Vale d’Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa
This upmarket, pristine resort is set within beautifully maintained landscaped gardens designed to preserve the indigenous plants, with manicured lawns and hedges. The mostly single story buildings include 22 rooms, 2 suites and 80 apartment-style ‘townhouses’ each with one or two rooms.
The staff – most of whom are local – are incredibly sweet natured and can't seem to do enough for me. On check in, the man behind the desk tells me his favourite ice cream parlour in the nearby fishing village of Carvoeiro. The hotel conveniently runs a shuttle here as well as to the pretty beaches of Praia dos Ceneiros, Praia Grande and Ferrgudo, but Nelson, the hotel driver offers to take me there himself.
He points out a chic little Ibizan style bar next to some impressive coastal caves before arriving at the beautiful little horseshoe of a bay with fine sand and a huddle of brightly painted fishing boats. Carvoeiro is a friendly spot with a local feel, although the shops and eateries – souvenir shops, ice cream outlets and even a Japanese restaurant – do cater to tourists.
The names of the various rooms ‘Valley of the Olives’ resort are each named after different species and are an education in olives. I am in ‘Manzanilla’ which is grown in Portugal as well as Spain and California, ‘Kalamata’ takes its name from the almond shaped variety, ‘Ponentine’ is a dark purple variety, ‘Serecena’ is Sicilian and ‘Atalanti’ an olive particular to Greece.
The excellent Olive Tree restaurant using ingredients from its own local quinta (farm) has an enticing menu featuring appealing dishes such as fish soup and carpaccio of scallops from the Algarve coast. The hotel offers cookery classes using local products to create regional dishes and a garden is currently being created so guests can pick their own food to cook in the self-catering accommodation – an imaginative and delightful idea.
Vale d’Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa boasts some extraordinary facilities. As well as access to a golf course on its doorstep, there is a superb spa set in a Zen Japanese garden where I was well looked after and had an excellent back massage using local products. Bikes are available to guests to take an appealing tour to the small village of Ferragugo and nearby lighthouse of Farol de Alfanzina, taking about an hour an a half, including three or four stops, with canoeing and even pottery painting courses on offer.
And then there is the gym.
During my total body conditioning session with the health club manager, Sérgio Tomás tells me that classes can be tailor made to suit guests’ requirements, whether it is to lose weight, get rid of cellulite or to tone muscles. My hour-long work out was thorough yet relaxed, and Sérgio was happy to let it run over the allotted slot. ‘We don't think of the time here’ he said, smiling, summing up the accommodating attitude at this impressive resort.
Barranco Fundo - Apartado 79
8401-904 Carvoeiro - Algarve
Portugal
tel. + 351 282 380 560
www.valedoliveirasresort.com
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