Looking for good 5 star holidays in the Algarve? We have found it!

It seems everyone these days  are looking for good value 5 star holidays in the Algarve. We wanted to offer our customers something a bit different, so Bettina and myself recently went on a day trip down to the Algarve … just a normal day in ClickandGo!  Aer Lingus have an early flight out and late flight back to Faro so we took advantage of that and planned a visit to ClickandGo’s newest destination on the Algarve, the fishing village of Olhao.

Olhao is perfect for 5 star holidays in the Algarve because it’s just 15 minutes drive east of Faro airport along the coast towards Spain;  it is marvellous destination for anyone who is looking to get back to nature or looking to experience the “Authentic Algarve”.

Olhao pronounced “All Yow” is the largest fishing village on the Algarve, it’s quite a large town with plenty of shops and restaurants. There is also an amazing fish and fruit & veg market, a great promenade along the seafront and all of this within a natural park. Olhao sits on the lagoon of the River Formosa. The lagoon makes up a huge part of the natural park and its home to the most amazing collection of fish and birds. You can even go dolphin watching here.

Naturally construction is limited because of the designated status of the natural park and this has protected this amazing coastline along the Algarve. Olhao itself has no beach but boats depart from the marina and the main harbour to cross the lagoon and bring people out to the surrounding sand islands.

The beaches on the islands of the lagoon are out of this world.  For only a few Euros you get a boat trip to one of the islands and your day at the beach becomes a real day out, a real adventure.

The boats stop at Faro Island, the Barrier Islands or the appropriately named Desert Island which has a restaurant and bar! All of this is just 15 minutes drive from Faro airport making it the ideal destination if you want a short break away in the sun in a totally different type of place.

Olhao has none of the tacky commercialism of some other resorts. It’s a town favoured by the locals for the best fish restaurants on the Algarve and because it’s more local than touristy the prices are lower than other parts of the Algarve. If you’re looking for bars and clubs and crowds of people this is not the town for you. It’s really for couples and families who want something different from a sun holiday.

Olhao is a very lived in town with loads to do provided you like nature, boats and doing more than just lying by the pool. That said, the pool in our hotel, the 5* Real Marina & Spa has the most spectacular setting overlooking the coastal lagoon that you could very easily spend a few days chilling there taking in the warm sunshine.

ClickandGo.com has contracted 2 amazing properties in Olhao. We have the 5* Real Marina and Spa and the 4* Real Marina Residence which are stunning apartments right next door to the hotel. The hotel itself is very modern and has around 190 rooms, half of which have sea view and I can’t recommend highly enough that you opt for a sea view room, it’s a small supplement but well worth it as the village view rooms really have no view at all by comparison. The hotel has a restaurant, bar, poolside bar, indoor pool, gym and spa.

The Real Marina Residence apartments are right next to the hotel and the hotel manages the 2 blocks closest to the hotel. Check in for the apartments are in the hotel but each block has 3 small swimming pools on the roof, with amazing views and lovely sun terraces. The apartments are very spacious, fully air conditioned and have 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms and the 2 and 3 bedroom apartments have 2 or 3 bathrooms. They have huge terraces with side sea views and fully equipped kitchens with a hob, full oven, microwave, fridge freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, kettle, toaster etc., they are superbly furnished.

The Real Marina Residence apartments are a real home from home, if you were to rate them by tourist standards they would easily be in the 4 to 5* range but there are not your typical tourist apartment. You don’t have reception down stairs and you don’t have a bar or restaurant on site but you’re only a short walk along the main street to the most incredible market and surrounded by great restaurants. Plus the hotel is next door and you can chose to go B&B in the apartments and take breakfast in the hotel next door. Both the hotel and the apartments are fantastic if you are looking for good value 5 star holidays in the Algarve.

Car hire would be good option if you want to get out and about and explore more but you really can do all the exploring you want by boat. In addition to the boat trips you can also hire a boat yourself for a half day or full day.

If you like what’s written here then you’ll love Olhao as it’s not easy to capture the nature and beauty of the place and it’s so unusual to find such great quality accommodation at the prices we have secured. The hotel and apartment prices in Olhao are also amazingly good value especially in the off peak months, by that I mean any time except July and August for the hotel and August for the apartments is pricey but bear in mind flights prices are always higher when the schools are on holidays and at weekends. To get the best prices fly midweek and use the price comparison tool on our site to find the best date to travel plus or minus 7 days either side of your preferred dates.

If you want any more info on Olhao, feel free to contact us at ClickandGo.

— Paul!