Olhao holiday farmhouse: Fuseta

I simply cannot praise the owners and the property enough. We found the house by surfing the internet and it appeared to be exactly what we were looking for. On arrival we realised that what we had read and seen on the photographs did not do the property justice. You cannot get a feeling for the beauty and peacefulness without actually being there. The owners live in half of the house, whilst the other half is the rental. They are extremely friendly and helpful, but at the same time it really does feel like you have the place to yourself. The garden is lovely and you can sit on the upstairs terrace and take in the beautiful views over the Ria. We like to visit unspoilt/non- touristy places but we do have an 8 year old daughter who wants more than the peace and tranquility that is offered in the immediate vicinity of the house. She is a fairly well-travelled 8 year old and this holiday rated as one of her best. There is swimming in the lagoons just a short walk away, fantastic beaches within 10 minutes drive and the lovely towns of Olhau (where you can take cheap boat trips to the sandy islands) and Tavira are only 15-20 minutes away. The more typically touristy areas west of Faro are easily reached - we went to Zoomarine in Albufeira and it took about 40 minutes. You can be up in the hills around Monchique in an hour and there are lots of lovely villages to explore just inland from the house. We also drove to the beautiful city of Seville which is only 2 hours away. The highlight though was swmming under the waterfall at the Devil's Pond (Pego do Inferno) near Tavira - absolutely stunning. This is a fantastic place to stay if you don't want to go very far and just laze around the property, have a swim, visit the beaches, walk or cycle around the lagoons, see the water fowl etc. But there's plenty more as well if you want to get out and about. You do need a car to get around but the property is very well situated near the main road that runs along the coast. However, when you are at the house you wouldn't know you were anywhere near a main road. The best of both worlds! This is without doubt one of the best properties we have stayed in. Perfectly clean, well-maintained and great customer service both prior to and during our holiday. Would I recommend it to a friend? I already have, many times!