So we were delighted when we were notified that we had received a certificate of excellence from Tripadvisor, based on the reviews of our guests to date this year. Accommodation providers are awarded this certificate based on criteria such as quality of rooms, value for money, location and service. Many of the reviews comment on the friendliness of Duas Quintas and our ability  to give tips about local beaches or places to eat. We see all this as part of our job as hosts at Duas Quintas. We know the Algarve well and realise that visitors need a shortcut to finding the best restaurants or beaches. We think the Algarve is an ideal holiday destination and it is our privilege to open up some of this beauty for our guests. Some of the reviews also refer to our algarve walking holidays and to the fact that we also put together some circular walks for guests to take from Duas Quintas. We are delighted to see our guests really enjoying this wonderful location.

Lonely Planet Portugal, 2011 has also given Duas Quintas a wonderful review. It seems that breakfast at Duas Quintas is especially popular with our guests.  And that not surprising. One of the reasons why people choose a guesthouse or a bed and breakfast for their  Algarve holiday is exactly because they enjoy a good breakfast.We know its a really important part of the day, not just nutritionally but because so many people just never have time for a relaxing breakfast. Drinking our fresh orange juice, sampling some homemade bread and cakes, looking over the valley, listening to the sounds of the birds-that’s what a Duas Quintas breakfast is all about

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Helena Sá was our pilot and the quality of our experience was down to this professional, competent and easy going lady who just oozes her love of hot air ballooning. We started from the tiny Lagos aerodrome on a beautiful late spring afternoon. We were able to watch and participate in the preparation of the balloon for flight and then had a short safety briefing. There were two other passengers plus me and the pilot, as the balloon basket is quite small so this is all about travelling in close contact with fellow passengers and the pilot. All this of course makes it a very pleasant social experience; the pilot is able to give lots of information about ballooning and about the Algarve and you get a good sense of how this big bag of gas with a basket is able to manipulate the winds to float you through the air. The views were fantastic. We started off flying higher and travelling quite fast (in ballooning terms at least!) while the second half of the journey was lower and much slower. It is all down to the winds and the skill of the pilot. Down below people came out to wave from their homes or honk their horns as we flew over the roadways. All too soon it was time to start looking out for a suitable landing spot, again part of the fun being that you never quite know exactly where this is going to be. We landed in a small field and were soon joined by the friendly ground crew. The whole experience was rounded off with a picnic of Portuguese Bubbly and traditional snacks which we all enjoyed together as the sun went down. Again I was struck by the social side of ballooning. On to-days trip there was a pilot from Belgium helping the ground crew as well as the young daughter of one of the crew and a huge friendly dog. Once the balloon was packed up and safely in the trailer we were driven back to Lagos aerodrome, again through interesting rural countryside.

The actual flight is one hour but with preparation time before hand, pack up and picnic afterwards and the trip back to the aerodromo you need to allow at least 3 hours and maybe more depending on the day. However Helena speaks English, Portuguese and German so it is easy to talk with her beforehand and find out everything you need to know.

For a visitor to the Algarve  a hot air balloon trip must be a particularly interesting experience as it gives you the opportunity to see parts of the Algarve that are frequently missed by tourists. The views from the air combined with the jeep trip back means that as a visitor you get a much better insight into life away from the tourist spots. Ballooning on the Algarve is in my opinion another good reason to choose the Algarve as a first choice holiday destination. Why not combine a weekend at Duas Quintas with a balloon trip with Barlevento Balloons. The perfect way to celebrate a special occasion or give a unique gift to someone who has everything.

Add to this the fact that the Algarve is a relatively small geographical area with few major resorts very far from Faro airport and you can add further savings on airport transfer costs. Car hire in Portugal is also good value and the size of the car hire industry in Portugal means that there are good value deals, particularly outside the main holiday season.

A survey by the Post Office showed that Portugal is now one of the cheapest places for typical holiday spending. When considering items such as meals in a restaurant, drinks and even buying sun cream, Portugal is one of the top holiday destinations where your money is likely to last longer. This comes as no surprise to anyone who has taken a family to eat out in Portugal. Not only great food and great value, but a great welcome for children!

An average three course meal for 2 people, with wine, will come to less than €40 – €45 (£35 -£39) in most of the restaurants in Silves, where Duas Quintas is located. And there is no need to rush away at the end of your meal, often on weekend nights free music is also included.

The best that the Algarve has to offer all comes free.  Beautiful beaches, stunning rock formations and magnificent seascapes are part and parcel of an Algarve holiday. And the amazing thing is that car parking is free! Inland, there are wonderful rural villages, rivers, hills and mountains all waiting for you to explore them. Walking on the Algarve is slowly becoming less of a secret and in spring and autumn in particular more and more visitors are taking the opportunity to have an Algarve walking holiday or short break.

All of this is good news in a time when value for money is an important consideration when choosing our holiday destination.

1. Location.The location of your Algarve holiday accommodation is probably one of the most important factors to take into account. Because Duas Quintasis a rural guesthouse we generally advise guests to rent a car while staying with us. This allows our guests to take advantage of our central location on the Algarve and visit the many beautiful areas around Duas Quintas. It is possible to do this, but to a more limited extent, by public transport but in general, choosing a rural location for your holiday  means that car hire is more likely to be recommended.

2. The time of the year when you plan to visit the Algarve.The time you choose to visit the Algarve will have a big influence on whether or not it is best for you to hire a car. Each season brings its own considerations. When you are planning your Algarve summer holidays you may be visualizing yourself spending a lot of time swimming and sunbathing. From this perspective a hire car may seem to have little to offer. However, one other fact to take into account is that the busiest beaches may be those that people can access easily on foot or by public transport. If you envisage yourself on a quiet beach, with less people, in the middle of the summer, then you really should consider hiring a car. However, in peak season, you will be faced with higher car hire costs. Car hire is generally a lot cheaper in winter. On an Algarve winter holiday you will probably spend less time by the pool. Many people choose to travel a bit more at this time of the year. With shorter days a car allows you to get more out of your Algarve winter holiday.

3.Exploring the area. Everyone loves exploring their holiday destination but how do you want to explore it? Do you intend to explore widely or locally?

Duas Quintas is ideally suited to exploring the whole of the Algarve as it is centrally located and has easy access to both the A22 motorway and the N125. From Duas Quintas guesthouse it is possible to be on the west coast beaches in under an hour or in Spain in just over one and a half hours. But you need to hire a car if you intend doing this type of exploring. On the other hand, if you really want to explore an area there is nothing better than public transport and foot. On foot you see and experience things you are oblivious to in a car -the smell of the trees and flowers, the narrow streets and alleyways, the conversations from doors and windows. Public transport is often a great way to meet local people. People chat at bus stops and trains in a way that is less common in other venues.

4. Budget considerations.  At first glance, hiring a car can seem to take a big bite out of your holiday budget. However, costs such as airport transfers quickly mount up. Do your sums in advance and total your essential transport costs while on the Algarve. Then compare this with your likely car hire cost. In general public transport costs and taxi fares  are very reasonable on the Algarve. Remember too that while airport transfer costs and public transport costs change little over the year, car hire cost rise rapidly in the high season. So the timing of your Algarve holiday will be a significant factor in making this calculation.   

5. Stress. This is the part that is really down to you and your unique character and personality. Are you nervous driving in Southern Europe, on roads you don’t know, in a car you don’t know? Or is this part of the fun of being on holiday? Will taking 2 hours to get somewhere that you could have reached in a fifth of the time in the car make you appreciate another pace of life or leave you a frustrated wreck, pacing the bus stop or train station and a nightmare for the unsuspecting ticket collector who has to deal with you? We have had guests at both ends of the spectrum, people who love the freedom that the hire car gives and people who are thrilled with the windows on Portuguese life that public transport has offered them. The real key is to know in advance what makes a holiday relaxing for you.

6. The real purpose of your holiday. We know that some people come to Duas Quintas guesthouse because they want to relax and take things easy, spend lots of time by the pool or just ´chill out´ in the sunshine. Others really want to get to know the Algarve, especially rural Algarve which is a hidden treasure that many people are just beginning to discover. Others are here for an Algarve walking holiday.The Algarve offers the possibility of many different types of holidays and having your own transport will determine to some extent, the options that are open to you. So work out the real purpose of your holiday and consider how having, or not having, your own transport, will allow you to achieve what you want.

 And remember your decision to have an Algarve holiday one way does not meant you have to do the same next time you come back. We have had guests at Duas Quintas who have come for short, car-less breaks and later returned for longer breaks with a hire car. We have also had some guests who have thoroughly enjoyed their long car-less break and decided to return the following year for a different type of holiday with a rental car. The secret is in knowing what you want from your holiday.

 So to hire or not to hire? What are the most important considerations for you?

One way to explore them is on an Algarve walking holiday. Another way, and it certainly complements your walk, is to take a boat trip with local expert David Lamy. David Lamy’s cave trips are something special. Increasingly rare, David is a local man who has known the caves since he was a boy. Using a traditional Algarve boat, Universus, which is small enough to really access the caves, David provides a trip to the caves that is unequalled here on the Algarve. Speaking six languages, he shares his knowledge and love of this  area with his visitors and his enthusiasm for the Algarve coast is obvious. Combining knowledge of the tides with skill as a boatman, David makes sure that on his trips visitors can get inside some of the most beautiful and most spectacular caves. We encourage our guests staying at Duas Quintas bed and breakfast to book their trip as soon as possible after their arrival as weather and tides are key factors in determining whether or not the boat trip can be arranged. For a really special day, arrange to be dropped off at one of the beaches that can only be accessed by boat.

Local authorities here on the Algarve are increasingly recognising the importance of the Algarve’s bird population, and though there is still much to be done to preserve the many precious habitats under threat from development and simple lack of protection, there are encouraging signs that changes are taking place.

A good step in the right direction is the publication ´Birdwatching in Loulé, guidebook to observing birds in the county of Loulé´, published by the Camera Municipal de Loulé and by Almargen, an environmental group that works on the Algarve. This attractive publication, in Portuguese and in English, opens by reminding us that ´Portugal is one of the European countries with the highest diversity of bird species due to the great variety of habitats´. It outlines three main habitats, the coastal wetlands, the Barrocal ,in the interior, and the mountainous area of Serra do Caldeirão.

The guide is intended for birdwatchers ´who have some experience in identifying birds´ and serves as an indicator of which species are likely to be be found in any given area, as well as their  frequency throughout the year.
The areas identified in this book are all areas of outstanding natural beauty, such as Rocha da Pena and the Fontes of Benémola, both classified sites and protected areas. The Serra do Caldeirão is a fascinating  journey into a culture and way of life that has practically disappeared in other parts of Europe. Here you get a glimpse of a life that is tied into land and climate, where village communities have lived together for generations and the impact of modern living has been restrained by geography and economy.
A birdwatching holiday on the Algarve promises to be something special -an enormous variety of birds, beautiful walks, pleasant climate and wonderful Algarve accommodation where you can relax and rejuvenate.

Here at Duas Quintas, birdwatching does not have to wait till you are out on the trails. We have resident Hoopies and Egrets at the moment as well as many other species that we still don’t know the names of. Our winged visitors change according to the season, and the longer we are here the more we recognise the patterns that repeat themselves from one season to the next.

For those interested in walking, the Algarve Way trail  is divided over 14 days, beginning on March 20. This year the walk will start in Cabo de Sao Vincente, on the west coast and finish 240 kilometers later in Alcoutim, in the east, on April 2. However, you do not need to do the whole walk and people can choose to join the crossing for as long or as short a period as they wish.

The main objective of Almargem, the enviormental group behind this venture, is to open up the interior of the Algarve in a sustainable way so that more and more people can enjoy this hidden treasure.

Travelling with donkeys is the love of Sofia von Mentzingen who visited us at Duas Quintas guesthouse last year while she was exploring the Algarve Way with Kiko and Jeko, two of her long eared friends. Sofia explained to us that trekking with donkeys is all about going at the animals pace.They are not just there to carry the baggage but become a real companion to those who are travelling with them.

By foot, by mountain bike, by horseback or with donkeys, the 3rd crossing of the Via Algarviana will have lots to delight and surprise its participants.

But if you cannot make the March/April dates remember that walking the Algarve Way can also be combined with other  algarve walking holidays. Consider exploring the Algarve Way over a series of mini breaks, taking advantage of low cost flights. Walking in the Algarve is the ideal activity to combine with the many low cost flights to Faro. Its great because the  best value flights are available at some of the best times of the year for your Algarve walking holidays. Many airlines with flights to Faro have excellent pre summer prices. March, April, May and June are good months to choose for your Algarve walking holidays as the weather is not too hot but you can look forward to plenty of blue skies as well as wonderful wild flowers.

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The biggest Carnival celebrations on the Algarve are always  in Loulé and this year is no exception. The Loulé carnival dates back to 1906 and is a colourful display of floats, bands and scantily clad girls.This years theme ‘The world  of show business’ promises to be as colourful and as creative as ever.  Caricatures of politicians and satirical views of current affairs are also represented  in this general atmosphere of fun and relaxation. Loule is about 25 minutes drive from Duas Quintas guesthouse.

Carnival is also a great time for families to eat out together. It is a national holiday so many people are off work and there is more time to relax and enjoy the wonderful traditional meals.
Eating out is great at any time of the year but in February you will still find many of the more wintry meals on the menus. Stews and  casseroles play a big part in traditional cooking. Borrego ensopado (mutton on a bed of bread) and Javeli estufado (wild boar in a stew)  are well worth a try.

In Silves, Recanto dos Mouros is one of the many restaurants that has a  good selection of traditional meals as well as some excellent house wine and a tempting dessert display.

The hills around Silves provide a wonderful base for walking. In February, the earth is getting ready to burst into its full spring glory. The Barragems (reservoirs) are full and at their prettiest and this is one of the best times to do a lovely 3 hour  circular walk from  Duas Quintas to the Barragem do Arade. A little further afield the fontes at Alte are strong and gushing and there are many walks to choose from including the spectacular Rocha Da Pena. This is one of the walks included in the inclusive package provided by Algarvewalkingholidays and is a good example of the diversity of rural Algarve as a walking holiday destination.

For those who prefer four legs to two, horse riding is also a popular activity for this time of the year. The nearest riding stables to Duas Quintas is the Country Riding Centre , www.countryridingcentre.com a 5 minute drive away. Here the English speaking owners will makes sure you have a very special experience on horse back in the Serra or hills around Duas Quintas.
The number of sunshine hours will be increasing so some time on the beaches is a must. Probably not warm enough for a swim but a wonderful contrast to the cold, grey weather in Northern Europe.

Check out the low cost flights to Faro airport this February and prepare to party!

Jet2.com has announced a 70% increase in its  Faro – Edinburgh flights this summer. The new service  will start on May  1st and means that holidaymakers to the Algarve can choose between four different flights to and from the Scottish capital. The announcement will particularly interest independent travellers, many of whom come to the Algarve for short breaks, staying in local guesthouses and bed and breakfasts.

Philip Meeson, of  Jet2.com, said ‘With other operators ceasing services from this airport we have stepped in to ensure that the demand for flights and summer holidays from Edinburgh in 2010 can continue to be met.” Algarve guesthouse owners are delighted with the news as they are only too aware of the attraction the Algarve holds for Scottish people. The lure of warm weather, beautiful beaches and wonderful golf courses means that many people from Scotland choose the Algarve for short breaks and for their main summer holiday. Jet2.com has online check in facilities as well as a generous baggage allowance of 22kg. Lots of extra room to bring back local crafts, shoes and fabulous Portuguese wines!

The  new service continues until October 31st, allowing  visitors to take advantage of the low season prices and special offers offered by many Algarve guesthouses.