Once the flight is booked and you’ve planned a place to rest your head at night, it’s time to start looking forward to the fun stuff on your holiday!
We’ve paired up with travel experts Thomas Cook to give you a weekly heads up on one popular travel destination and how much dining, drinking and dancing there will set you back. This week it’s The Algarve…
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Quick price guide:
Three course meal: €15.00 excl drinks
Bottle of wine: €5.00
Bottle of beer: €2.00
Mineral water: €0.50
Soft drink: €0.60
Cup of coffee: €0.70
Dine:
With over 200 km of coastline, it’s not surprising that fish and seafood are a staple part of the diet in the Algarve. Fresh, local seafood is sourced on a daily basis by the fisherman who bring back a huge variety of fish for you to choose from. “Couvert” is the traditional starter or “Entrada” and consists of fresh bread, olives, sardine pate, cheese and carrots that have been cooked and marinated in garlic, olive oil and spices. Couvert often costs as little as €1.50 a person. For your main or “protas” you can choose from an array of fish choices, chicken and other meat. If you wanted to try some local traditional cuisine, “Bacalhau” is dried salt cod that is preserved with salt as it was in the days of the first sea voyages! The Portugese make wonderful desserts and pastries too. Best-loved desserts include “Pudim Flan” (crème caramel) and “pasties de nata” (a creamy, custard tart). Almond tart, figs, almonds and locally produced honey also feature highly on menus.
Drink
Wine is the traditional Portugese drink and the ‘house’ wine (vinho da casa) featured on restaurant menus is nearly always a local Portugese wine and good value. “Vinho verde” which translates as ‘green wine’ is a slightly sparking, light wine that is refreshing and accompanies fish and chicken dishes very well. It is not green in colour, it is simply a specific kind of wine that needs to be consumed as a young wine.
If you prefer to drink beer (“cerveja”), there are really just three national brands that you will become familiar with: “Sagres”, “Super Bock” and “Cristal”. You will also find, a number of familiar imported beers and lagers but these may be a little more expensive. If you are ordering draft beer, then ask for “um imperial” if you would like a regular glass and “uma caneca” if you would like half a litre.
Port is Portugal’s best-known drink but the Algarve is also famous for its spirits. The two main spirits to look out for “Aguardente” and “Medronho”. “Aguardente” is a rough Portugese brand and Medronho (also known as fire water) is made from the fruit of the strawberry tree and can literally bring tears to your eyes as you sip it, so be warned!
The prices of drinks in bars and restaurants can be very reasonable, a glass of wine costs from €1.20 to €2, spirits (normally good sized measures) are about €3 and small draft beers from €1 to €1.50, however they can also be expensive, especially in popular bars in tourist season, up to €6 for a spirit and mixer. For some of the best prices, stop at one of the many local cafés because they are a lot cheaper than the bars. With so many orange trees across the Algarve, its not surprising that fresh orange juice is widely served in cafes, bars and restaurants; a glass can cost as little as €2 but may be as much as €4, but it is well worth it!
Dance:
Nightlife in the Algarve is hard to beat as there is something for everyone from mellow evenings to all night parties! There is a huge range of bars and clubs across the Algarve from elegant lounge bards and jet set beach-clubs to music bars and all-night clubs.
The aptly named music bar and club “On The Rocks” perches right above the rocks of Praia da Rocha and benefits from fantastic views and a perfectly central location right on the main Praia da Rocha avenue. On The Rocks has great music and DJs and a spacious dance floor to party on into the early morning!
Missed our Top Travel Tips for The Algarve? Check them out here!
Thinking about your summer holiday? Book now with Thomas Cook
