General information:
The village of Santa Luzia will charm you with its friendly bars, cafes and restaurants.
The village has a wealth of excellent restaurants, Authentic and traditional Portuguese, Fish, French and Dutch cuisines are all represented here. The bars are all small and friendly and some, have live music- usually at weekends. The locals here welcome you with open arms, you will feel part of the village right from the start of your holiday. Prices are very cheap, especially if you frequent the tiny Portuguese bars and restaurants.
Tavira town is about 4km away and is about 3-4 Euros in a taxi or take a bus. There are many Shops, bars and restaurants in Tavira there are 2 nightclubs just on the east bank of the river that splits the town in two halves.
Why not take a trip to the beautiful Spanish border town of Ayamonte which is just over the bridge which forms the frontier with Spain,(no border controls here just drive straight in!) Isla Cantilla golf is 5 minutes from Ayamonte.
Beaches:
The best beaches in the world have competition here! beautiful white sand gently sloping into the ocean, all are very clean and it is hard to believe how even in high season you can find secluded spots to spend your days.
They are mainly island beaches are usually reached by cheap, regular water taxis and small ferries usually costing 1 Euro. There are lots of beach bars nestling among the sand dunes. A great walk is to leave the apartment and head for Tavira walk through quatro aguas salt flats(look out for Flamingos) take the ferry to Tavira Island and head west along the beach towards Barrill beach, why not have a packed lunch at half way? at Barrill walk over the Ria Formosa and then back to Santa Luzia. You may want to cut the walk a little shorter? in high season you could catch a water taxi direct to Santa Luzia at half way at Terra Estreita beach. the Longer version of this walk is probably around 12km.
Excursions and things to do:
Driving into the hinterland to total seclusion is easy, a popular journey is to join the lower river road inland to the lovely village of Alcoutim, join the road to the north of Castro Marim and cut Down to the riverside track that runs right along the Frontier river Guadiana, follow the huge river up to Alcoutim and after lunch in one of the restaurants overlooking the river, either take the little ferry over to the Spanish border town on the other side of the river or, continue onwards to take in a trip through the valleys, and around the lakes that have been created to feed the Algarve with an endless supply of water. River cruises operate from Ayamonte and other ports along the Algarve varying itineraries are available. Zoomarine is located at Guia just past Albufeira on the N125, Dolphins and seals perform shows to steal your heart, there are Falconry displays and fun for all the family. There is a cycleway that runs the complete length of the Algarve.
Golf:
Courses in this area are all fairly new and of a very high standard, they are generally cheaper and quieter than the courses to the west, the nearest is Benamor, its just 5 minutes from the apartment, Benamor is a tricky and picturesque course with gently undulating fairways, walkable, and one of the more mature courses not to be missed, its great holiday golf and, service at the clubhouse is excellent, deals are offered i.e. a round for 2 with a buggy approximately 80 Euros. Quintas Da Cima and Da Ria are 2 championship courses just 5 minutes further along the same road (N125) in the direction of Spain, these are both at about 70 euros/round they are fairly flat and very high quality, whilst they are close enough to see the sea they are parkland courses.
Further towards the border with Spain 10-15 minutes away you have the couses at Castro Marim, Super quick greens, very hilly, don't miss out on the deals including buggies I walked it with friends and regretted it.
The busier golfing area from Faro to the west hosts many of the best courses in the world and the reasons behind the Algarves popularity with golfers. From only 25 minutes away all courses are within easy reach along the IP1/A22 motorway which runs the full length of the Algarve. Transfers to and from the Golf courses can be arranged, and full booking information is available.
Other Activities:
A favourite for Bird and nature watchers, the area has many species including Flamingos.
