Hotel Alcaide

We left the Alcaide this morning, after taking a 6 night break to escape the awful British weather. We love this small, boutique hotel and all of the hardworking staff, from the cleaners and the maintenance man, to the kitchen staff and front of house. They work well together as a close team and it works very well indeed. The place is very clean and well maintained. It's low rise, at 3 storeys high, really well located, with restaurants and some shops close by and the beach only a few minutes walk. The breakfast is buffet style, it's very good, with a cold meat and cheese selection, traditional cooked section, local cakes and, of course, lots of lovely fresh fruit and yogurts. The pool and surrounding area, together with the 4 lounge areas and bar with a balcony, are all great places to relax and again, are spotlessly clean. It's very easy to get around and although we hire a car at Faro airport (from the excellent Drive4fun) we love walking into Praia do Roche and Portimao centre, to the East and following the amazing coastal path through beautiful woodland and spectacular viewing areas to nearby Alvor, in the West. This place really is a gem and the price and quality, suits us perfectly. We'll be back for another visit, maybe in the autumn, or next spring when the area is again full of nesting birds and the wild flowers, with lots of Orchids, are at their best. The old salt lagoons, to the West of Alvor, are also a delight for twitchers, with many types of wading birds overwintering there and even a resident, small flock of flamingos, guaranteed to excite and entertain. Perfect! 👌👍😁