Local area - Vale Da Telha - Aljezur

Casa Bela has been developed so our visitors can take advantage of all the unspoilt Western Algarve has to offer. The pleasant climate means fantastic villa holidays & the outdoors can be enjoyed all year round.

In short

Vale da Telha, a development of residential and holiday villas, is on the western coast in a beautiful national park, Casa Bela is in a quiet residential side road near a small number of local bars and restaurants, reached within 5 minutes walk. Fresh bread, pastries, milk, fruit, vegetables and other supplies etc can be picked up from a local shop, just a few minutes walk away. There are beach bars within 5-10 minutes drive, banks, ATMs, more bars, restaurants, takeaways and a large supermarket can be found in the nearest town of Aljezur. The castle in Aljezur has stunning panoramic views over the town and surrounding area with particularly good ones down the Amoreira valley and out to sea.

Further afield there are the bustling beach resorts of Lagos and Praia de Luz, other nearby places of interest are Monchique, the highest point of the Algarve, the town of Sagres and it's fort at the most westerly point of Portugal and the medieval town of Silves. There are also water parks and Zoomarine within easy access and just off the A21 motorway too.

The area has a very relaxed feel so there is no need to bring huge amounts of smart clothes, the local people here and holidaymakers don't tend to dress up for eating out, but that is up to you. In the summer the days are usually lovely and warm with a pleasant breeze, you can easily spend the whole day in shorts and little else but evenings can get cool. Our advice is to throw in a hoody or two or a light jacket so you can sit out comfortably under the stars. 

Local Beaches

The villa is located just 6 minutes drive from the stunning local beaches of Monte Clerigo and Arrifana, a world class surfing beach. Both are within 40 minutes walk across tracks and paths if you like a ramble! Within 20 minutes drive there is even more choice with Amoreira and Vale da Figueiras, all local beaches have free parking so if beaches are your thing, you will be spoilt for choice. If you fancy exploring a little further then there are plenty of other beautiful beaches to surf, bodyboard, kayak, snorkel, swim or even just relax on. Most beaches have good quality beach bars, restaurants and life guards throughout the summer, at least. 

Local Towns & Villages

The nearest town of Aljezur, less than 12 minutes away and remains traditionally Portuguese yet English is understood in most places. The old part of the town has a historical Moorish castle and there is a daily undercover market selling fish, fruit and vegetables. The newer part of the town has banks, shops and restaurants. There is a large modern supermarket with ample parking it is well stocked to really enjoy your stay. There's also a basic farmers market on Saturday mornings at the Community Exhibition Centre top of the town. This is where locals sell fresh produce and goods, get there around 9:00am. Much of the fruit and vegetables have been picked or dug up that morning, is always fresh and often tastes amazing. It's very relaxed and easy to deal with the people there, despite many not speaking English.

An easy 35 minutes drive takes you to the much busier and interesting town of Lagos then along the south coast to Praia da Luz, Burgau, Salema and then out to Europe’s most western town, Sagres about 50 minutes away. Lagos has plenty to see and do with history, a lovely marina and a vast array of restaurants, bars, cafes and shops. It has some superb beaches too such as Meia Praia but it is Lagos coastline, with it's stunning cliffs and grottoes, that is not to be missed. These can be enjoyed by walking along the cliff tops but the best way is from the sea on a local boat or kayak where you can get right inside the grottoes and swim from the larger boats too.

It is well worth visiting the southern coastal towns, villages and beaches as they lovely, are very easy to reach and offer a different experience to the laid back way of life in Vale da Telha. If you would like a more Portuguese and quieter feel then head north to Odeceixe or go further up to Vila Nova de Milfontes.

Food & Drink

The local wines are superb value and food is very reasonably priced too. There is a wide choice of meat and fresh fish in all supermarkets with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Eating out is good value and a quick look on TripAdvisor will soon flush out something to suit your taste and budget. In supermarkets, try to avoid the UK brands as these are always very expensive and look for Portuguese offerings where you can. If you like wine there are lots of varieties between 2-5 Euros so its worth trying one or two cheap bottles to see if you can find one you like. Paying more is not always a sign of a finer wine.

Eating Out

Seafood here is excellent with plenty of choice, make sure you try a seafood Cataplana for two if you like fish and shellfish. Pork, chicken and steaks are regular fayre with all restaurants offering vegetarian options too. It's usual to start with couvert which is a small basket of bread, olives, butter, cheese and sardine or tuna paste which are served whilst you wait. They are charged for but not expensive and quite filling. You can then move onto starters or straight to you main course. Many restaurants offer a set menu with one or two dishes with wine or beer included or you can choose directly from their menu.