My Algarve meltdown
“How long have you been like that?”
“Like what?” I shrugged back. “I don’t get that stressed. Exasperated — Arsenal, you understand — but not stressed.” Not really anyway.
“When was the last time you felt totally de-stressed then,?” he countered. At which point, I pulled sun science from my breast pocket and blinded the general practitioner with it.
This wasn’t just about last time I de-stressed. I was ready to detail the last two occasions — and do a service to the Algarve tourism industry into the bargain.
Both, by happenstance, occurred within a few miles of each other on the Algarve, though a full five years apart. I know that because while last August is as fresh as primrose, I was still smoking for habit’s sake back in 2006.
Perhaps that, and the fact I was dropping friends back to Faro Airport in the knowledge my family and I were staying in the Algarve for another week. There aren’t many socially acceptable forms of schadenfreude, but that is one such.
As I turned west alone along the A22 — now tolled, alarmingly, since December — I pulled into a motorway service area to officially savour the start of our second week. And savour I did. In front of a white coffee, a pack of Marlboro Lights and liberally scattered patio furniture, I retreated into a sort of meltdown. That is to say I melted on the way down.
I frequently recalled but hadn’t relapsed into that moment of serenity until Wednesday, Aug 17, last year at the newly opened Belmar Spa and Beach resort outside Lagos on the western end of the Algarve. God knows I have tried and I’ve looked wistfully into that service area on occasions since wondering could I recreate it.
And then came Belmar. There is an image accompanying this Algarvian meltdown allowing me to pinpoint where it occurred. See those loungers looking out to sea at the far end of the swimming pool? There, second on the left.
The sea breeze had reduced temperatures outside to an agreeable 30 degree celsius, a welcoming five notches below the central Algarve golf resort of Amendoeira, from where we had travelled. A major factor in cooler temperature in the western Algarve (particularly from Lagos westwards), is the position of the Monchique mountains relevant to the Atlantic coastline and their influence on the prevailing wind. At least five degrees lower temperatures will be experienced in the western than the central or eastern Algarve. The temperature will start to fall as soon as Portimão is passed travelling west.
Anyway. An Italian gentleman beside me was ebony to my ivory. For around 15 momentous minutes, I didn’t care if I was flame-broiled. I was as contented and carefree as I had been in half a decade . Those 15 minutes of flame don’t last but they brought me to a place where I cannot countenance criticism of Belmar and Porto de Mós beach.
The too brief visit didn’t kick off perfectly. Indeed, there was no kick-off at all as our three-bed apartment, distinguished by clean lines and sharply-dressed living quarters, had a flat screen television set not showing Arsenal’s Champions League qualifier. There’s an odd sense of foreboding when you have Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 3 but the game in Udinese is on Sky Sports 2.
Reception tried but couldn’t help and nobly I insisted we press ahead with a dinner reservation at the hotel’s Restaurante Levante, and forsake a taxi to nearby Lagos to wallow in the sweaty armpit of the Red Lion British Pub. Theo Walcott’s early opener for Arsenal offered a valid excuse for a bottle of the Casal Garcia vinho verde, which I took. Portugal deserves its place at the top table of wine-producing nations in Europe. It is a Premier League player and Esporão (Reserva) from Herdade do Esporão in the Altentejo, Quinta do Zambujeiro and a choice white, Casa Ferreirinho Planalto Reserva are star turns. I, however, thrash around in the Ryman League of grape expertise and the man who advised me about winds from the Monchique mountains provided the nous and the nose for wines.
The attention to detail on the restaurant menu is replicated across the resort, from the location, overlooking the stunning Porto de Mós beach, to the spa, which is central in every sense of the word to Belmar. Three beauty treatments suites are gorgeously fitted out with spacious showers so clients can shower privately when having wraps/body exfoliation treatments. Water and heat therapies abound: there’s a heated indoor pool (117m2), sauna, Turkish Bath, Experience Showers — these are two showers with targeted jets, offering a choice of temperatures and essences. There’s a hydrotherapy pool with water massage fountains and an outdoor Jacuzzi overlooking the large outdoor pool.
In conversation with a lady from Drogheda, we marvelled how the resort developers, Oceanico (another Irish company) had managed to open the facility last summer in such a challenged economic environment. Meeting their chief operations officer Martin Date set our mind to rest — a lot of Algarve business people and rivals were enviously wondering the same thing.
“It was a major achievement for us,” he agreed. “But it’s nice to buck the trend in terms of recessionary driven cutbacks that have become more commonplace news in the last number of years.”
Even since our visit, Oceanico has sold up to a dozen units at the resort, which is their sixth major development and brings to over 800 the number of properties they’ve delivered to the market. The finish at Belmar, and the five-star Amendoeira Golf Resort close to the historic town of Silves, shows they’ve also tweaked as they’ve progressed.
Date agreed. “Belmar is the culmination of the lessons the market has taught us. To single out one facility is probably unfair but we have placed huge emphasis on the spa and we are confident to state that it is a quite unrivalled facility in the Algarve, be it in a resort or five star hotel.”
Belmar has a contemporary design; the clean lines and strong architectural features are complemented by good staff service levels. There are four swimming pools, including two overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The location is unspeakably good — the entrance to Belmar is a pitching wedge from the beach. Thus it is little wonder Gerry Fagan and the Oceanico team were determined to press ahead with its opening last July to capitalise on high season. With little advance promotion, they could hardly have envisaged the early traffic given Belmar’s late July opening.
“During August we had several periods when we accommodated almost 500 people at the resort,” beams Martin Date. “Many of our Belmar visitors last summer have been clients who have stayed at other Oceânico resorts in the past. The internet has transformed the manner in which we all book our holidays and our Oceânico Direct website has proved very popular for online bookings.”
Algarve will always remain an Irish favourite, with good reason. The average annual temperature is 17.8C (64ºF), average sunshine per day varies from 5.6 hours in January to 12.3 in July. The average amount is 8.7 hours per day. It’s also two and a half hours tops from Dublin, shorter from Cork and Kerry airports.
Belmar is a 50 minute hop along the A22 motorway from Faro and once you park underground at Belmar, you may not feel inclined to use the car again.
Though the number of Irish purchasers of Algarve property has taken “a tremendous fall”, according to Date, Oceanico still has a loyal Irish following when it comes to vacation planning. The introduction of Belmar will buttress that.
Ryanair flies daily (more than once) from Dublin to Faro, and resumes its service from Cork and Kerry airports on March 26, and Knock Airport on March 27. Aer Lingus flies daily from Dublin to Faro and resumes Cork to Faro service on March 25.
Visit www.oceanicodirect.com for more details. Or call 00351 282 771 810 / e-mail reservations@oceanicogroup.com
The resort is a five minute drive, 15 minute walk (up hill, mind) from the bustling town centre of Lagos and less than 10 minutes from the beautiful town of Praia da Luz. The historic town of Lagos offers many activities including shopping, sightseeing, dolphin-watching boat trips and relaxing days at one of the many sandy beaches. Our favourite is Meia Praia.&
Twenty minutes west of Lagos, towards Cape St Vincent, is the quiet, fishing village of Salema, home to some of the most beautiful secluded coves and breathtaking outcrops of rock formations imaginable.
Restaurante Levante, Belmar Spa and Beach resort: Beautiful setting, can seat up to 60 guests with a spacious terrace, which overlooks the outdoor pool areas and offers striking sea views.
Restaurante dos Artistas: Artistas is where you’ll find the best food in the town. It ain’t cheap though so more for special occasion than family dinner.
Rua Candido dos Reis, 68, Lagos 8600, Portugal
+351 282760659
Do Cais Bistro and Bar: Superb location on the marina, good range of foods from burgers to specials so no problem with a small or large appetite.
Marina de Lagos, Lagos, Portugal;
+351 282 792 037
Algarve Shopping is a huge mall situated in Guia, near Albufeira, and about 20 minutes from Lagos. Closer is the recently opened mall in Portimáo.
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