Guia holidays

Holidays to Guia take you to a quiet Algarve village with a modern shopping centre and a handful of authentic Portuguese restaurants. And Albufeira's lively after-dark scene is 20 minutes down the road.

A trendy Portuguese village

Athough Guia's small, it's got a big reptutation with the rich and famous. Celebs like Sir Cliff Richard own villas in this pocket-sized Algave village. It offers up a slice of traditional Portugal, with authentic tavernas running along the main road and into the old town. There’s a modern element, too, courtesy of the huge shopping mall on the outskirts. As for nightlife, nearby Albufeira takes care of that rather well.

The Algarve coast

Your nearest beach is 10 minutes’ drive away in Gale. It’s a sandy, Blue Flag number with umbrellas and sunloungers, along with a trio of bar-restaurants. There’s also a watersports centre, where you can hire kit for windsurfing. And within 15 minutes’ drive there are two other strips of sand. One of them is the quiet Armacao de Pera, the other is Albufeira’s bustling Fisherman’s Beach, which comes with jet-skis and banana boats.

Daytrips to Vilamoura and Loule

The narrow cobbled streets of Albufeira’s old town are 20 minutes away. Bars and restaurants line the main square, Jardim Publico, while the whitewashed facade of Sant’Ana Church is a short walk away. Or in less than half an hour you can be at Vilamoura, where you can tour Roman ruins and see 1st-century mosaics lining the crumbling walls. And in about the same time you can get to Loule – this place is home to a 13th-century castle with intact towers ready to be explored.