Things To Do in Olhos dAgua

This family-friendly place serves up familiar favourites along with traditional dishes. The swordfish steak is a stand-out, the clams are always in customers’ good books and the chicken piri piri does the Portuguese classic proud. Kids get their own menu and a free lollipop to finish. It can get busy here, so arrive early to nab an al fresco table.

If you fancy a change of beach, about 10 minutes’ drive west you’ve got Santa Eulalia. This big, Blue Flag number comes with watersports and a promenade packed with bars and restaurants. Or head east to another Blue Flag winner, Praia de Falesia – the 6-kilometre ribbon of sand is practically deserted in places.

The Cabana Bar mixes up a mean cocktail, including signature specials like My Sweet Love and Sexy Girl – and the free popcorn goes down very well, too. There’s a pool table and a big-screen TV for entertainment. This is a cosy, friendly kind of place, where the bar staff enjoy themselves as much the customers, and they’ll keep the drinks coming ’til closing time at 3am.

For designer shops in a waterfront setting, do head for the marina at Vilamoura, just 15 minutes’ drive away. Meanwhile, Albufeira bustles with clothes shops and street stalls, and just beyond it, near Guia, is the Algarve Shopping Mall, where you’ll find local pottery sitting next to Zara. Back in Olhos d’Agua, suncream, lilos and snacks can be bought in the little shops and supermarkets.

Come sundown, the main street bars are the places to go to relax over a cocktail or join in a lively quiz. And some of them do very good live music shows, too. To scale things up, head to Vilamoura for Irish pubs and karaoke places, plus the marina with its sleek bars – one of them is owned by footie player Luis Figo. And of course Albufeira’s famous Strip comes packed with drinking places.

Northwest of the marina at Vilamoura you’ll find the Museu Cerra da Vila archaeological site. Here you can make out what’s left of a Roman mansion and baths, and there are some very well-preserved mosaics here, too. The site and museum are open every day except Monday.

You can get up close and personal with Bottlenose, Striped and Spotted dolphins on a boat trip from the marina at nearby Vilamoura. An expert will be onboard to give you all the facts on these cute mammals, and you might even spot sharks and orcas, too. If you go for the whole day, you’ll also have chance to visit hidden caves along the Algarve coastline.

The name suits it – because this modern bar has a real friendly feel. When he’s not chatting with the kids, Ricardo mixes up the cocktails and pours the wine. You can sit in one of the comfy sofas to watch the TV or have a quiet drink on the terrace. And the loos, apparently, are spotless.

The Cabrita family’s restaurant serves up hearty meals that might not leave room for dessert. Diners here rave about the monkfish and prawn rice, the steak and the lamb stew – and they do the famous Portuguese fish cataplana here, too. You can eat al fresco on the terrace or enjoy the homely, family atmosphere inside.

It’s a small village but the main road will see you right for a few bars. You can relax with a cocktail, have a beer in front of a big-screen TV or pop into one of the buzzier places that do karaoke, quiz nights and live music. And if you want more, action-packed Albufeira has a main street packed with bars and clubs.

Crab, crayfish, golden bream, prawns, sardines and swordfish – Olhos d’Agua really pulls out all the stops when it comes to fish and seafood. A popular traditional dish here is the cataplana, a lovely fish stew cooked with peppers and onions in its namesake – an Algarvian cooking pot with a clam-like lid. As for meat, many places do steak on the stone – where you cook it yourself on a sizzling stone.

The beach at Olhos d’Agua is a relaxed spot where fishing boats lie on the sands with sunbathers. And there are lots of other equally lovely stretches close by. Head west for about 10 to 15 minutes and you’ve got quiet Praia de Maria Luisa and watersports-friendly Santa Eulalia. And just to the east is Falesia Beach, where you’ll find deserted pockets of sand along the 6-kilometre stretch.

You’ve got a handful of restaurants on the seafront and along the road that runs from the hill down to the beach. Fish and seafood are big on the menu around these parts and a popular dish is cataplana – that’s sort of a clam stew. Or you might want to try Portuguese classic piri piri chicken, which comes baked with chillies and paprika.

Over in Albufeira, the old town and The Strip – Avenida Dr Francisco Sa Carneiro – are packed with souvenir and clothes shops. And a bit further on you’ve got Algarve Shopping – a huge open-air mall where you can buy everything from local pottery to a new outfit from Zara. Back in the resort, the supermarkets have it covered for essentials.