Flights / Car Hire:
The closest airport is Lisbon and is serviced by scheduled flights from Heathrow and Gatwick London by British Airways and TAP. EASYJET now have daily flights to Lisbon from London Luton & Gatwick Airport (as well as Paris CDG) . BMIbaby fly from Birmingham. Booking as early as possible will usually get you the best rates. For car hire, it is best to book before arrival. The drive to Praia d'El Rey from the airport is relatively simple and takes about an hour, nearly all of it on the A8 motorway. If you take a taxi from the airport it will cost approx. £45-£50. We do have the telephone number of an English speaking taxi driver and he can meet at the airport to pick you up, if necessary, but car hire is recommended to make the most of your stay
Other activities / information:
Seven all weather tennis courts. Children's activity playground. Beach for sunbathing or long walks. 3km is Obidos Lagoon - ideal for paddling with very small children. Marriott Hotel (5 star) with restaurants, spas and fitness rooms is located less about 1km away.
Although the resort is famous for its golf, less than a third of the residents / owners of properties are golfers. This reflects the wide range of other activities available in the area and the natural beauty of the resort and the surrounding countryside. You can visit the bird and wildlife sanctuary on the Berlengas Islands, which can be reached by boats from nearby Peniche during the summer months.
Obidos hosts a Festival of Chocolate every November and there is a summer season of outdoor concerts held in the castle.
There are fantastic surfing beaches at Baleal (15 minutes drive) and south of Peniche (25 minutes).
Peniche also has a waterpark and there is a go-karting track a few kilometres further on.
Shopping / Eating Out:
As well as a small grocery shop at the resort, there is a small supermarket in the village of Serra D'El Rei (less than 10 minutes away) and several large supermarkets in Peniche (15 minutes) and Caldas da Rainha (25 minutes). Caldas has a colourful daily market for fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, cheese, olives and other local produce. Caldas also boasts many shops to suit any pocket.
In the 8 years that we have been coming to the area we have seen the number and quality of restaurants steadily increase. Bon viveurs will not be disappointed. There is also an abundance of very inexpensive local style restaurants. We will be happy to share recommendations.
Golf:
The golf course at Praia D'El Rey (PDR) is nothing short of stunning in terms of the layout, the views and its condition. Golf can be booked direct with the PDR Pro Shop or (lmore reasonably) using internet-based booking services which the owner can recommend. As PDR has been selected by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) as European Golf Resort of the Year for 2007, its reputation has been further enhanced, having already been identified by Golf World magazine as the leading Portuguese course in its World Best Places To Play and 13th Best Course in Continental Europe. There are two excellent British golf professionals available for lessons and the practice facilities are outstanding with short and long game practice areas as well as several putting greens. Clubs, trolleys and buggies are available for rent at the pro shop in the club house. The pro shop may ask for handicap certificates because, whilst the course is suitable for most golfers (with 4 tees for each hole), it is not a course for absolute beginners.
There are 3 other first class 18 hole courses within 15-45 minutes drive: The closest is the new course at Bom Successo (15 minutes) which is excellent, Quinta do Brincal (Golden Eagle) at Rio Maior and Campo Real near Torres Vedras. Further afield (75 mins) are several courses around Estoril and Sintra.
Other Activities:
go-karting, water park, historic sites
