11-05-2008

A spacious 2 Bedroom Apartment overlooking Olhão harbour, literally 2 minutes walk from both the waterfront and unique Old Town quarter.

The apartment is on the ground floor of a small recently built 4-storied block. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms - one en suite, and with two convertible sofa beds in the large living area, can sleep six comfortably or even eight at a squeeze. Air conditioning, satellite TV, DVD player, CD-Hifi unit, washing machine, telephone/broadband link are also included. The kitchen is fully fitted with a fridge freezer, gas hob, electric oven, dishwasher, microwave, coffeemaker, sandwich-maker, electric kettle, coolbox - for bringing food/drink up to the roof terrace, barbecue - the lot! There is also a secure basement garage space available. A lift takes you up to the large roof terrace with panoramic views across the harbour, Armona Island and on up the east coast. A large supermarket is just one minute's walk from the apartment.

Available for year round holiday rental from as little as €200 a week. Long term letting also considered at negotiable rates.

Just 12mins drive east of Faro Airport, Olhão (pronounced 'ol-ee-ow') is a traditional fishing port and the third largest town on the Algarve. The style of its architecture gives it a distinct Moorish appearance, although the town really only developed as recently as the 18th century.

Notable for its white cube-shaped houses with terraced roofs, Olhão was the scene of an historic uprising against the French garrison in 1808. Following the French departure, the local fishermen sent a small vessel known as a caíque across the Atlantic to Brazil to give the news to the exiled king João VI, who later in gratitude, granted them a town charter. A replica of the boat the Bom Successo, is moored at the waterfront. The best view over the town is probably from the top of the bell tower of the impressive Baroque-style Nossa Senhora do Rosário parish church, built on the central Praça da Restauração in the late 1600's. From it, the narrow cobbled and  pedestrianized streets of the old quarter wind down to the elegant palm lined waterfront esplanade dotted with scores of cafe bars and good restaurants.

Regular ferries and water taxis link the waterfront to the idyllic and uncrowded offshore beaches of Armona, Culatra and Farol, which form part of the surrounding sandbanks known as 'the ilhas'. The Ria Formosa nature reserve located 1 km east of Olhão harbour, is a protected area featuring a fascinating variety of flora and fauna. An exhibition of old agricultural and fishing techniques includes the remains of a Roman salt production plant and a rare tidal mill dating back to the Middle Ages. The area is also a breeding ground of the web-footed Algarve 'Water Dog', a species unique to the region. Due to its prime location, Olhão is an ideal base for touring and exploring the entire Algarve, and is itself a shopping mecca in its own right!

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