Faro Airport Guide

Albufeira Voted 3rd Best Holiday Destination in the World

noreply@blogger.com (Roberto) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:02:00 +0000

Albufeira on the Algarve which is just a short drive west from Faro Airport has been chosen as the 3rd finest holiday destination in the world by travel website Trip Advisor.

The travel website has more than 10 million members and receives 32 million visits per month.

Made up of 14 leading tour operators as well as contributors, they publish opinions and advice from tourists on hotels, restaurants, and the destinations that they visit.

Albufeira has been praised for the beauty and diversity of its beaches as well as its exciting nightlife and cultural heritage which has made this destination on the Algarve stand out to Trip Advisor’s members who portray Albufeira as a modern city resort.

Portimao’s Old Bridge Re-Opens

noreply@blogger.com (Roberto) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:36:00 +0000

The Old Bridge in Portimao which lies just to the East of Faro has finally re opened after been closed off for nearly 2 years. Since the closure in November 2007, it has been a huge inconvenience for thousands of people who previously used it on a daily basis to commute between Lagoa and Portimao.

July 15th 2009 was the original date set for its re-opening, and it has indeed re-opened on time and within budget to the delight of the locals and tourists alike.

Multi-million Euro Expansion Planned For Faro Airport

noreply@blogger.com (Roberto) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:12:00 +0000

Faro airport is to benefit from a significant boost in the shape of a €130 million investment which will develop and enhance the existing facilities and create an environment to accommodate the needs of existing passengers.

The investment will also stimulate economic growth and is expected to create jobs for around 300 people.

The estimated completion date has been set for 2013, where the project will be divided into two phases and as a whole will cover three key areas; capacity, safety and modernisation.

The first phase is due to be complete by 2011 and includes creating more aircraft stands, taxiways, and installing an Instrument Landing System on runway 10, as well as installing a Glide Reflection mirror and expanding the security area at the end of runway 28.

Phase two is expected to start immediately after phase one is complete in 2011 and should take a further 2 years to finish. The second phase will focus on revamping the passenger terminal and improving landside access.

Overall, the plan is to increase runway traffic from 22 to 30 take-offs and landings per hour and create 11 new parking aprons that will accommodate various sizes of aircraft including wide-body types like the Boeing 737s.

Faro Airport currently serves around 5.5 million passengers per year and the investment will see the current processing capacity increase from 2,400 to 3,000 passengers per hour which will represent a total annual capacity of 8 million passengers instead of the current 6 million.

Hotel Rates on the Algarve Down by an Average of 20%

noreply@blogger.com (Roberto) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:47:00 +0000

Hotels in the Algarve have dropped their prices by an average of 20 percent in a bid to keep occupancy levels the same as last year.

With the arrival of the peak season, extra measures such as the reduction in hotel room rates have been introduced to boost the Algarve’s appeal and to try and make up for the 15% drop in visitors since the beginning of 2009.

Head of the Tourist Resort Association AHETA, confirmed that the number of hotel occupancy levels are actually similar to those of last year although there will be less revenue as hotels are being forced to lower their prices to sustain demand.

A drop in visitors to the Algarve has been reflected in the golf sector as well which has seen a 30 percent drop in relation to last year.

Fun days out for the whole Family on the Algarve

noreply@blogger.com (Roberto) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:58:00 +0000

Zoomarine Theme Park – Open Daily

Spend the day watching dolphins, seals and sharks, turtles, exotic birds, sea birds, crocodiles and tropical fish at the ZooMarine oceanographic theme park in Guia, at the heart of the Algarve tourist region.

Set in a quiet lake land area surrounded by gardens, the park also has restaurants, shops, amusements and swimming pools. Visit the Zoomarine website where you can click on the UK flag to view in English. The park is open from 10.00am – 7.30pm throughout July & August and you can gain discounts by booking online.

FIESA – 22nd May – 22nd October

The FIESA festival takes place in Armacao de Pera, just to the west of Albufeira, where you might find that your simple sandcastles may look a little underwhelming this summer as the town hosts the international sand sculpture festival.

You can watch sculptors build their masterpieces, then enjoy the varied, night-time multi-arts programme. FIESA is dedicated to a different theme each year with this year's theme being (Discoveries). Further information can be found at www.fiesa.org

If you fancy doing a bit of shopping whilst on holiday then you should head for the Algarve Shopping commercial centre which is a giant shopping mall and entertainment centre just a short drive from Albuferia in the town of Guia.

The shopping centre features the most popular high-street and designer shops as well as restaurants,cinemas and a 12 lane bowling alley which can provide a welcome break from the beach.

Olhao Seafood Festival & Portimao Sardine Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Roberto) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:25:00 +0000

10th to 15th August - Olhao Seafood Festival

Amongst the most important gastronomic events in the Algarve is the Festival do Marisco (seafood festival) at the Jardim do Pescador Olhanese in the town of Olhao which is a 10 minute drive from the centre of Faro.

The event will include rows of stalls selling fresh fish dishes with concerts, folk dancing and singing keeping visitors entertained as they eat. Most of the dishes are typical of the region, offering the chance to discover some of the local culture and cuisine.

7th – 16th August – Portimao Sardine Festival

If you happen to be on the western side of the Algarve during these dates in August then it would be a crime to miss the annual Portimao Sardine Festival.

This event will be well attended by the Portuguese and tourists alike and apart from sardines there will be other Portuguese culinary delights with plenty of good wine and beer as well as various music concerts. The last day of the festival is celebrated with a superb fireworks display.

Joss Stone – 31st July / Seal 1st August / Ive Mendes 13th August

noreply@blogger.com (Roberto) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:10:00 +0000

Music lovers are spoilt for choice throughout the Algarve as each summer a world-class programme of music concerts take place. Featuring renowned international and national musicians, The concerts attract visitors to the region's beautiful beaches, open-air theatres, and other venues to watch talented artists perform.

This year will see big names such as Joss Stone performing at the Monumento Duarte Pacheco in Loule, legendry soul vocalist Seal performing in Albufeira at the Herdade dos Salgados Resort and the Brazilian diva Ive Mendes at the Dom Pedro Golf Resort in Vilamoura.

Various Jazz concerts are also taking place with performances from Esperanza Spalding, Madeleine Peyroux and the Glen Miller Orchestra.

For more information and to purchase tickets to any of the events visit ticketline.

Seven Suns, Seven Moons Festival in the Algarve From 12th July to 10th August & Al-Buhera Festival 22nd to 26th July

noreply@blogger.com (Roberto) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:36:00 +0000

The 17th Sete Sóis Sete Luas Festival will be held in Praia da Manta Rota in Vila Real de Santo António which is around a 40 minute drive from the centre of Faro and also Faro Airport.

If you are driving, you may actually prefer to take the N125 coast road from Faro up to Manta Rota which will only add a further 10 minutes to your Journey but allows you to benefit from passing by and getting to see the wonderful towns of Olhao and Tavira.

The Festival is a cultural network of 30 towns from 10 different countries from the Mediterranean and the Portuguese speaking world. These are Brazil, Cape Verde, Croatia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. The projects consist of popular music and plastic arts and involve important personalities of the Mediterranean culture and of the Portuguese speaking world.

The Festival has received the Kaleidoscope Prize from the European Union, Culture 2000 and Interreg IIIB Medocc Prize for the high European dimension and cultural quality of the project.

Among the objectives of the Festival are the intercultural dialogue, mobility of the artists from the network, creation of original forms of artistic production with the participation of artists from the various countries within the network.

Entrance to the Festival is Free and below is an example on some of the schedule of events:

12 July - 7LuasOrkestra (Mediterranean)
16 July - Esta (Israel)
19 July - Teté e Sara Alhinho (Cabo Verde)
26 July - Cacau Brasil (Ceará, Brazil)
1 August - Ana Gonzalez y su gente (Andalusia)
2 August - Judith (Asturias)
6 August - Fia na roca (Galicia)
9 August - Tanger Café Orquestra (Morocco)

If you happen to be in the Algarve between the 22nd – 26th July, don’t miss the chance to visit Albufeira where this magnificent festival takes place in the city center and on Sa Carneiro street.

The Al’Buhera Festival consists of 5 nights of great cultural enrichment that provides the multicultural city of Albufeira with a type of festival that it truly deserves. A handicraft fair with more than 50 stallholders, regional confectionery and gastronomy from other countries, all help to make this festival even more appealing.

Avenida Sa Carneiro will also be the setting for street entertainment every night from 20.00 to midnight and to ensure everyone has the chance to discover Al’Buhera, guided tours of the city centre will be offered between 20.00 and midnight, and a shuttle service will also be provided, linking all the different venues of the Al-Buhera Festival.

Aer Lingus Launches New Route From Gatwick to Faro

noreply@blogger.com (Roberto) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Aer Lingus has recently introduced a new route between London Gatwick and Faro Airport in the Algarve which includes two daily departures that leave Gatwick at either 5.50am or 5.20pm and depart from Faro at 9.15am and 8.45pm respectively. The new route is great news and offers passengers the advantage of more cheap seats to the sun.

Aer Lingus also flies between Faro and Dublin twice a week, Faro and Cork four times a week and Faro and Belfast five times a week, the latter being a summer service.

Aswell as the services Aer Lingus offers to the Southern Algarve area of Portugal, Ryanair has recently announced that it is to open its 33rd European Base in the Northern city of Porto which includes a 100 million euro investment where 2 aircraft will be permanently stationed and provide 50 daily return flights to and from the city.

There will also be four new routes from Porto to Basel, Eindhoven, St Etienne and Tours from September, while an increase in flights to Paris Beauvais will raise passenger figures at Porto to an estimated 1.5 million per year.

Faro Airport to Malpensa

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:19:00 +0000

Flights from Faro to Milan Bergamo Airport are Available through Ryanair.

If you want to fly to Milan Malpensa Airport then you need to fly from Lisbon Airport with either Easyjet or AirItalia.

If you want to fly to Milan Linate Airport we cannot find any flights at the moment

Sabores Go Natural

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:15:00 +0000

We went to this restaurant a couple of times in the shopping centre at Faro.

Its all really natural stuff, lovely soupsd, sanwiches, wraps, sushi, salads, juices.

We had the wraps and salads followed by a couple of the Chocolate Brownies whice were delicious.

Sometimes its so difficult eating out when you just want a quick bite to eat.

Go Natural

Artur Watersport Center

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:11:00 +0000

Artur Watersports Center was brilliant when we went last summer. It was our first time there and wish we found it sooner. We cant wait to go back there.

Its a large lake surrounded by the most beautiful houses. They do Jet Ski, Water Ski Lessons, Pedalos, Banana and Ringo Rides, Parasailing, Kayaks, Shades and Sunchairs. Theres a swimming pool there and cafe too so really and truly something for everyone.

We went on the pedalos which was great fun. The staff were really friendly too.

For more information you could call 00351 289 394 929 or visit their website www.levante.pt

Portugal to Spain by Bus

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 12:02:00 +0000

With so many questions about travelling between Spain and Portugal here is a page full of information about buses that travel from Lagos in Portugal to Seville, stopping at Faro. With times and guide prices and direct links to the websites.

Buses from Portugal to Seville

We are always trying to improve our website with information and if you use the above system, it would be great to hear your comments.

Bus from Malaga to Faro

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:41:00 +0000

Hi Joe,

I wonder if you can help me. I am trying to find out about a bus that goes from malaga sta tation to faro. (Alzo bus?)

My son is staying with friends and has to meet up with me on the 15th of july.

Do you know what time the bus leaves?. Does it oprerate on a Sunday? How long does it take? and What price?

I would be so grateful if you could help me, I have gone down so many avenues and ended in a cul de sac.

Kindest regards,

Marjorie Wright

My Reply...

Hi Marjorie,
Here is as much info as possible I can give.

Below are links to all the websites you need
You can choose wheter to go by train or bus from Malaga to Seville

Buses from Malaga to Seville

Buses between Seville and Faro

Train from Malaga to Seville

It is quite far and we drive it from Marbella in about 4.5 hours. So do expectit to take a little longer by public transport.

It would be great to hear how you got on.

Regards

Joanne
www.malaga-airport-guide.com

Nueva Andalucia, Marbella to Faro

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:39:00 +0000

Dear Jo,

Sorry, please ignore my last email in which I said Malaga to Faro.

Actually, I am travelling from Nueva Andalucía to Faro Airport by car, so how long is this likely to take? What is the best route?

Looking at the map, via Ronda seems the most direct, but is it the quickest?

My Best Regards,

Barry

HI BARRY,We often drive to faro from nueva andalucia. If you dont mind driving up a very steep mountain then go via ronda, but we prefer to drive to Algeciras and then take the road to sevilla. Its a really nice new road to drive on goes via jerez. there is a little funny turning where you have to come off close to jerez and then continue, (where they havent finished the road properly). then you follow to seville and then onto huelva and finally faro. We travel with a little kid so have to stop for toilet but generally around 4.5 hours. the drive from seville to huelva is always longer than we think.Have a great time,RegardsJOanne www.nuevaandalucia.blogspot.com

Nikki Beach Portugal

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:38:00 +0000

After hearing rumours that Nikki Beach was going to open in Portugal on the Algarve, its true.

Here is an article with all the information about Nikki Beach Opening and their opening party.

Nikki Beach Information Here

Algarve to Costa Del Sol

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:29:00 +0000

Hi,My wife and I are staying in the Algarve for 2 weeks and wish to fly fromFaro to somewhere in the south of spain for a further 2 weeks. We don't know too much about theSouth of Spain.Can you make any recommendations.?We are doing the "beach and relaxation" part of our holiday in Portugal andwould hopeto be more active for the 2nd two weeks in Spain. Maybe Sevilla or Cordoba. We are both in our thirties and are interested in Salsa dancing so maybesomewhere in thesouth where there may be some salsa clubs etc.Regards,Brian Derby

My Reply...

Hi Brian,

The reason for the delay in our answer is that we were actually on our holidays in Portugal too! Now back on Costa del Sol.

There are no flights from Faro to Malaga or Seville. Its only 4.5 hour drive to Malaga well Marbella. And Seville is just 1.5 hours coach ride from the main bus depot in Faro itself.
Here is our story of our trip to Cordoba
and there are a few others too. Have a look around, Antequera was nice too.
Seville is a great City and so is Cordoba also Malaga is a very underestimated City...
The Costa del Sol is great but the beaches in Portugal are much nicer.

I hope this info is use.

Regards

Joanne
Apartment for rent in Puerto Banus

Things to do around Faro

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:47:00 +0000

Gary

My partner and myself are flying to Faro on Sunday June 10th, and departing
Wednesday June 20th.
We have never visited the Algarve before, and we are considering hiring a
car and staying in a few different places for the duration.
Which places would you suggest we head for?
We are in the 45-55 age group
Thanks
Linda

Hi,

So many people going to Faro.

Here are 4 websites with some of the areas fairly close to Faro which are quite nice. Vale do Lobo is lovely, with lovely restuarants over looking the sea.

Faro Town is small and quite sweet to to have a look around

Hope you have a lovely time

Regards

Joanne

Jerez to Albufeira

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:46:00 +0000

Hi Gary

Can you tell me how long it would take to drive from Jerez airport to Albufeira? What would be the best route to take?

Thanks

Ms K Harding

Well, we drive to Portugal regularly from Marbella. We go your way to Jerez and then carry on the road to seville and accross to Faro. Then just continue on to Albufeira. Faro is around 1.5 hours from Seville. Jerez to Seville is around the same yes? So I think another 45 mins maybe.

Have a nice time

Regards

Joanne

Buses from Faro to Seville

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:45:00 +0000

Hi Gary,

Need some help, I’m flying into Faro on 1^st of June but I need to leave Faro on 2^nd & get to Seville.

Renting a car is out of the question due to the ridiculous fee of bringing it to another country.

Is there any other way? Bus/train/drivers (I fly out of Seville so there is no issue on getting home)

Also is it true its only an 1.5hr drive?

Thanks in advance,

Sinead

Here is a post about buses from Faro to Seville

Regards

Joanne

Vilamoura to Javea Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:44:00 +0000

Gary.I am looking to spend 2 weeks in Vilamoura and then spend 2 weeks in Javea Spain.

What would be the best route to take in terms of cost against time. I have already looked into driving which would add £700 due to cross country charge.

Regards Gary

My Reply...

Hi Gary

Sorry for the delay in coming back to you.

Read this for the info...

http://www.faroairportguide.com/2006/06/flights-from-faro-to-alicante.html

Regards

Gary

Faro to Albufeira

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:43:00 +0000

Hi Gary

I am from Toronto Canada. We have found a great package to visit Portugal, but there are no transfers from the airport to the hotel

The plane lands in Lisbon and the hotel is near Albufeira, it is called the Riu Falesia. I have read conflicting reports on how easy it is to make the drive, and how long it will take. My worry is on the way home, the plane leaves Lisbon at 12:30 so we have to drive early in the morning to make it on time.

Please give me your opinion on how long the drive will take, as some reports say 2.5 hours which is fine, but some say 4-5 hours and that would be too far.

Also, do you know of a service who sends out free travel guides and maps of Portugal?

Thank you so much.

All you need to know is here

Gary

Flights Faro to Malta

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:42:00 +0000

Gary
I would like to fly from faro to malta on evening of 11th June.
Is this possible - I realise I would have go via somewhere else like rome or
amsterdam
Is there a complete list of flights from faro on the web?

Hi Edward,

Here is the list...

Destination	Company:


Aberdeen	flyglobespan
Amsterdam	Transavia / TAP Portugal
Belfast	easyJet
Berlin	Air Berlin / LTU
Birmingham	bmibaby / Monarch Scheduled
Blackpool	Jet2.com
Bournemouth	Thomsonfly
Bristol	easyJet
Brussels	Brussels Airlines
Cardiff	Thomsonfly / bmibaby
Charleroi	Ryanair
Cologne-Bonn	Germanwings / LTU
Copenhagen	Sterling
Cork	Aer Lingus
Coventry	Thomsonfly
Dresden	Air Berlin
Dublin	Aer Lingus/ Ryanair
Dusseldorf	TUIfly / LTU
East Midlands	easyJet/ bmibaby
Edinburgh	flyglobespan
Eindhoven	Transavia
Exeter	Flybe
Finingley	Thomsonfly
Frankfurt	TUIfly / Lufthansa/ LTU
Funchal	Lauda Air
Galway/Carnmore	Nordic Regional
Gerona	Ryanair
Glasgow	flyglobespan
Hamburg	TUIfly / LTU
Hannover	TUIfly
Leeds Bradford	Jet2.com
Leipzig	Air Berlin
Lisboa	TAP Portugal
Liverpool	easyJet
London Gatwick	easyJet/ GB Airways / Thomsonfly/ Monarch Scheduled
London Heathrow	GB Airways / TAP Portugal
London Stansted	easyJet
London Luton	easyJet/ Monarch Scheduled
Luxemburg/Findel	Luxair
Madrid	Ryanair
Manchester	Jet2.com / Thomsonfly/ Monarch Scheduled
Muenster	Air Berlin
Munich	TUIfly / LTU
Newcastle	easyJet
Nuremberg	Air Berlin
Oslo	Norwegian Air Shuttle AS
Paderborn	Air Berlin
Palma de Mallorca	Air Berlin
Paris	TAP Portugal
Rotterdam	Transavia
Shannon	Ryanair
Southampton	Flybe
Stockholm	Sterling
Stuttgart	Germanwings/ TUIfly
Teesside	flyglobespan
Vienna	Lauda Air
Warsaw	Centralwings
Waterford	Nordic Regional
Zurich	Helvetic

Regards

Gary

Getting from Alicante to Faro

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:41:00 +0000

I am trying to find a way of getting from Alicante to Faro in August this year, for myself, wife and two children.

Car hire is only possible from the big companies and they charge a drop off fee of over 600 euros.

Is there either a train or bus service that links these two towns? If there is, how long does it take and how expensive is it?

Thanks for your help.

Regards

Jamie

Hi Jamie,

Difficult and a LONG WAY, even driving would take you 8 - 10 hours!

Flights may be the best bet, info here..

http://www.faroairportguide.com/2006/06/flights-from-faro-to-alicante.html

Good luck

Gary

Bus from Faro to Seville

noreply@blogger.com (Gary Ingram) — Thu, 03 May 2007 08:33:00 +0000

Hi Gary
I would like to know if there is a bus from Faro airport to Seville and from there we will drive to Malaga airport to pick up friend and then drive onto Marbella.
Please help with durations locations and distances
Desiree Axsel

My Reply...

Hi Deisree
Not from Faro Airport BUT you need to get the bus or taxi into Faro Bus Station and then get a bus from there up to Seville.
All info here...
http://www.faroairportguide.com/2006/09/faro-to-malaga-by-bus-train.html
Have a good trip
Regards
Gary