Familiar flavours at La Dolce Vita
A gourmet ice-cream brand sold exclusively in the Algarve makes use of a Portugues staple: Medronho Born in Italy, Roberto Balzer moved to the Algarve 30 years ago with the idea of creating his own brand: La Dolce Vita. He started with pizza and pasta restaurants, in 1987, and in 2014, his dream of making artisanal ice cream using his own recipes finally came to life. Located in Praia da Rocha, Portimão, the frozen treats factory can...
New faces at Lady in Red gallery
The Lagoa gallery introduces some of its new artists When you pass the Adega Cooperativa de Lagoa, you could easily not realise that there’s a fascinating art gallery housed inside the working wine co-op. The space is vast, with an industrial-urban vibe that would be more common in a big city than opposite the bus station in Lagoa. The Lady in Red (LiR) gallery hosts a fabulous range of local, national and international artists, all...
The black cat of Silves
A secret adults-only culinary escape in the countryside Take two passionate young Italians, a love of rural living, a taste for all things delicious, a valley of orange groves and cats, and you’ve got Gato Preto de Silves. Just a little inland from the stunning old Moorish capital of the Algarve, Silves, lays a secluded, luxurious and adults-only B&B with guest cabins occupying a tranquil spot in the heart of the countryside....
A feast for the eyes
Inside Carvoeiro took a tour around the area to find out what’s new on the dining scene We are blessed with an abundance of excellent eateries in this small part of the Algarve — with more than 100 just in Carvoeiro, we are already spoiled for choice. Inside ventured around over the winter to find some exciting new restaurants that are bound to become local favourites in no time. Here, you’ll find a brief overview from Carvoeiro...
Karma Skincare
It’s what’s on inside that counts At the age of 40 and still battling with her skin, Lesley decided to leave her life in finance and retrain in the beauty industry, where she began studying therapies and ingredients. She was shocked, as most of us are when we start to think about what we are actually being sold in the pretty packaged bottles. The inclusion of, more often than not, bovine, fish or porcine sources, preservatives and...
The One
Fine dining at Tivoli Carvoeiro With one foot firmly set in Portugal, The One Gourmet Restaurant of the Tivoli Carvoeiro Hotel & Resort enjoys a spectacular view out over the glistening Atlantic. Here, the chef and his team celebrate the abundantly available fruits of the nearby sea and countryside to the north. Dining at The One is a journey through Portugal, with recipes full of considerable ethnic influences. Executive chef...
Artistic licence
Long-time local resident and highly skilled craftsman David Pearce opens a portrait studio in Ferragudo Staying with the theme of the 50th edition of Inside Carvoeiro magazine, we stopped by Ferragudo to see our old friend David. Having presented his stunning handcrafted wooden boats in a previous edition, we were pleased to hear that he was doing something a little less physical now that he’s in his 70s. David now dedicates his time...
Retreat in Alamos
The new adults-only B&B is perfect to recharge and enjoy some precious relaxation time When we heard that one of our favourite hotel managers was setting up a boutique retreat, we were very excited to see what Lourenço Ribeiro and his lovely wife Luisa had created. Positioned in between the Atlantic Ocean and Guia, Lourenço and Luisa have taken their extensive travel knowledge and experience and made great use of it. What they...
Family tradition
Herdade Barranco do Vale is reviving an old family tradition Dear Grandfather, the farm is still beautiful. The cork oaks you have planted are strong and healthy, the olive trees large and firm and the “medronhos” are simply divine. The old vineyard was carefully cultivated, and the planted area expanded. The grapes from which this wine was made have been carefully handled and selected, and the production carried out to the highest...
Natural wonders
The unexpected beauty of the Algarve’s hidden wildlife. They are not the most commonly spotted animals in the wild, but if you’re patient enough and enjoy birdwatching/photographing from a hide, you may be surprised by some truly amazing wildlife sightings. From red fox cubs exploring the Monchique hills to a black pig roaming freely around the countryside in Sagres, or even rarely seen rabbits hopping around just before sunrise in...
Take a walk on the wild side
Algarve Selvagem explores the inner beauty of southern Portugal and beyond. Portugal is a stunningly beautiful and diverse country made up of a long, thin mainland and the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira. The country’s staggering 1,794km of coastline provide a vast playground for aquatic adventures, and Inside Carvoeiro met with the owner’s of Algarve Selvagem, Paulo Martins and Sandra Silva, to discover some of the tours they...
Soar above the ocean
Fun-loving, activity fans will love this new addition to our coast. Seeing someone on a flyboard for the first time is quite a spectacular and mesmerising sight to behold. Out of nowhere, a big stream of water propels someone, usually vertically, from the sea, where they float mid-air and perform stunts. The seed is planted, and you’ll probably begin to wonder what it would feel like to shoot through the water, jump into the sky and...
Views to dine for
Our favourite restaurants with sea views in the Carvoeiro area. With hundreds of restaurants in the local area, finding the right one can be quite a daunting task. There are many factors to consider — location, whether you’re in the mood for fish or meat and perhaps you’re celebrating a special occasion so you need somewhere a bit special. We took the task of locating some new and old restaurants that filled our criteria of offering a...
Greener pastures
Inside Carvoeiro visits Convent’Bio We have patiently been watching the renovation of the old convent, just off the EN125 road that runs through the centre of Lagoa, and wondered what it might be — another hotel or maybe a private residence? When the sign went up saying Convent’Bio, we were thrilled to find that there would be a working biological and entirely organic farm right on our doorstep. Our first visit was in early February,...
Escaping the Laboratory
Escape One bring us the first of their mystery rooms Some people will not have heard of an escape room and must think that it’s some strange kind of pastime, but in fact, it’s actually a great way to spend an hour as a group of friends or family. It’s essentially a team game, and, ideally, you should bring different types of people with you — someone with strong problem-solving skills, someone who is good with mathematical equations,...
More fun in the sun
Zoomarine has new attractions and improved facilities Way back in 1991, Portuguese-Argentinean businessman, Pedro Lavia, opened the doors to his dream park, Zoomarine Algarve. Anyone who went when it opened probably wouldn’t recognise it now as it keeps evolving and growing into its 26-hectare plot, making it the biggest theme park of its kind in Portugal. The team was the first to introduce dolphins to the country and, in 2002,...
Urban regeneration
The future looks bright for Atrium Lagoa As we all know, the Algarve is a trendy destination for foreign visitors and investors, and thankfully, Dutch entrepreneur Erik de Vlieger fell in love with the region of Lagoa many years ago. Better known for his partnership with Carvoeiro Clube, where alongside his Swiss friend and business partner, Andreas Stocker, they have been rejuvenating many older properties along the coast and even...
Five stars for Monte Santo
Europe’s Most Romantic Resort of 2018 has a fresh new look When Monte Santo Resort opened its doors in August 2008, there was a lot of curiosity about the all-suite development behind the gates. Sprawling over a vast eight hectares of manicured and now mature gardens, the salmon-coloured collection of 113 suites and luxury townhouses have set themselves into the landscape and look as if they’ve always been there. In early 2018, the...
Retreat in style
Casa Xyza is a contemporary wellness retreat in Ferragudo Driving along the coastal road from Carvoeiro to Ferragudo, you could easily drive past the beautiful Casa Xyza, perched on the right side of the road, just before the entrance to Praia Grande beach. Architecturally, the façade is hugely sympathetic to the neighbouring properties and seaside location, and from the street view, you wouldn’t really imagine what is contained...
Cooking up a storm
Inside Carvoeiro visits some of the new restaurants in town This year has seen the biggest rush of new openings in Carvoeiro for as long as we can remember, and it’s not just restaurants – global brand Ale Hop also opened a shop in the old newsagents on Rua do Barranco, along with a couple of new wine shops. With around 100 restaurants in and around Carvoeiro, you would think that there were enough already, but it would appear that...
