lisbon Coast is the jewel in the crown of Portuguese destinations. The City of Lisbon is a major metropolitan city offering every kind of entertainment, festivity, luxury and indulgence you can imagine. With its wide avenues, exceptional villas and extraordinary architecture, Lisbon rivals any city in Europe. Along the Lisbon Coast, there are beautiful beaches of every kind. The beaches along the River Tagus Estuary are calm and wide and offer great swimming areas which are perfect for families with younger children. Costa de Caparica, on the other hand, has some of the highest surf in the region and is a world famous destination for profession surfers and wind surfers.

Villas in Luz

Luz is a fantastic family getaway destination. The village is small and very family friendly with fun beach shops, the infamous Beach Hut and the Bar Habana. Luz has a blue flag beach with a life guard and strict safety requirements for boats in the area making Luz a great place to take the kids and enjoy swimming or sun bathing. For the more athletic, there is a scuba diving school and there is plenty of surf nearby for wind surfers and wave surfers alike. The village itself offers some very interesting site seeing with many Roman ruins sprinkled throughout the area.

Vale Do Lobo Villas

The Algarve region is a golfer’s paradise with almost as many golf courses as there are beaches, and Vale Do Lobo is home to the most photographed golf course in Portugal which sits a top the cliffs of Vale Do Lobo’s blue flag beach. While the golfer’s take their delight in the many greens available in the area, the rest of the family can enjoy swimming, body boarding or windsurfing in the warm ocean waves or sun bathing on the beach. Or the whole family can take to the sea in a hired sail or motor boat.

Vilamoura Villas

Vilamoura is a resort area within the Algarve region. It has been developed to protect the environment while being the most fashionable development in Portugal. There are 6 golf courses, a tennis centre, shooting clubs and horseback riding. The Vilamoura marina is one of the hottest tourist destinations in Europe. The waterfront glimmers during the day and sparkles at night with excellent bars and restaurants, a world renowned yacht club and an international casino complete with state-of-the-art entertainment and live shows. In the centre of this sprawling complex, are Roman ruins and the Museum of Cerro de Vila which show the Roman baths built here more than two thousand years ago.