The coming 12 months promise to be packed with sporting action, national and international events taking place from one end of the Algarve to the other throughout the year- here is a brief overview. For more detailed information please consult your Resident closer to the time a particular competition or tournament is scheduled to take place.
January
The New Year celebrations are immediately followed by athletics’ traditional Grande Prémio dos Reis Faro road race, usually featuring a strong international field boosted by the guest appearance of Eastern European runners already here attending training camps.
The same can be said for leading continental football clubs taking advantage of the mild Algarve climate during the winter break - fans have the opportunity to attend friendly matches and informal mini-tournaments organised at this time.
The tennis season gets under way at Quinta da Balaia with a series of men’s Futures contested by young local and foreign players hoping to improve their ATP rankings. Toyota will be testing their new F1 F109 car at the Algarve Motor Park from January 20, the woods are rolling on the region’s lawn bowling greens and the B.Side Algarve surfing circuit hits the waves in Faro.
February
The 2009 European cycling season kicks off on February 18 with the 35th Tour of the Algarve, which crosses the finishing line in Portimão four days later. Earlier, on February 1, Albufeira holds its famous Almond Blossom half-marathon, which has regained its official IAAF status, while lady tennis players spring into action at successive ITF satellite tournaments in Vale de Lobo, Albufeira and Portimão.
The Stadium of the Algarve hosts a friendly football international between Portugal and Finland on February 11, the same day Wales meet Poland for a similar warm-up match at a location yet to be announced. At Alvor’s aerodrome, national and international skydiving competitions, set to continue into March and April, provide an adrenalin rush for participants and spectators alike.
March
With the advent of spring, local first division football sides Olhão and Portimão enter into the crucial phase of their annual Superliga promotion battle while the Carlsberg League Cup final takes place at the Stadium of the Algarve.
That Euro’2004 venue also plays a part in the 15th edition of the Algarve Cup, one of the most important women’s football tournaments of the year, which sees top national sides such as the USA, Germany, China and Sweden playing from Vila Real de Santo António over a 10-day period.
Away from the region’s football pitches, the men return to play in a series of ATP tennis Challenger events in Faro, Lagos and Albufeira as Quarteira stages its popular triathlon at the end of the month.
April
Top international spectacles aplenty mark these four weeks, starting with the rhythmic gymnastics World Cup meeting in Portimão. The same city also hosts a super April 12 double header in the form of the spectacular opening UIM F1 World Powerboat Championship race on the Arade estuary and the penultimate stage of the A1GP season at the nearby Algarve Motor Park.
These happenings are preceded by racing of a different kind with the Stadium of the Algarve-based WRC Rally of Portugal between April 2 and 5. Away from motorised sports, the CSI International Equestrian Tour comes to Vilamoura and some of Europe’s best golfers are in action at the Estoril Open from the second of the month.
May
Estoril is back on the tennis agenda during the first week of this month with the staging of Portugal’s only full-blown ATP/WTA tournament.
Further south, the Formula One Historic Grand Prix visits the new race track near Portimão on May 10 while the competitors taking part in the first-ever Portimão Global Ocean Race set sail for the Algarve from Charleston on the other side of the Atlantic.
June
The Portuguese Ladies Open tees off in the Algarve as the beach volley and football season gets underway on the coast between Lagos and Albufeira.
Show jumping returns to the region with the two closing events of the PET Portuguese Equestrian Tour being held in Portimão and Vilamoura.
The first-named port city will also expect to welcome back the winners of the round-the-world sailing race named after it, a 2010 renewal of which has already been confirmed.
July
Pre-season football provides the principal entertainment at the Stadium of the Algarve in the form of the Algarve Challenge Cup, featuring top British and Portuguese clubs which made its debut in 2008. Equally competitive is the Copa Foot bringing together over 100 of the world’s best junior sides in Vila Real de Santo Antonio.
Summer also sees the start of the Big Game fishing season with international tournaments being held in Vilamoura, Vila Real de Santo António, Albufeira and Portimão right through to October. Still on the water, the PKRA World Kite-surfing Masters return to Alvor, guaranteeing a week’s worth of top-class thrills and spills.
August
There is more football with the prestigious Guadiana Trophy matching Sporting Lisbon and Benfica up with a top Spanish club as well as the Portuguese Super Cup final at the Stadium of the Algarve. International attention will be focused on Portimão during the main holiday month - the city’s harbour launches the concluding regattas of the renown TP52 Audi Med Cup European sailing circuit, cycling’s Tour of Portugal enjoys its August 5 prologue on land before heading north and the nearby Motor Park welcomes the only night race on the Le Mans Series calendar, the ‘1000km do Algarve’, on August 2.
At the same time, Praia da Rocha’s beach football mini-World Cup and European league finals are big crowd pleasers while tennis fans will be flocking to Vale de Lobo for the latest ATP Senior Tour Grand Champions event regularly boasting the ageless talents of such former stars as John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.
September
Vale de Lobo’s amateur team Cup of Nations brings together some of the world’s best young golfers, while nearby Loulé is the venue for the region’s only trampoline World Cup meeting. Further west, international Amazon show jumping is back on the agenda at Portimão’s Belmonte Riding Centre, as all the indications suggest that a second edition of last year’s successful Dakar Series Pax Rally will again reach its climax on the outskirts of the city.
Staying in the borough, a FIA Grand Turismo World Championship stage is firmly booked in for the new Motor Park on September 13 as are Alvor’s Formula One Windsurfing Championships featuring the sport’s top performers from all over the globe.
In addition, the ‘Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea’ provides the grand finale to another P1 Powerboat World Championship season off the Praia da Rocha coastline.
October
As the domestic football scene is back in full swing, hopefully featuring one of the region’s teams in the top flight, Vilamoura’s Oceânico Victoria Golf Club hosts the country’s most valuable golf tournament for the third time in succession.
Held between October 15 and 18, the three million euro Portugal Masters is guaranteed to attract the PGA European Tour elite attempting to secure their place at November’s inaugural 10 million dollar Dubai World Championships bonanza open to the season’s top 60 players.
Vilamoura also stages the final round of the Medis Copa Iberica veteran’s tennis circuit while elsewhere in the Algarve GP2 motor racing visits the region’s new track on October 4.
November
Motor sport provides the month’s main attraction, with the domestic season-ending rally Casinos de Algarve boasting a super special stage at Portimão’s Motor Park before the race track stages the final round of the World Supersport Championship featuring its own Parkalgar team for the second time on November 25.
December
A hopefully exciting year draws to a close with most sportsmen and women enjoying a well-deserved rest. If last December is anything to go by, it only remains to mention that international martial arts is likely to stage its last fight night of a busy season under the Dynamite promotions banner in Albufeira, the local gym having produced numerous kick and Thai boxing European and world champions in recent times.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
ALGARVE SPORT ROUND-UP: SC Olhanense flying high
Olhanense fly out to the Azores this weekend for their top-of-the-table clash with Santa Clara, which will be shown live on SportTV on Sunday at 10.15am.
Santa Clara has an impressive home record of five victories and one draw from six games at the S.Miguel Stadium in Ponta Delgada.
The visitors will have to be resolute in defence whilst hopefully the league’s top goalscorer Djalmir will add to his tally of 10 goals in this important fixture.
The following weekend the Olhão-based team are at home to Gondomar, from the Porto region, who are currently languishing 3rd from bottom of the Liga Vitalis with 11 points from 12 games.
SC Olhanense and their fervent supporters then travel to the Stadium of Light, Lisbon on January 14 to take on mighty Benfica, top of the Premier League and undefeated this season,
in the quarter-finals of the Carlsberg League Cup.
Four days later, on Sunday January 17, the final game in the League Cup mini-league involves a visit to V. Guimarães who are having a mediocre season following their success of finishing 3rd last season behind Porto & Sporting but above Benfica.
This is an exciting time for Olhanense and come the end of May it would be a tremendous boost for football in the Algarve if they could finish in the top two and achieve promotion to the Premier League.
Santa Clara has an impressive home record of five victories and one draw from six games at the S.Miguel Stadium in Ponta Delgada.
The visitors will have to be resolute in defence whilst hopefully the league’s top goalscorer Djalmir will add to his tally of 10 goals in this important fixture.
The following weekend the Olhão-based team are at home to Gondomar, from the Porto region, who are currently languishing 3rd from bottom of the Liga Vitalis with 11 points from 12 games.
SC Olhanense and their fervent supporters then travel to the Stadium of Light, Lisbon on January 14 to take on mighty Benfica, top of the Premier League and undefeated this season,
in the quarter-finals of the Carlsberg League Cup.
Four days later, on Sunday January 17, the final game in the League Cup mini-league involves a visit to V. Guimarães who are having a mediocre season following their success of finishing 3rd last season behind Porto & Sporting but above Benfica.
This is an exciting time for Olhanense and come the end of May it would be a tremendous boost for football in the Algarve if they could finish in the top two and achieve promotion to the Premier League.
Mortgage rates fall yet again
Mortgage holders received some good cheer at the end of the year as the Euribor interest rate index, which has steadily fallen since November, dropped again.December 24 saw the three-month Euribor index fall below three per cent, to 2.991 per cent, its lowest rate in recent years.
The six-month Euribor index, which stood at 3.061 per cent on Christmas Eve, was also expected to fall.
According to the calculations, for a mortgage of 150,000 euros over 35 years, with a spread of one per cent, the repayment this month could fall by a minimum of 161 euros.
Although the actual Euribor index that will determine mortgage repayments this month was due to be announced on Wednesday, the last day of 2008, it was expected to follow the current trend and fall.
In case it did not fall, the Central European Bank is expected to lower interest rates, in an effort to combat the current economic crisis.
During his Christmas Day message, Portugal’s Prime Minister, José Sócrates, said that he would do everything to help the people overcome the difficulties of the economic crisis in 2009.
“I want to guarantee to you that we have no other intention except defending the national interest at this particularly difficult time,” he said. “This means using all of the resources we have to help families, workers and companies, and to promote economic investment.”
The government’s plan for 2009 includes the promotion and creation of jobs as well as measures to protect families such as increasing the minimum wage and family allowance benefits.
Tourism: the worst is yet to come
All sectors of the tourism industry need to work together in 2009 if they are to survive the global financial crisis that is affecting tourism in the Algarve.
This is the message being given to all entities involved in tourism in the end of year report by industry specialist AHETA, the Algarve hotel and resorts association. Figures compiled by AHETA throughout 2008 reveal that in general terms, all tourism indicators were lower last year when compared to the same period in 2007.
From airport passenger numbers, down 0.4 percent, to bed occupancy levels, which have fallen by 5.7 per cent, statistics show that 2008 was the first year since 2005 to not see consistent consecutive annual growth in the tourism sector.
The only winner was golf and although growth in the number of holes played on average per year was slow, there was an increase. This is partially accounted for by the increase in golf courses in 2008, with the opening of three new 18 hole courses, two at the Amendoeira resort near Silves and another at Quinta do Vale, while the course in Castro Marim was also upgraded from a nine hole course to 18 holes.
There are now 38 courses in the region and the popularity of golf in the Algarve, boosted by events such as the Portugal Masters, was evident with figures showing that an average of more than 91,000 rounds of golf are played every month in the Algarve.
Numbers may be down but general trends in tourism remained the same in 2008 as in previous years. Brits remain the top visitors to the region while the number of Germans coming to the Algarve is still dropping, as it has been since 2000 following the adoption of the Euro by Germany in 1999.
Albufeira, Vilamoura and Praia da Rocha are still the areas with the highest number of beds available to tourists, comprising 70 per cent of the total number available in the region.
New areas, however, are proving to be popular tourist destinations with hotel occupancy in Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo António having the highest occupancy levels of the entire region with a peak of 78 per cent.
The tourism industry has felt the effects of a double whammy of problems in relation to occupancy numbers. Not only are there fewer people coming to stay in the region, numbers in 2008 were down by 5.7 per cent, but tourists are also staying for less time, with UK visitors only remaining in the region for an average of seven days.
The overall drop in the duration of time spent in the Algarve went from an average of 5.8 days in 2007 to 5.4 days in 2008.
These statistics, however, must be seen in relation to the general world tourism climate, say AHETA, who believe that “considering the current global economic crisis and the weak state of the Pound, the situation could have been much worse”.
The Algarve appears to have escaped major problems in the tourism industry in 2008, despite reduced numbers, but AHETA is predicting that 2009 will be a difficult year for all involved.
“We are now facing times that will require new solutions, innovation and a touch of daring. We need new and more partnerships uniting all parties in tourism and are calling on the government to help the predicted downturn by offering incentives, increasing marketing and easing tax burdens in the industry.”
Times may be hard across the Algarve but the building of a new airport in Lisbon, the opening of the Algarve Motor Park and the enlargement of the Schengen agreement to allow further freedom of movement within Europe will all hopefully hold back a downturn of devastating proportions to the tourism industry in the Algarve in 2009.
This is the message being given to all entities involved in tourism in the end of year report by industry specialist AHETA, the Algarve hotel and resorts association. Figures compiled by AHETA throughout 2008 reveal that in general terms, all tourism indicators were lower last year when compared to the same period in 2007.
From airport passenger numbers, down 0.4 percent, to bed occupancy levels, which have fallen by 5.7 per cent, statistics show that 2008 was the first year since 2005 to not see consistent consecutive annual growth in the tourism sector.
The only winner was golf and although growth in the number of holes played on average per year was slow, there was an increase. This is partially accounted for by the increase in golf courses in 2008, with the opening of three new 18 hole courses, two at the Amendoeira resort near Silves and another at Quinta do Vale, while the course in Castro Marim was also upgraded from a nine hole course to 18 holes.
There are now 38 courses in the region and the popularity of golf in the Algarve, boosted by events such as the Portugal Masters, was evident with figures showing that an average of more than 91,000 rounds of golf are played every month in the Algarve.
Numbers may be down but general trends in tourism remained the same in 2008 as in previous years. Brits remain the top visitors to the region while the number of Germans coming to the Algarve is still dropping, as it has been since 2000 following the adoption of the Euro by Germany in 1999.
Albufeira, Vilamoura and Praia da Rocha are still the areas with the highest number of beds available to tourists, comprising 70 per cent of the total number available in the region.
New areas, however, are proving to be popular tourist destinations with hotel occupancy in Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo António having the highest occupancy levels of the entire region with a peak of 78 per cent.
The tourism industry has felt the effects of a double whammy of problems in relation to occupancy numbers. Not only are there fewer people coming to stay in the region, numbers in 2008 were down by 5.7 per cent, but tourists are also staying for less time, with UK visitors only remaining in the region for an average of seven days.
The overall drop in the duration of time spent in the Algarve went from an average of 5.8 days in 2007 to 5.4 days in 2008.
These statistics, however, must be seen in relation to the general world tourism climate, say AHETA, who believe that “considering the current global economic crisis and the weak state of the Pound, the situation could have been much worse”.
The Algarve appears to have escaped major problems in the tourism industry in 2008, despite reduced numbers, but AHETA is predicting that 2009 will be a difficult year for all involved.
“We are now facing times that will require new solutions, innovation and a touch of daring. We need new and more partnerships uniting all parties in tourism and are calling on the government to help the predicted downturn by offering incentives, increasing marketing and easing tax burdens in the industry.”
Times may be hard across the Algarve but the building of a new airport in Lisbon, the opening of the Algarve Motor Park and the enlargement of the Schengen agreement to allow further freedom of movement within Europe will all hopefully hold back a downturn of devastating proportions to the tourism industry in the Algarve in 2009.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A year in the vegetable garden
One of the most difficult things for gardeners to get used to when moving to Portugal from colder countries is knowing what to plant when. Like most things in life there is no golden rule. The climate is Portugal is not set in stone, so neither should your planting schedule be.
Some years summer seems to start in March, other years it can still be wet and chilly in May. It is important to sow seeds when the soil is moist, not waterlogged and has had a few days of sunshine to warm it up. Most seeds detest cold wet soil, only broad beans and peas seem to be able to cope. Sweet pepper, sweet corn and melons need the soil very warm to germinate and survive.
What follows below is for general guidance only, a starting point, if you like.
January
Sowing - broad beans, lettuces, Chinese cabbage, peas, onions, mange tout peas, potatoes, cabbages/cauliflowers for spring/summer use.
Other tasks - digging in manure to beds ready for summer vegetables; adding lime to soil that is to grow beans and brassicas; adding fertiliser or muck to cabbages still growing; weeding around existing plants.
February
Sowing - carrots, lettuces, peas, radish, Swiss chard, turnips (for tops and roots), beetroot, potatoes.
Other tasks - dig over and prepare seedbeds and permanent beds for summer vegetables; earth-up potatoes as necessary; spray potatoes for blight if necessary; weed as necessary and thin out carrots.
March
Sowing - French beans, climbing beans (Kwintus), carrots, cucumber, lettuce, pumpkin, potatoes, melons, tomatoes, sweet potatoes (for slips), lettuces, radishes, okra.
Other tasks - prepare irrigation systems; weed summer beds; weed carrots diligently; transplant cabbages and cauliflowers; transplant onions; add manure/fertiliser to soil limed in January.
April
Sowing - summer crops that failed to thrive last month can still be sowed, plus courgettes and melons. More beans, aubergine, carrots, cucumbers, and radishes can be sowed to ensure a constant supply.
Other tasks - transplant lettuces,
May
Sowing - cucumbers, pumpkins, sweet pepper, sweet corn, Brussel sprouts.
Other tasks - prepare bed for sweet potato slips; keep beans well watered.
June
Sowing - anything sowed now will have to survive the hot summer months. More beans, pumpkins, courgettes, cucumbers can be sown but will need plenty of water.
Other tasks - cut slips from the sweet potatoes and transplant to permanent bed.
July
Sowing - French beans, carrots, cucumbers, pumpkins, potatoes. To get an early start you could also start off some cauliflowers and cabbages ready for transplanting six weeks later.
Other tasks - prepare beds for brassica transplants - lime first, wait a month then manure or fertilise.
August
Sowing - French beans, cabbages, cauliflowers, pumpkins, potatoes, mange-tout peas for a November crop.
Other tasks - transplant cabbage and cauliflower seedlings if they have five true leaves.
September
Sowing - as long as it is still sunny and not too wet many crops can still be sown - French beans, cabbages, carrots, lettuces, Chinese cabbage and the last planting of potatoes. It should now be cool enough to begin winter radishes and turnips as well as small radishes.
Other tasks - prepare beds for planting broad beans and peas that are going to over-winter.
October
Sowing - broad beans and peas, lettuces (not if it’s very wet), radishes, winter radish, carrots to over winter.
Other tasks - transplant cabbage seedlings if they have five true leaves.
November
Sowing - Broad beans and peas
Other tasks - transplant any more cabbage seedlings that have five true leaves.
December
Sowing - if you are desperate to sow seeds you can still put in broad beans and peas. Lettuces will germinate and grow quickly under a makeshift cold frame.
Some years summer seems to start in March, other years it can still be wet and chilly in May. It is important to sow seeds when the soil is moist, not waterlogged and has had a few days of sunshine to warm it up. Most seeds detest cold wet soil, only broad beans and peas seem to be able to cope. Sweet pepper, sweet corn and melons need the soil very warm to germinate and survive.
What follows below is for general guidance only, a starting point, if you like.
January
Sowing - broad beans, lettuces, Chinese cabbage, peas, onions, mange tout peas, potatoes, cabbages/cauliflowers for spring/summer use.
Other tasks - digging in manure to beds ready for summer vegetables; adding lime to soil that is to grow beans and brassicas; adding fertiliser or muck to cabbages still growing; weeding around existing plants.
February
Sowing - carrots, lettuces, peas, radish, Swiss chard, turnips (for tops and roots), beetroot, potatoes.
Other tasks - dig over and prepare seedbeds and permanent beds for summer vegetables; earth-up potatoes as necessary; spray potatoes for blight if necessary; weed as necessary and thin out carrots.
March
Sowing - French beans, climbing beans (Kwintus), carrots, cucumber, lettuce, pumpkin, potatoes, melons, tomatoes, sweet potatoes (for slips), lettuces, radishes, okra.
Other tasks - prepare irrigation systems; weed summer beds; weed carrots diligently; transplant cabbages and cauliflowers; transplant onions; add manure/fertiliser to soil limed in January.
April
Sowing - summer crops that failed to thrive last month can still be sowed, plus courgettes and melons. More beans, aubergine, carrots, cucumbers, and radishes can be sowed to ensure a constant supply.
Other tasks - transplant lettuces,
May
Sowing - cucumbers, pumpkins, sweet pepper, sweet corn, Brussel sprouts.
Other tasks - prepare bed for sweet potato slips; keep beans well watered.
June
Sowing - anything sowed now will have to survive the hot summer months. More beans, pumpkins, courgettes, cucumbers can be sown but will need plenty of water.
Other tasks - cut slips from the sweet potatoes and transplant to permanent bed.
July
Sowing - French beans, carrots, cucumbers, pumpkins, potatoes. To get an early start you could also start off some cauliflowers and cabbages ready for transplanting six weeks later.
Other tasks - prepare beds for brassica transplants - lime first, wait a month then manure or fertilise.
August
Sowing - French beans, cabbages, cauliflowers, pumpkins, potatoes, mange-tout peas for a November crop.
Other tasks - transplant cabbage and cauliflower seedlings if they have five true leaves.
September
Sowing - as long as it is still sunny and not too wet many crops can still be sown - French beans, cabbages, carrots, lettuces, Chinese cabbage and the last planting of potatoes. It should now be cool enough to begin winter radishes and turnips as well as small radishes.
Other tasks - prepare beds for planting broad beans and peas that are going to over-winter.
October
Sowing - broad beans and peas, lettuces (not if it’s very wet), radishes, winter radish, carrots to over winter.
Other tasks - transplant cabbage seedlings if they have five true leaves.
November
Sowing - Broad beans and peas
Other tasks - transplant any more cabbage seedlings that have five true leaves.
December
Sowing - if you are desperate to sow seeds you can still put in broad beans and peas. Lettuces will germinate and grow quickly under a makeshift cold frame.
Out and About
LOCATED IN the North of Portugal, Braga is considered one of the most religious cities in the country because of the great number of churches and sanctuaries. It used to be one of the most significant catholic cities in Europe.
To best explore the city, it is better that you do it on foot, discovering the stunning architecture of Baroque buildings and more than 30 churches.
The most remarkable monument to visit is Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary, considered one of the most stunning in all of Portugal. This work of art evokes the love of God and is surrounded by outstanding gardens. To get there you can choose between two options: take the elevator or go up 17 extraordinary flights of stairs, which converge side by side with extraordinary flowerpots, statues and fountains. The chapels that go side by side with the enclosure bring to mind the biblical subjects of the Assumption, of the apparition of Madalena and the Emaús, all this is split by fountains devoted to the four evangelists, S. Marcos, S. Lucas, S. João and S. Mateus.
Mesmerising
In the middle of the historic centre, you can find the Sé Catedral and its’ wealth. This astounding tombstone, built under the gothic, renaissance and baroque styles, was set up in 1070, and the best part is its’ adorned roof, created by João de Castilho, the architect that designed Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Lisbon. An extra mesmerising spot in this cathedral is behind the main altar, where there are 13 ceramic panels created by Professor Álvaro Rocha.
Another interesting monument to see is the Santa Cruz church, built in the 18th century, in the Baroque style.
The best time to visit the city of Braga is at Easter when the population enacts the events of the Holy week which comprises the crucifixion of Christ and his burial - a very scenic experience not to be missed.
To best explore the city, it is better that you do it on foot, discovering the stunning architecture of Baroque buildings and more than 30 churches.
The most remarkable monument to visit is Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary, considered one of the most stunning in all of Portugal. This work of art evokes the love of God and is surrounded by outstanding gardens. To get there you can choose between two options: take the elevator or go up 17 extraordinary flights of stairs, which converge side by side with extraordinary flowerpots, statues and fountains. The chapels that go side by side with the enclosure bring to mind the biblical subjects of the Assumption, of the apparition of Madalena and the Emaús, all this is split by fountains devoted to the four evangelists, S. Marcos, S. Lucas, S. João and S. Mateus.
 Sé Catedral |  |
In the middle of the historic centre, you can find the Sé Catedral and its’ wealth. This astounding tombstone, built under the gothic, renaissance and baroque styles, was set up in 1070, and the best part is its’ adorned roof, created by João de Castilho, the architect that designed Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Lisbon. An extra mesmerising spot in this cathedral is behind the main altar, where there are 13 ceramic panels created by Professor Álvaro Rocha.
Another interesting monument to see is the Santa Cruz church, built in the 18th century, in the Baroque style.
The best time to visit the city of Braga is at Easter when the population enacts the events of the Holy week which comprises the crucifixion of Christ and his burial - a very scenic experience not to be missed.
Eagles in Lisbon
Legendary American band, the Eagles, will be spreading their wings on their latest world tour and performing a one off concert in Lisbon.
The band, most famous for singing Hotel California, is to perform at the Pavilhão Atlântico on July 22 2009.
The concert is part of a worldwide promotional tour for the new Eagles album, Long Road Out of Eden, their first studio album in 28 years which earned them a Grammy award for best country performance in February 2008.
Tickets for the concert cost between 35 and 55 euros per person.
Sports centre
CONSTRUCTION HAS begun on a new state of the art sports development in Albufeira set to cost five million euros.
The first stone of the project was laid on December 16 and the deadline for the completion of the 6,000sqm centre is October 2009.
The two storey development is to provide facilities for both professional level sportsmen and amateurs alike and will be suitable for various international and national meetings, putting Albufeira firmly on the sporting map.
The first stone of the project was laid on December 16 and the deadline for the completion of the 6,000sqm centre is October 2009.
The two storey development is to provide facilities for both professional level sportsmen and amateurs alike and will be suitable for various international and national meetings, putting Albufeira firmly on the sporting map.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Portugal's Algarve Coast: Europe's best kept secret
The Holiday Season is everyone's favorite time of year -- it's when friends and family get together to share in the joys of the season. It's a time to look back at events of the old year and look forward to the new one that's just ahead. It's also a time to start planning next year's vacation. Whether it's to be a winter sunshine break, or the main holiday of the year, this is an opportunity to agree upon the perfect destination to please everyone - but finding that special place can be a daunting challenge.
Magnificent golf is only the beginning of The Algarve's many attractions.
Allow some time to enjoy The Algarve's pristine beaches - they're Europe's best.
Cataplana cooking with the freshest Atlantic fish is an Algarvean way of life to be experienced.
Portugal's delightful vinho verde wines are always a hit, but don't miss the outstanding reds from Douro, Dao and Alentejo.
Dance with Lady Luck at one of The Algarve's several casinos.
Horse-back riding along the Atlantic surf is an Algarve specialty.
The Algarve is known for some of Europe's best game fishing.
Tavira, a city of churches is The Algarve's most beautiful.
| BOOK YOUR TRIP | |
|
Many who set out on the mission with the very best of intentions, determined to find somewhere different and special, give up in frustration. After searching through innumerable travel brochures and websites, looking for brilliant ideas from travel agents and friends, find no inspiration at all and eventually return to the same, familiar places where they have spent vacations in the past.
Most of us travel to discover new places and savor new experiences and that's something you are not going to find if you keep returning to the same old familiar ground. It's time to be a little more adventurous and try someplace different. It's time to think just a little bit outside of the box and these days Europe might be the most tempting of all. If you think you already know Europe, chances are you may not be familiar with one of the most charming corners of the entire continent -- Portugal, Europe's best kept vacation secret.
Go to this tiny country's most southerly coastline, a region known as The Algarve, and you will discover the best climate in all of Europe, basking in 340 days of sunshine a year. With idyllic year-round temperatures, some of the world's most beautiful beaches and an enviable collection of world-class golf courses, it's a vacation heaven for everyone, golfers included.
Only adding to the enticements, Portugal has always offered one of the very best travel values, but with our US Dollar at its strongest in many a moon, The Algarve has become a real bargain. It's a chance to enjoy the very best of everything - from hotels to restaurants, shopping, green fees and everything else imaginable - all at a fraction of the prices you would probably be paying at your usual vacation spot. The promise of luxury for a lot less and with no compromises, might be The Algarve's biggest inducement of all.
It's the quality of golf that entices informed aficionados of the game to Portugal's sunny Algarve coast -- an abundant supply of top quality courses and the weather to enjoy them twelve months of the year is an irresistible combination for most. But The Algarve is filled with many temptations, both on the courses and off and the opportunity to experience at least some of the off-course delights shouldn't be missed. This after all is a vacation you have worked hard for, so you deserve all the enjoyment you can get and the laid back, relaxed life-style of The Algarve and the local's zest for life makes this handsome coast perfectly suited to such things.
Good food is an essential element of Algarvean life and as a result, the region brims over with wonderful restaurants. Practically every national cuisine is represented, but for a special dining experience, try the less pretentious, Portuguese restaurants that focus on local dishes, typical of the region. The quality of the food is outstanding and they are always reasonably priced, so be adventurous and eat where the locals eat.
Seafood, fresh from the Atlantic predominates and the tuna and sardines here are unrivalled, but every type of seafood from cod to clams is excellent. Look for a dish called Caldeirada, a very tasty, bouillabaisse-like stew made from a variety of fish layered with potatoes. A feature of Algarvean cooking is the cataplana, a tightly sealed cooking pot resembling a wok, in which the food steams in its own juices, with mouthwatering results. Whether Porco a Alantejana, a delicious, if curious combination of pork and clams, or Ensopado de Borrego, a baby lamb stew, any cataplana dish is guaranteed to delight the taste-buds. But for the best local food treat, don't miss the charcoaled sardines; you've never tasted anything quite this good.
Good food demands good wine and Portugal produces outstanding wines. Many of the most delectable reds come from the regions of Douro, Dao and Alentejo, while excellent white wine or Vinho Verde, comes from the Minho and Estremadura regions. Less known in the USA than they deserve, take this opportunity to sample as many as you are able and when you return home, demand your local wine merchant carries more.
If you are looking for evening entertainment, The Algarve will keep you up all night long. Each of the resort towns scattered along these 90 miles of picture postcard coastline, offer a nightlife that could make you miss tomorrow's tee-time, so be warned. There are more than enough bars, discos and nightclubs to keep even the most energetic night-owl, drinking and dancing until the wee small hours. For those who prefer to dance with lady luck, the international casinos at Portimao, Vilamoura and Monte Gardo, complete with elaborate cabaret shows, provide every chance to win (or lose) with roulette, dice, poker and for the more timid gamblers, slot machines. Enjoy the nightlife to the fullest, but take advantage of your off-course, daylight hours to gain a real appreciation for this sun-blessed corner of Portugal.
The Algarve has a rich history stretching back more than 3,000 years and has been occupied by Phoenicians, Romans and from the 8th until mid-13th centuries, the Moors. It was in the small town of Sagres, located at the westerly edge of The Algarve where in the 15th century, Henry the Navigator established his school of exploration and maritime research that would launch Portugal into it's most impressive era as the discoverers of the new world. This is your chance to explore The Algarve and discover some of its intriguing past for yourself.
If golf is occupying most of your daylight hours and time only permits one excursion, make it a side trip to the town of Tavira, located approximately 45 minutes east of Vilamoura. Straddling the River Gilao and fronted by the Atlantic Ocean, Tavira, a town of historic churches, palaces and fine mansions, is probably the most beautiful along the entire coastline. Wander the streets of the old town and soak up the centuries old architecture and history. Then while away an hour or two over lunch or a coffee at an outdoor café, just watching Tavira's world go by. After all this is The Algarve where everything should be enjoyed at a leisurely pace and savored to the fullest.
Quality golf in an idyllic, year round climate is only the beginning of all Portugal's Algarve region offers visitors. Excellent food and wines, 3,000 years of history, spectacular scenery, fascinating sightseeing and a bustling nightlife, make this one of Europe's best-kept vacation secrets. Make the most of your trip and enjoy as many of The Algarve's plentiful temptations, as time will permit.
For more ideas and suggestions on how to discover The Algarve's many pleasures, both on the golf course and off, click here.
New Year Weather
Well the forecast for the weather on the New Years Eve is a mixed one with daytime tempretures around 17°, whilst overnight tempretures will be a mild 10°. However, there is a 60% of showers during the 24 hour period. So wrap up, chill your champagne and bring a brolly.Happy New Year to you all.
Check out the Algarve
Here are some of the first pictures of the new Portugal Autodromo, Internacional do Algarve which will host a round of this season's A1GP World Cup of Motorsport.
Construction on the new track track was finished two months ago, and A1GP will be the circuit’s first international car race meeting, occurring on April 12, 2009.
Construction on the new track track was finished two months ago, and A1GP will be the circuit’s first international car race meeting, occurring on April 12, 2009.
These pictures show a mouthwatering and undulating track with first class facilities.
In addition to the circuit, the project also includes a karting track, a technology park, a five-star hotel, a sports complex and apartments. The black A1GP test car visits the 2.9-mile circuit to officially launch the event early in January.
HOLIDAY TRENDS 2009
Research carried out in November by Thomson and First Choice ¹, illustrates that Brits no longer consider their summer holidays a luxury, but a necessity, with 88% of those surveyed willing to cutback in other areas rather than forego their annual holiday.
With Britain experiencing the coolest start to winter in over 30 years², thoughts are now turning to sunnier climes and as we gear up towards January and the traditional peak booking period, Thomson and First Choice Customer Director Tim Williamson, answers some questions regarding travel in 2009.
Why are holidays being seen as necessity rather than luxury? How has this trend occurred?
We have some of the longest working hours in Europe - the harder people work, the greater the need to get away from it all, not just to recharge the batteries, but also to spend quality time with their families.
What does this research mean for the holiday industry?
As parent-company TUI's recent results show, the merged company has performed well in its first year of operation. Although we can't comment on behalf of the entire industry, from our perspective, customers indicate that they still want to go away. In addition, and in light of the demise of XL and Zoom, more and more customers are aware of the value of going on holiday with a financially robust company such as Thomson or First Choice, where holidays are protected under the Government backed ATOL scheme.
What kind of holidays will Brits be looking for in 2009?
For both Thomson and First Choice we’re expecting the top short haul destinations for summer 2009 holidays to be the Balearics, Mainland Spain, the Algarve, Italy and Madeira. For mid haul, Greece, the Canaries, Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt look set to top the list and further afield Mexico, Florida, Dominican Republic and Cuba.
This should be encouraging news for property owners looking to rent properties in 2009. If you have a property to rent in 2009, why not look at the services of Ideias Silenciosas Lda part of the APLNET Group who offer a pay-by-use service for their clients.
With Britain experiencing the coolest start to winter in over 30 years², thoughts are now turning to sunnier climes and as we gear up towards January and the traditional peak booking period, Thomson and First Choice Customer Director Tim Williamson, answers some questions regarding travel in 2009.
Why are holidays being seen as necessity rather than luxury? How has this trend occurred?
We have some of the longest working hours in Europe - the harder people work, the greater the need to get away from it all, not just to recharge the batteries, but also to spend quality time with their families.
What does this research mean for the holiday industry?
As parent-company TUI's recent results show, the merged company has performed well in its first year of operation. Although we can't comment on behalf of the entire industry, from our perspective, customers indicate that they still want to go away. In addition, and in light of the demise of XL and Zoom, more and more customers are aware of the value of going on holiday with a financially robust company such as Thomson or First Choice, where holidays are protected under the Government backed ATOL scheme.
What kind of holidays will Brits be looking for in 2009?
For both Thomson and First Choice we’re expecting the top short haul destinations for summer 2009 holidays to be the Balearics, Mainland Spain, the Algarve, Italy and Madeira. For mid haul, Greece, the Canaries, Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt look set to top the list and further afield Mexico, Florida, Dominican Republic and Cuba.
This should be encouraging news for property owners looking to rent properties in 2009. If you have a property to rent in 2009, why not look at the services of Ideias Silenciosas Lda part of the APLNET Group who offer a pay-by-use service for their clients.
Madeleine - Outrage At Writer's 'Ghost' Blog
A WRITER has caused fury by publishing an "interview" with Madeleine McCann.Jose Antonio Perez, 28, penned "Madeleine's ghost" online as a joke.
In his sickening blog, he pokes fun at the missing youngster, ridicules the search for her and makes an outrageous slur against her heartbroken mum Kate.
But last night, TV scriptwriter Perez was facing a massive backlash over the hugely offensive piece.
He was branded "pathetic" by readers of his website, which has been shortlisted for awards.
One disgusted blogger said: "How can you take the subject of a missing girl as a point of humour? Do you have no shame?"
Perez, who works for a top Spanish TV show, says Madeleine visited him at his home in Bilbao, Spain.
He says the ghost with a "cocky attitude" told him: "I'm the business of the century kid.
"They have sold more T-shirts with my face on than Mickey Mouse and have started to negotiate the rights to my story with Hollywood." Kate gave up her job as a GP as she struggled to cope with Maddie's disappearance and Perez also makes a shocking jibe about that.
She and Scots husband Gerry, doctors from Rothley, Leicestershire, have just endured their second Christmas without their daughter.
Perez, who writes for Spanish comedy El Hormiguero (The Anthill), uses his website Mi Mesa Cojea (My Table Wobbles) to publish jokes he can't get on telly. But he continued to mock the McCanns in a newspaper interview.
He told 20 Minutos: "I have spoken with God, with the ghost of little MadeleineMcCann, with Al Gore and next I will interview Barack Obama.
"So far, nobody has called me to complain. But I'm much more afraid of theMcCanns than I amof God."
Website readers have blasted Perez for writing about Madeleine and her devastated family.
One said: "It is a case that has caused sadness around the world.
"I can only tell you that people like you will go straight to hell for having no shame, for failing to respect the suffering of others."
A second said: "I think you're pathetic, ridiculous, meaningless.
"Tell me, what have you done of any worth? What gives you the right to spout such rubbish?"
Another added: "At least learn to spell before writing such bloody nonsense about that poor little angel."
And a fourth said: "You are a prat. You have no conscience."
Madeleine went missing on a family holiday in the Algarve, Portugal, in May last year, just days before her fourth birthday. A huge search has failed to find her.
'I'm much more afraid of the McCanns than God'
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Drivers hail 'fantastic' Algarve track
The new Algarve circuit has been hailed as "fantastic" by Formula One drivers following their maiden test at the Portuguese track earlier this month. Formula One made its debut at the Iberian track with a three-day test attended by the Ferrari and McLaren teams.
"It's a fantastic track, it looks like a roller-coaster," McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa was quoted as saying by Autosprint magazine.
"It's enjoyable, especially for a test driver who normally always runs on the usual two-three tracks.
"From a physical point of view it's not very demanding: I'd say it's about as demanding as Jerez. However it's possible that when the grip will increase because of the rubber laid on it, then it will be more demanding."
Teammate Gary Paffett added: "This track is a constant challenge because it's an alternation of uphill and downhill sections and it's hard to find the braking point, just like it's difficult to find the best line.
"With the track being slippery we didn't make a big effort to find the optimal set-up, we used the settings used at Montmelo and Jerez, knowing that they would have worked fine."
Ferrari's tester Marc Gene said the track still needed rubber to be laid down, but he also heaped praise on it.
"The track is still very slippery, because the right level of rubber on it is still lacking," the Spaniard said.
"If six teams were present, then the problem would have been solved in just one day, but with two teams you need more time. Besides this problem, the track seems fantastic to me."
Circuit director Juan Alvarez said, however, that the track was yet to make a profit.
"We've put a lot of effort to improve the track but, considering the permanent structure required by F1, you need at least 20 test days in order to begin making a profit," he said. "At the moment we have only eight testing days confirmed for 2009, and that's not enough.
"We have an agreement with F1 until 2011 but after that we'll have to rethink the situation, which at the moment isn't good, because the cost for hosting testing is getting higher and higher."
Four Algarve towns join Cittaslow movement
A number of Algarve towns have been named as official members of Cittaslow, it has emerged.
Daisy Sampson, writing for the Resident, revealed that Tavira, Silves, Sao Bras de Alportel and Lagos have become members of the slow city movement, which was established in 1999 by Paolo Saturnini.
The initiative attempts to enhance the quality of life for both visitors and residents in the areas selected.
"We want to involve areas with untouched landscapes and traditional craftsmen and where people are still able to observe the slow course of the seasons," a spokesperson for the Cittaslow movement in Italy told the publication.
Now that they are part of the movement the towns will take traditional cultural events and their heritage as priorities, the writer added, which could interest Holidaymakers looking for some local culture.
The project has incorporated 100 towns and ten countries across the world and it has its own charter that states that those places looking to join have to make a number of commitments.
Daisy Sampson, writing for the Resident, revealed that Tavira, Silves, Sao Bras de Alportel and Lagos have become members of the slow city movement, which was established in 1999 by Paolo Saturnini.
The initiative attempts to enhance the quality of life for both visitors and residents in the areas selected.
"We want to involve areas with untouched landscapes and traditional craftsmen and where people are still able to observe the slow course of the seasons," a spokesperson for the Cittaslow movement in Italy told the publication.
Now that they are part of the movement the towns will take traditional cultural events and their heritage as priorities, the writer added, which could interest Holidaymakers looking for some local culture.
The project has incorporated 100 towns and ten countries across the world and it has its own charter that states that those places looking to join have to make a number of commitments.
Motoring On
Tourists and property investors are expected to flock to Portugal's western Algarve following the opening of a new race track...
The western Algarve is expected to defy the gloom and doom after the recent opening of the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
The new state-of-the-art race track near Portimão is expected to attract even more tourists and property investors to the region.
Portugal is now one of the top five destinations for people from the UK who are seeking homes abroad.
The Algarve is already renowned for it golf courses, beaches, water sports, culture and good food and wine. With the new race track the region is expected to welcome a further one million tourists a year.
In November it hosted the Portuguese round of the Superbike World Championships and Formula 1 testing took place there earlier this month.
Other major international events are scheduled and there is talk of trying to lure an F1 race in the future.
As well as the circuit the complex includes a karting track, technology park, five-star hotel and sports facilities. Costing around £183 million to build it is the biggest single investment ever in the Algarve and as well as creating 1,000 new jobs, tourist levels are expected to substantially increase a visitors flock to see the sporting events, all of which should have a positive impact on the local and national economy.
Last year a brand new clubhouse with fully equipped gym and health spa opened at Boavista Golf Resort, a huge bonus for property owners and guests. Located near Lagos, a choice of detached villas and golf properties start at £345,200 and, under a new freehold quarter share scheme, a 13-week per year rotating occupancy can be purchased from just £105,000.
For property opportunities visit www.aplnet.co.uk or for information on holiday at either of these resorts see www.barringtons-pt.com
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
New Local Hospitals
At least ten new private hospitals are on tap to be constructed in the Algarve Region of Portugal over the next few years. Hospital beds are expected to triple over the next five years with the primary focus on tourists and holiday travelers who visit the region or have second homes there.
The first of these new facilities is set to open in mid-2009 in Faro and will be part of the Grupo Hospital Particular do Algarve. It is being constructed next to the Gambelas University Campus and will have 100 beds with private rooms and suites for patients. The new hospital will have 12,000 square meters of space with an Emergency Room, intensive care unit and state of the art equipment.
Two other hospitals are also under construction in the region, one in Portimão and one in Albufeira. The Portimão facility will be part of a larger, assisted care project that is being developed by the Lenitudes Group. In Albufeira, the Trofa Health Group is constructing its new hospital with approximately 50 beds and is said to be planning another in Ferreiras. Other private hospitals that are in the works are set for Loule, Tavira, and Vila Real Santo António.
Bonnie Tyler’s search for cure for her failing eyesight
SHE’S a blonde, Welsh and sexy singing siren who is worth a fortune. But for years, behind the scenes, Bonnie Tyler has been plagued by having the “eyesight of an old lady”.
Her severe long-sightedness, combined with having one cornea “shaped like a rugby ball”, meant the gravel-voiced 57-year-old from Swansea ended up needing a magnifying glass to read her own lyrics and to apply her make up.
As she belted out hits including her number one Total Eclipse Of The Heart, behind her confident rock chic persona her vision began to deteriorate. And over the past decade it had become so poor she ended up “peering at everything like an old lady”, she told one newspaper.
“For the past 10 years or so, seeing anything close-up was so difficult that it became a real issue in my life,” said Bonnie.
“Holding a menu at arm’s length, peering at anything that required reading, made me feel so old.”
Bonnie revealed that her failing sight began to have a detrimental effect on her personal life and her work, making it difficult for her to concentrate on her voice.
“When I was in the recording studio, I needed to concentrate on what my voice was doing, which is rather difficult if you can’t actually see what you are supposed to be singing,” she added.
While surgical treatment for shortsightedness – myopia – has been available for more than a decade, when Bonnie tried to discover if there was a similar procedure that might benefit her long-sightedness, she found nothing – despite having an estimated £25m fortune.
Bonnie lives in Portugal with her property developer husband Robert Sullivan. The couple have a house on the beach near the central Algarve resort of Albufeira, where their neighbours include Sir Cliff Richard, former Chelsea football manager Jose Mourinho, footballers Alan Shearer and Paul Scholes and playwright Carla Lane.
But despite her wealth and contacts, it wasn’t until she was back in Britain last year on tour that she learned about the pioneering operation she had been seeking.
She had a consultation with Professor Dan Reinstein, in London, and after tests that ruled out eye disease, she was operated on.
Dr Reinstein, professor of ophthalmology in refractive surgery, helped develop the 20-minute procedure Laser Blended Vision. The procedure aims to correct eyesight for people aged over 45 years of age and costs from £4,600.
Dr Reinstein said: “Bonnie had two conditions that were corrected by laser eye surgery. She was long-sighted but she also had astigmatism – where the cornea is shaped like a rugby ball rather than a football as it should be.”
She also has presbyopia which is part of the ageing process and literally means “old sight”.
Bonnie said she felt some pressure on her eyes during the procedure but no pain and she was thrilled with the results.
“I could see everything close-up and I have been able to do so ever since.”
Government gets tough with banks
THE PORTUGUESE banking system has given the government short shrift after the Finance Minister ordered it to start lending or face having credit guarantees withdrawn.Finance Minister Fernando Teixeira dos Santos, under pressure from associations representing small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), has told the banking system that with state guarantees underpinning bank-to-bank loans, Portuguese banks can now go and borrow capital to lend on the international money markets.
But despite not making any official statements, the banks aren’t budging after the European Central Bank downgraded the value of Portuguese government backing worth two billion euros on a key loan to Caixa Geral de Depósitos to only 1.2 billion euros.
In other words, the European Central Banks don’t believe that the Portuguese state is as financially sound as it claims it is.
Back in November, the Portuguese government pledged, in line with other European Union countries, to back bank credit loans on the international market for the nations banking system to the tune of 20 billion euros.
The government now says that with such backing, there is no reason why Portuguese banks can’t start lending to their clients at reasonable market rates again.
Instead, Portuguese banks are either charging exorbitant interest rates to lend or are only lending short-term - at a rate of days, weeks or a few months rather than years.
Now, the finance minister has admitted that the government may have to re-think its system of guarantees offered to the banking system, penalising those that don’t or won’t lend.
Officially, the line from the Portuguese Banking Association is that its members are not putting the brakes on loans to small and medium companies.
But according to anonymous banking sources quoted in the daily paper, Diário de Notícias, the comments by the Finance Minister on Tuesday evening can only be interpreted as a way of “encouraging SMEs to negotiate with the banks for credit lines to supply their businesses”.
According to business associations, some banks are using the government-backed credit lines to either shore up their own balance sheets or lend only to pre-existing clients, allowing those clients to liquidate their loans and take out new ones at new, harsher rates of up to 2.5 percentage points because of the dearth in liquidity and increased risk.
Up until now, only Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) has used government-backed guarantees by issuing a 1.2 billion euro bond – the most it managed to borrow from the market.
Apart from the government-owned bank, both Millennium bcp and Banco Espírito Santo (BES) have now stated the intention to use the state-backed assurance to borrow on the open market, even though neither institution has yet done so in practice.
“The Finance Minister’s threats to remove guarantees for credit will only serve to create a negative financial image of Portugal on the international money markets,” said a senior banking source.
Property Slowdown
SECOND HOME sales are slowing abruptly in Portugal as a result of falling demand caused by concerns over the current financial situation.
Classified by the Portuguese government as a strategic product, residential tourism has been one of the segments most affected by the international economic downturn with effects being felt almost immediately.
“We have registered a decrease in demand for second homes,” says Eduardo Abreu of Neoturis, whose opinion is in line with other property sector analysts.
Although there are no official statistics, most real estate companies dealing with the second homes market agree that sales have fallen considerably in relation to previous years, both in Portugal and Spain.
Less visitors
The autumn 2008 report ‘Marketbeat’, published by Cushman & Wakefield, states that “since the beginning of the year, the majority of developments have suffered a considerable reduction in the number of visitors with sales being far from what most promoters would have desired.”
Second home demand in Portugal is intrinsically tied up with the residential tourism sector projects since these are the main suppliers of the market.
The contraction of markets in two of Portugal’s main target countries – Ireland and the United Kingdom - explains, to a great extent, this collapse in demand.
“Market realities have changed and investment from two of Portugal’s main sources of second homes, the United Kingdom and Ireland, have dried up as banks there make mortgages more difficult,” explained Paulo Sousa, the Real Estate Financial Director at Caixa Geral de Depósitos during a conference organised by the magazine Vida Imobiliária.
Eduardo Abreu has no doubts however, that the contraction in the Portuguese market results from a number of different factors and that it “could last between three and four years”.
“In the last 30 years, the number of properties sold to foreigners in Portugal has stood at around 80,000 houses, while in the next few years the number of properties available for sale will stand at around 250,000 properties creating a glut of vacant properties that no-one wants to buy,” he warns.
In other words, the property market here, as in Spain, made projections for growth in the good times that clearly have fallen well short of the actual market demand situation.
Classified by the Portuguese government as a strategic product, residential tourism has been one of the segments most affected by the international economic downturn with effects being felt almost immediately.
“We have registered a decrease in demand for second homes,” says Eduardo Abreu of Neoturis, whose opinion is in line with other property sector analysts.
Although there are no official statistics, most real estate companies dealing with the second homes market agree that sales have fallen considerably in relation to previous years, both in Portugal and Spain.
Less visitors
The autumn 2008 report ‘Marketbeat’, published by Cushman & Wakefield, states that “since the beginning of the year, the majority of developments have suffered a considerable reduction in the number of visitors with sales being far from what most promoters would have desired.”
Second home demand in Portugal is intrinsically tied up with the residential tourism sector projects since these are the main suppliers of the market.
The contraction of markets in two of Portugal’s main target countries – Ireland and the United Kingdom - explains, to a great extent, this collapse in demand.
“Market realities have changed and investment from two of Portugal’s main sources of second homes, the United Kingdom and Ireland, have dried up as banks there make mortgages more difficult,” explained Paulo Sousa, the Real Estate Financial Director at Caixa Geral de Depósitos during a conference organised by the magazine Vida Imobiliária.
Eduardo Abreu has no doubts however, that the contraction in the Portuguese market results from a number of different factors and that it “could last between three and four years”.
“In the last 30 years, the number of properties sold to foreigners in Portugal has stood at around 80,000 houses, while in the next few years the number of properties available for sale will stand at around 250,000 properties creating a glut of vacant properties that no-one wants to buy,” he warns.
In other words, the property market here, as in Spain, made projections for growth in the good times that clearly have fallen well short of the actual market demand situation.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Money Matters
THE NEWSPAPERS are full of gloom with regards to the current bear stock market… this is defined as a market that has suffered a 20 per cent drop from recent highs, or a prolonged period of falls combined with general pessimism. But for the cautious or no risk investor there are great opportunities presented by what are known in the trade as structured products. These take many shapes but the core principal remains the same, namely capital protection.
For instance, take the Deutsche Bank Defensive Income Plan Two that guarantees 10 per cent gross income for the next five years. You can invest in euros or sterling, and your capital will be returned in full at maturity so long as the underlying blue chip shares don’t drop by more than 50 per cent. At current share levels, companies like Tesco and Anglo American, which have been chosen for their value and defensive nature, should be a reasonable bet.
There are similar structured products for those readers wanting maximum growth, plus a 100 per cent capital guarantee whatever happens after, say, five years. One in front of me promises gearing of 1000 per cent. This means just one per cent market growth will deliver 60 per cent investor return. Your money is linked to either the performance of the US, UK, Europe or Japan, or any combination of these stock markets.
However, if even this looks too risky, consider a new structured note being produced by Barclays Wealth for the clients of a few professional intermediaries. This note also gives a defined return, namely 100 per cent capital protection after five years. In other words, the guarantee is not linked to any shares or stock market performance. Instead, in this case, it’s the income that isn’t guaranteed as it is linked to the performance of a basket of 20 European stocks. If all stock is up at the end of the year, the investor will receive a coupon of somewhere over 12 per cent. If any of the stocks are down but still positive in relation to the euro Stocks 50 Index, the coupon still pays in full. If the stocks are down relative to themselves and the Index, then the coupon will be reduced proportionately. However, by linking to 20 stocks the risk is widely spread, and back tested results look really good if it’s a high potential income that you want, while being able to sleep at night!
Take advice
Those readers who don’t like the sound of structured products, and want the relatively high known returns with no capital risk one can currently obtain in a bank account, may well be missing a trick. Have you considered holding your bank account inside an insurance company’s offshore portfolio bond? If not, then you should take advice for several reasons. Firstly, you can get institutional interest rates that tend to be higher. Then depending on your tax residence you should get gross roll up… or to put it simply, no tax to pay on the interest until you cash the bond… and even then this can be minimized or avoided with planning. Currently on sterling you can get over 6.5 per cent interest after all charges/commissions, which for a 40 per cent taxpayer equates to a gross rate of over 10 per cent! Plus you can have immediate penalty free access to 97 per cent of your capital.
Depending on personal circumstances, five per cent pa tax deferred regular withdrawals are available, and lastly by spreading your investment across numerous banks… all on one form… you get improved investor protection with no administration headaches. Lastly, these insurance bonds can offer simultaneous tax and death tax planning opportunities, and free switching into other investments when the time is right. It’s hardly surprising that major offshore insurance companies are currently taking in billions into these portfolio bonds.
A final word of caution. The charges and terms of all the above vary enormously, so a regulated and professional IFA who knows the market is essential. Their remuneration or commission is built into most products by the providers so need not cost you extra and in many cases the products are not available direct.
Wales upbeat on new Toshack deal
The Football Association of Wales is confident that manager John Toshack will sign a new contract next month. "It is expected that the national manager's contract will be formally discussed at the next board meeting," said FAW spokesman Ceri Stennett. Toshack, 60 in March, will come to the end of his current five-year deal when the World Cup qualifiers for South Africa 2010 conclude in October.Wales currently sit third in World Cup qualifying Group Four. They are four points behind leaders Germany after two wins and two defeats. The FAW has wanted to extend Toshack's contract for some time, and the only doubt has been whether the former Liverpool striker wants to continue. But Toshack has now told the FAW that he would like to carry on for another two years, taking his term up to the Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine.
"We have been very happy with the way John has changed things around with so many good young players coming through," said Stennett. "The board have always been happy to abide by his decision, the contract extension has not really been an issue." Wales' next match is a friendly against Poland to be played in Portugal's Algarve on 11 February.
Poland have invited Wales to provide the opposition for their training camp ahead of the next round of World Cup qualifiers in March. Toshack is by then expected to have put pen to paper on a new deal that will take his spell as Wales boss to seven years, by when he hopes to have achieved his goal of guiding Wales to a major tournament.
Qualification for South Africa is unlikely, but with the finals of Euro 2012 set to be enlarged to include 24 teams, Toshack believes his emerging young side could well reach that tournament. Wales may also have an Under-21 friendly on 10 February away to Northern Ireland as they prepare for the Uefa championship qualifiers for 2011, due to start in March.
Their impressive exploits in the previous campaign, which saw them reach a play-off with England after winning their group, now sees Wales awarded with a second-place seeding for the draw in Denmark on 4 February.
Rescue operation to save donkeys from Portugal
So it's down to a couple from West Down and animal angel Diana Lewis to mount a rescue operation.
Chris and Elaine Mugleston are already looking after five rescued donkeys at their home — but a recent trip to Portugal brought them again, face to face with some very cruelly-treated animals.
Chris explained: "We saw an ad in a paper out there, by an English lady who runs a sanctuary for dogs and cats, but she had found a band of gipsies beating a mule in the street.
"They made her pay for the animal before they would stop beating it — and the police just walked by and did nothing.
"She has been able to get it back to a better state of health, but as with the donkey sanctuary we visited in the Algarve, they then don't have anything for them to eat — they were basically living in fields of sand."
In all, the couple are hoping to bring back two mules and four donkeys in the New Year.
Chris said: "Fortunately we have friends over there who own an orange grove, so they're all happily munching away in pasture until we can get them back."
Chris said there were other donkeys which they have had to leave behind, as they are not fit to travel, including one which had been so badly beaten, its back was broken.
"She's the sweetest thing — and she's had great veterinary treatment since she's been rescued, she's not in any pain — but when she lies down she can't get back up, so has to be lifted."
Chris said the last time they rescued Portuguese donkeys, they had funded the entire venture themselves — but this time won't be able to do that.
So Diana Lewis and the North Devon Animal Ambulance are helping them out.
The charity's Christmas party raised more than £1,000 towards the cost of veterinary treatment in Portugal.
Diana said: "We are going to pay the costs for two of the donkeys. I know we are a local charity and these are not local animals, but when you know about that level of cruelty, you just can't ignore it, can you. So our treasurer has agreed it."
Chris said that what they now need is for someone with a horse lorry or horse box that can take the six animals — to lend it to them.
"We would be grateful for any donations too, as it's quite costly to get the Portuguese certificates to transport them, fuel, and veterinary checks."
Anyone who can help can call Chris and Elaine on (+44) 01271-879512 or 07802 285842.
Property Management
Are you a property owner and not here permanently? If so, you should look at the services now being offered at www.iboughtportugal.com, they offer property management on weekly and monthly contracts so you are only being charged for the time you use their services.
Although based in Almancil, they cover the whole of the Algarve with a team of technicians and cleaning staff working locally and are on call 24/7 all year round.
"Unlike other property management companies who tie you into a 12 month contract, we offer a tailored agreement to suit our clients." said Graham Stewart, one of the Directors and General Manager of Barringtons Hotel Golf & Spa Resort in Vale do Lobo.
"And having the experience of running a hotel and serviced properties for more than 16 years gives us the experience and the trust of our valued customers." he continued.
"Also, we can offer the property for rentals under our hotel umbrella and increase your potential rental income as our client's are always looking for new properties to holiday in."
Although based in Almancil, they cover the whole of the Algarve with a team of technicians and cleaning staff working locally and are on call 24/7 all year round.
"Unlike other property management companies who tie you into a 12 month contract, we offer a tailored agreement to suit our clients." said Graham Stewart, one of the Directors and General Manager of Barringtons Hotel Golf & Spa Resort in Vale do Lobo.
"And having the experience of running a hotel and serviced properties for more than 16 years gives us the experience and the trust of our valued customers." he continued.
"Also, we can offer the property for rentals under our hotel umbrella and increase your potential rental income as our client's are always looking for new properties to holiday in."
Monday, December 22, 2008
Finland getting into gear for 2009 finals
UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ hosts Finland will begin a busy year of preparations for the finals with a trip to China next month for a four-team tournament involving the home nation, South Korea and New Zealand.AbsenteesThe tournament will be played in Guangzhou from 10-14 January and Finland coach Michael Käld has named a strong squad with the only notable absentees Laura Österberg-Kalmari and Miia Niemi. Niemi is still suffering from a thigh injury sustained against Wales in November and Österberg-Kalmari will not travel for family reasons. Käld, who has added FC Honka Espoo coach Marko Saloranta to his technical team on a part-time basis, said: "We have a very interesting tournament ahead of us. It will also mark the beginning of our final preparations for the finals. We will be facing strong opponents in China and it will be a good opportunity to see where we stand at the moment.
"Fixtures
His team's only other confirmed fixtures are in the 2009 Algarve Cup from 4-11 March, when they will compete in Group A against Sweden, Germany and China. Finland open UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium on 23 August against Denmark before taking on the Netherlands and Ukraine in the same venue at four-day intervals.
Williams to unveil FW31 at Algarve test
Williams will unveil its 2009 car at the major Formula 1 test at the Algarve Motor Park circuit in the New Year. The Toyota-powered FW31 will make its track debut at Portugal’s new 2.9-mile track (which has played host to several F1 teams for testing this week) on January 19.The car will be running in its winter test livery, with the full ’09 colour scheme set to be revealed at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March. Renault will launch its 2009 car, the R29, on the same day and has revised its original plans to enable it to take part in a full day of testing either side of media engagements.
10 Reasons To Visit The Algarve!
If you’re looking to calm down and get pleasure from the local landscapes, Falésia is perfect for a day on the beach with its surrounding strange red colored cliffs. Bounded on three sides by pine-clad cliffs, Olhos de Água is a nice place close at hand.
Vilamoura has something for everyone. It is a place for rest and leisure, but also for acting on lively pastimes and sports; a welcoming and secure residential haven, but also maryland online courses and thrilling night-life centre. It is especially popular with sports enthusiasts because of its brilliant facilities. The wide variety of high standard accommodation facilities of Algarve makes it perfect place for all needs.
Albufeira is well-known for its beaches where the sand is fine and the sea a greenish blue, sheltered by a steep high face of rocks famous for the shades and tones, which make them, appear like painted maryland online courses In spite of this, the fine streets and whitewashed houses of this aged fishing village perched over a charming beach filled with bright ornamented fishing boats must not be overlooked.
Salgados, located between Albufeira and Armaçăo de Pera, is already one of the symbols of the Portuguese golf. The closeness of the sea and the diversity of lakes online courses it a very appealing test of golfing skills. The place has may championship level golf courses designed by many renowned names of golf.
The hilly area of Monchique is quite exceptional, and the mellowest part of the Algarve. Its attractive mountain-top village having amusing natural thermal spa is known since Roman times. It is quiet fantabulous to watch stunning eyeshots from the top.
Having profusion of picturesque shops and market places to buy locally produced goods, Algarve has many shopping centers, such as Modelo, Forum Algarve, Algarve Shopping, and Quinta Shopping at Faro, where you create online courses find stylish products and dress stores. The food here has charms from the nearby traditions of Portugal, Spain and North Africa.
Silves Castle is nice place to have glimpses of the Algarve history; the castle displays some of the details around its past times important Moorish capital, especially from the 11th to the 13th Century. online courses red sandstone castle is not only a great historical repositories comprising the famous Museum of Cork, but also famous for chic cafes, restaurants and bars and local golf and horse riding sites.
Carvoeiro is an active fishing village that has turned into popular for Algarve villa holidays in recent years. The place is great market place for fresh fish and locally produced fruit and vegetables. There are four lovely sandy beaches plus plenty of shops, bars eateries, drugstores, banks, etc.
Located at just a 10 minute drive from Casa Rosa, the Ria Formosa Nature Park is a wintering ground for many migratory birds. The Estuary has a huge variety of natural habitats, which provides sanctuary and feeding-breeding areas for an infinite number of live organisms.
Vilamoura has something for everyone. It is a place for rest and leisure, but also for acting on lively pastimes and sports; a welcoming and secure residential haven, but also maryland online courses and thrilling night-life centre. It is especially popular with sports enthusiasts because of its brilliant facilities. The wide variety of high standard accommodation facilities of Algarve makes it perfect place for all needs.
Albufeira is well-known for its beaches where the sand is fine and the sea a greenish blue, sheltered by a steep high face of rocks famous for the shades and tones, which make them, appear like painted maryland online courses In spite of this, the fine streets and whitewashed houses of this aged fishing village perched over a charming beach filled with bright ornamented fishing boats must not be overlooked.
Salgados, located between Albufeira and Armaçăo de Pera, is already one of the symbols of the Portuguese golf. The closeness of the sea and the diversity of lakes online courses it a very appealing test of golfing skills. The place has may championship level golf courses designed by many renowned names of golf.
The hilly area of Monchique is quite exceptional, and the mellowest part of the Algarve. Its attractive mountain-top village having amusing natural thermal spa is known since Roman times. It is quiet fantabulous to watch stunning eyeshots from the top.
Having profusion of picturesque shops and market places to buy locally produced goods, Algarve has many shopping centers, such as Modelo, Forum Algarve, Algarve Shopping, and Quinta Shopping at Faro, where you create online courses find stylish products and dress stores. The food here has charms from the nearby traditions of Portugal, Spain and North Africa.
Silves Castle is nice place to have glimpses of the Algarve history; the castle displays some of the details around its past times important Moorish capital, especially from the 11th to the 13th Century. online courses red sandstone castle is not only a great historical repositories comprising the famous Museum of Cork, but also famous for chic cafes, restaurants and bars and local golf and horse riding sites.
Carvoeiro is an active fishing village that has turned into popular for Algarve villa holidays in recent years. The place is great market place for fresh fish and locally produced fruit and vegetables. There are four lovely sandy beaches plus plenty of shops, bars eateries, drugstores, banks, etc.
Located at just a 10 minute drive from Casa Rosa, the Ria Formosa Nature Park is a wintering ground for many migratory birds. The Estuary has a huge variety of natural habitats, which provides sanctuary and feeding-breeding areas for an infinite number of live organisms.
Western Algarve: motoring on
Tourists and property investors are expected to flock to Portugal's western Algarve following the opening of a new race track... The western Algarve is expected to defy the gloom and doom after the recent opening of the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
The new state-of-the-art race track near Portimão is expected to attract even more tourists and property investors to the region.
Portugal is now one of the top five destinations for people from the UK who are seeking homes abroad.
The Algarve is already renowned for it golf courses, beaches, water sports, culture and good food and wine. With the new race track the region is expected to welcome a further one million tourists a year.
In November it hosted the Portuguese round of the Superbike World Championships and Formula 1 testing took place there earlier this month.
Other major international events are scheduled and there is talk of trying to lure an F1 race in the future.
As well as the circuit the complex includes a karting track, technology park, five-star hotel and sports facilities. Costing around £183 million to build it is the biggest single investment ever in the Algarve and as well as creating 1,000 new jobs, tourist levels are expected to substantially increase a visitors flock to see the sporting events, all of which should have a positive impact on the local and national economy.
A member of Alderley Edge-based The Emerson Group, Jones Homes Portugal has two residential and leisure developments just 10 minutes away from Autódromo. Both look set to benefit as buy-to-let investors seek to take advantage of higher expected occupancy rates for rental properties in this area.
Last year a brand new clubhouse with fully equipped gym and health spa opened at Boavista Golf Resort, a huge bonus for property owners and guests. Located near Lagos, a choice of detached villas and golf properties start at £345,200 and, under a new freehold quarter share scheme, a 13-week per year rotating occupancy can be purchased from just £105,000.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Rotary Clubs win holidays to Barringtons
CHARITIES in and around Sidmouth have raised more than £10,000 with a little help from the Rotary Clubs of the Sid and Ottery Valleys.
The cash, which will benefit 32 charities and schools from cancer charity Force to Riding for the Disabled, came from the proceeds of the South East Devon Community Raffle.
The raffle was organised by all six of the area's Rotary clubs, who printed the tickets and distributed them to local charities to sell.
President of Sid Valley Rotary Peter Brookes said: "The community has been looking after itself with a little help from us. We couldn't be more pleased with the outcome."
Mervyn Hayes, who works for Force, said: "I would be impossible to fund our work in this area without the sort of contributions made by Rotary."
President of Otter Valley Rotary Tim Smith said: "Most of this money would not have been raised any other way."
Winning raffle tickets were drawn by the president of the six Rotary clubs in Ottery St Mary with one lucky winner bagging a holiday at Barringtons Hotel Golf & Spa Resort in the Algarve, Portugal.
Portugal's Silver Coast shines bright
ÓBIDOS, Portugal: After years of planning and debate, several large-scale projects are coming to fruition along the pine-tree covered stretch of coastline known as the Silver Coast.
In September, Bom Sucesso, a 200-hectare, or 500-acre, development about an hour north of Lisbon, opened an 18-hole golf course designed by Donald Steel, only the second championship-level course in the area. The modernist "design resort," which features villas designed by 23 different architects, will eventually include more than 850 residential units, a hotel and spa.
Nearby, work is progressing on two other master-planned developments, Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort and Quintas de Óbidos Country Club, which will add another 700 homes to the area. Both are expected to be completed within the next three years.
The new development activity is centered near the medieval walled city of Óbidos, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Portugal. Along the coast, the biggest city is Peniche, a fishing port and home for the ferry to the Ilha da Berlenga, a nature reserve off the coast.
Until recently, large-scale developments were rare in the area. Strict environmental regulations imposed by the government prohibit the type of high density beach developments commonly found in the Algarve, on the southern coast of Portugal.
"Lots of mistakes were made" in the south, said Charles Roberts, manager of the Greater Lisbon office of the International Realty Group, a Christie's Great Estate affiliate. "They can't undo them, but now they are very protective."
The new projects are attracting the attention of both investors and second-home buyers. Real estate company Knight Frank recently singled out the Silver Coast as one of its top emerging property markets in the world, noting, "the area enjoys a high level of seclusion unlikely to be broken by lower quality developments."
The Silver Coast has been "overlooked as a location because the Algarve has been very, very popular," said John Leahy, director of Aria Wealth & Investment Limited, a Dublin-based wealth management firm.
Leahy recently purchased three units in Bom Sucesso, where villas designed by such architects as David Chipperfield and Carlos Prata typically sell for between €345,000 and €1.4 million, or $432,000 to $1.7 million. Six of his clients have also purchased in the development.
"One of the things I like is that it is less developed," Leahy said. "What doesn't appeal to me are the high rises that have come to the Costa del Sol and other parts of Spain."
The Silver Coast is also less expensive than the Algarve. While the average high-end villa in the west Algarve costs about €823,000, a similar house on the Silver Coast is closer to €643,000, according to the International Realty Group's research.
The oldest and best known project along the Silver Coast is the Praia d'El Rey Golf & Beach Resort, which opened in 1997. The development covers 230 hectares and will eventually include more than 1,000 residential units.
Two years ago, Colin Potter, a semi-retired telecommunications executive from Portsmouth, bought a three-bedroom townhouse in Praia d'El Rey for about €400,000. He recently resold it for about the same price and paid €900,000 for a bigger land plot with a four-bedroom villa of 350 square meters, or about 3,750 square feet.
"We wouldn't like the Algarve - it's too busy and get's a lot hotter," Potter said. "To walk on the beach here in February in shorts and have the beach to yourself, it's fantastic."
To many buyers in Praia d'El Rey, golf is the main attraction. The development's links course running along the coastline is routinely named one of the top golf courses in Portugal and often hosts international tournaments. Eighty percent of the homeowners in the development play golf, according to golf director Eduardo Johnston da Silva.
Developers say they hope new courses will help grow the area as a golf destination. In addition to the recently opened course at Bom Sucesso, the Royal Óbidos project includes a course designed by Seve Ballesteros, which is expected to open in 2011.
Covering 136 hectares, the Royal Óbidos development includes an array of apartments and villas priced between €395,000 and €995,000, including fractional units and "lock-off apartments" which allow owners to separate a portion of the apartment for easy rentals.
But golf is not the only draw in the area. The centerpiece of the Quintas de Óbidos Country Club is an equestrian center, marketed with the help of the world champion show jumper Jessica Kürten. The 79 villas in Quintas de Óbidos, each on 1.3 acres, average 790 square meters and range from €1.5 million to €1.9 million.
"Golf is an important attraction, but we also have different sports," said Miguel Abreu, managing director of Quintas de Óbidos.
Developers in the area report brisk sales over the past year, despite the global slowdown. At Bom Sucesso, about 85 percent of the units in the first two phases have sold, according to David Mendel, overseas sales manager. About 30 percent of the Bom Sucesso buyers are from Portugal, with the rest coming primarily from Britain and Scandinavia, he said.
"It's not a foreigner's only development," he said.
Praia d'El Rey, which received permits to build along the coast before the current regulations were imposed, is also expanding. Earlier this year Praia sold 11 of 14 two- and three-bedroom apartments on the coast, priced between €350,000 and €550,000.
In September, Praia started selling a collection of 53 two-bedroom to four-bedroom beachfront units, ranging from €458,000 to €1.4 million. Praia expects to begin construction on a new golf course in late 2009, contingent on the approval of planning and environmental studies.
Local industry executives say the scarcity of developable land in the area should keep demand high.
"There will only be a finite number of developments around Óbidos," Mendel said. "That has to be good for people who buy."
Creating a balance of tourism in the Algarve
TRADITIONAL TOURIST hotspots in the Algarve will take a back seat if new proposals for future bed supply are adopted.
The plan by the CCDR, the regional development commission, has been submitted to Câmaras throughout the Algarve suggesting that there should be a further 24,000 beds for tourists in the region, with priority for inland municipalities and those at the extreme edges of the Algarve.
The area with the most new beds is set to be Alcoutim, where some 3,000 beds have been authorised, a rise of 62 per cent from the existing number of 4,776 beds in the area.
President of Alcoutim Câmara, Francisco Amaral, said: “This is a great opportunity to change the dynamics of the Algarve which tends to favour coastal regions and forget those in the interior. This should even the equilibrium of the Algarve.”
Aljezur, in the far north west of the Algarve, is also set to see the number of beds increase dramatically with a further 2,700 recommended by the CCDR, a rise of 33 per cent of the total number of beds. Monchique is also a winner in the report with an increase of 41 per cent in the number of beds suggested by the CCDR.
The report shows that central coastal areas, already popular with tourists, will be designated a large number of beds also, however, when this is looked at as a percentage increase it is clear that the CCDR are not actively encouraging a rise in tourism in these areas.
Criticism
The CCDR has proposed a further 1,840 beds in the Loulé municipality, just a 1.5 per cent increase, while other Câmaras have fared even worse, with Albufeira being granted an increase of just 0.5 per cent and Portimão only 0.9 per cent.
The report, which details the proposed distribution of 24,000 hotel beds, has been met with criticism from the head of the Algarve association for hotels and tourism (AHETA), Elidérico Viegas, who believes the proposal implies that the government can determine the use of private land, restricting private enterprise.
He said: “What criteria were used to decide the total number of beds? Why can it not be a different number?”
João Faria, president of the CCDR in the Algarve, made it clear though that this is only the beginning of a process and Câmaras were yet to respond to the proposals.
He said: “When all opinions have been aired, we will assess the situation again. We hope there will be a final result of the proposal in 2010.”
The plan by the CCDR, the regional development commission, has been submitted to Câmaras throughout the Algarve suggesting that there should be a further 24,000 beds for tourists in the region, with priority for inland municipalities and those at the extreme edges of the Algarve.
The area with the most new beds is set to be Alcoutim, where some 3,000 beds have been authorised, a rise of 62 per cent from the existing number of 4,776 beds in the area.
President of Alcoutim Câmara, Francisco Amaral, said: “This is a great opportunity to change the dynamics of the Algarve which tends to favour coastal regions and forget those in the interior. This should even the equilibrium of the Algarve.”
Aljezur, in the far north west of the Algarve, is also set to see the number of beds increase dramatically with a further 2,700 recommended by the CCDR, a rise of 33 per cent of the total number of beds. Monchique is also a winner in the report with an increase of 41 per cent in the number of beds suggested by the CCDR.
The report shows that central coastal areas, already popular with tourists, will be designated a large number of beds also, however, when this is looked at as a percentage increase it is clear that the CCDR are not actively encouraging a rise in tourism in these areas.
Criticism
The CCDR has proposed a further 1,840 beds in the Loulé municipality, just a 1.5 per cent increase, while other Câmaras have fared even worse, with Albufeira being granted an increase of just 0.5 per cent and Portimão only 0.9 per cent.
The report, which details the proposed distribution of 24,000 hotel beds, has been met with criticism from the head of the Algarve association for hotels and tourism (AHETA), Elidérico Viegas, who believes the proposal implies that the government can determine the use of private land, restricting private enterprise.
He said: “What criteria were used to decide the total number of beds? Why can it not be a different number?”
João Faria, president of the CCDR in the Algarve, made it clear though that this is only the beginning of a process and Câmaras were yet to respond to the proposals.
He said: “When all opinions have been aired, we will assess the situation again. We hope there will be a final result of the proposal in 2010.”
Thursday, December 18, 2008
De la Rosa fastest again as Algarve test concludes
McLaren continued to dominate the timesheets as this week’s test at Portugal’s Algarve Motor Park concluded on Wednesday, with test driver Pedro de la Rosa outpacing the only other runner, Ferrari’s Luca Badoer.
With warm and sunny conditions at the circuit, De la Rosa was able to cover 74 laps on his way to posting a best time of 1m 28.993s. The Spaniard focused on the team’s KERS preparations for 2009, refining the system’s utilization under braking, whilst continuing to evaluate next season’s aero package.
Ferrari tester Badoer, meanwhile, completed 75 laps in the F2008 as he carried out an engine endurance test, evaluated parts for 2009 and worked on finding the car’s best set-up for slick tyres. His quickest time was set in 1m 30.163s.
With the session at Portimao now over, both teams have completed their 2008 test programmes.
Unofficial Wednesday times from Portimao:
1. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:28.993
2. Luca Badoer, Ferrari, 1:30.163
With warm and sunny conditions at the circuit, De la Rosa was able to cover 74 laps on his way to posting a best time of 1m 28.993s. The Spaniard focused on the team’s KERS preparations for 2009, refining the system’s utilization under braking, whilst continuing to evaluate next season’s aero package.
Ferrari tester Badoer, meanwhile, completed 75 laps in the F2008 as he carried out an engine endurance test, evaluated parts for 2009 and worked on finding the car’s best set-up for slick tyres. His quickest time was set in 1m 30.163s.
With the session at Portimao now over, both teams have completed their 2008 test programmes.
Unofficial Wednesday times from Portimao:
1. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:28.993
2. Luca Badoer, Ferrari, 1:30.163
Christmas & New Year Celebrations
NEW YEAR’S Eve will be celebrated across the Algarve with a wide variety of free public concerts and fireworks displays.Albufeira, Quarteira, Faro and Monte Gordo, among others towns, will soon be preparing stages for open air parties on Wednesday, December 31, that will fill the region with music for all tastes including jazz, hip-hop and Latin rhythms as well as pop and rock.
Albufeira will play host to renowned British reggae band UB40. Before midnight, Portuguese bands Rosa and Um Segredo Fechado will entertain the crowds along the beachfront in Albufeira, followed by the customary fireworks display to celebrate the New Year.
UB40 will then welcome 2009 with some of their most famous songs including Red Red Wine, Rat in the Kitchen, Sing Our Own Song and I Can’t Help Falling in Love.
The party will continue in Albufeira Câmara with a medieval festival in Paderne between January 1 and 4, while on January 2, Avenida Sá Carneiro in Areias de São João will play host to a futuristic themed night filled with street entertainment. Finally, popular Portuguese singer Rui Veloso will perform live in Albufeira on January 4, to close the council’s New Year celebrations.
Fireworks
Loulé Câmara will be hosting a performance by group Deolinda from 10.30pm, followed by a fireworks display at midnight, then a concert by renowned Portuguese singer David Fonseca at Praça do Mar, Quarteira.
Faro, the capital of the Algarve, will welcome the New Year with a street party in Largo São Francisco. A variety of Portuguese bands and DJs will provide entertainment from 10pm until the early hours of the morning, with the traditional fireworks show due to start around 11.45pm.
Vila Real de Santo António will be starting the celebrations early with a concert by Portuguese singer Paulo Gonzo and various DJs from 10pm on December 30 in Monte Gordo.
Popular Portuguese male pop duo Anjos and other artists will be singing in the New Year, starting at 10pm. Grupo Musical Nova Dimensão will also be performing at Praça Marquês de Pombal at the the same time.
Avenida dos Descobrimentos in Lagos will be hosting DJ Frank Maurel from 11pm until 3am, with an interlude for a fireworks display accompanied by music at midnight.
For detailed information about New Year’s street parties and fireworks displays, please telephone the relevant Câmara. Also, see next week’s The Resident for a full listing of what’s on across the Algarve on New Year’s Eve.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
