This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Read today's Portuguese stories delivered to your email Sunday 16th February: Bike ride starting in Moncarapacho We will meet in the car park close by the Galp garage here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/JML1QwQEeQbXbkDH6 at 09.15 am ready for a 09.30 start This will be a ride of around 40 km and up to 500 m elevation The price for participation is €5 per rider per ride For more information please contact: paul@algarvebikeholidays.com or call (+351) 913 226 954 We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time Send us your comments or opinion on this article Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal Surrounded by agricultural land this hotel offers complete and utter comfort The drive from Faro airport to the hills around Moncarapacho Humble little towns give way to seemingly endless groves of olive and citrus trees Traffic thins to practically nothing; pedestrians simply vanish and the deserted local roads now feel manic when compared to the supreme tranquillity of this extraordinary estate Octant Vila Monte is mostly surrounded by agricultural land with views sweeping down to the distant Atlantic ocean The 55 rooms and suites on offer are spread out across several different buildings – this was once the country retreat of an artist and was gradually expanded to serve guests at his parties – and ranges from double rooms to an exceptional private villa That villa has exclusive use of one of three outdoor swimming pools; of the other two one is adults-only and heated only by the sun while the second is kept at a steady temperature to cater to families with children From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox with plenty of room for the kids to run around and an outdoor cinema showing a different movie every night A tennis court at the back of the property can be reserved by the hour One of the main benefits of the farm location is the space – even when the place is full wander through the kitchen garden and enjoy the scent of the herbs which will be used for your meals or recline under a tree and simply embrace the silence of your surroundings If fitness is your thing there is a well-equipped gym open 24/7 while lovers of spa treatments can book a range of massages and classes to be held across the grounds both very much dedicated to offering the best of local produce to guests Laranjal is where breakfast is served every morning high-ceilinged dining room or outside on a terrace with magnificent vistas of the ocean The menu is packed with traditional Portuguese treats and breakfast classics – the avocado toast is terrific – with most of the produce drawn from local businesses Lunch and dinner are both served at À Terra Tables outside on the grass among the trees make for a wonderfully relaxed setting to enjoy daily specials based on the market’s offerings that morning As one would expect of a locale so close to the sea but the seasonal menu has something to offer any palette The team at Vila Monte pride themselves on offering personal touches which make your stay truly memorable – this meal is the epitome of that practice The remote location of the Vila Monte farmhouse does not mean that activities are restricted to those on-site Octant Hotels is the custodian of eight luxury properties across Portugal Each property champions its own “local hero” artisans – Vila Monte works with a local potter to create all the tableware and a basket weaver who makes the beach bags found in every room – and visits to see them work their magic can be organised by the hotel Visitors to Vila Monte can also take a guided horseback tour of the surrounding mountains or venture into the Atlantic for some deep-sea fishing The Atlantic also plays a part in one of the more relaxed excursions the hotel can set up: about 20 minutes back down the hill by car This wonderfully isolated little sandbank looks onto nothing but the mighty ocean offering the perfect opportunity to alternate between unwinding on a lounger and cooling off in the water will be provided; sweet treats can be procured from the merchants who pop by on their boats to deliver their delicacies straight to the beach The prevailing impression of Octant Vila Monte is of complete and utter comfort; of a place which really does feel like home The team will find you anywhere on the grounds to drop off a cocktail – just pop a quick WhatsApp to reception if they haven’t already strolled by to offer you one Fire pits are scattered throughout the grounds lit every evening in case you feel a little chill when stargazing at the breathtaking night sky Whether you choose to remain on site or take advantage of the activities which can be arranged in the surrounding area a stay here will feel like a break at your own little farm on the Algarve Octant Vila Monte, Caliços Site, Moncarapacho, Olhão, Portugal. Doubles rooms start from £142; vilamonte.octanthotels.com A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Set amid tangled olive groves and fragrant citrus trees this stunning farmhouse stay honours the fabric of Portugal’s Algarve region by championing local heroes Get your weekly dose of armchair travelling Indulge yourself in relaxation and rejuvenation while putting your health first in this beautiful boutique rural hotel The evening sunset marked the start of a beautiful evening at the Algarve and the view from the rooftop terrace was a picture to be seen As the sky faded into dark hues of peach and the soft whistles of the birds tweeting started to settle down gathered around yoga mats for a guided meditation The session was led by the calming voice of the hotel’s in-house spa therapist and after days of immersing myself in spa treatments I felt more present and transformed than ever But I guess this is the magic of Solar Alvura It’s not just any hotel; it’s a place to transform a place to truly reset and become anew.   Located deep within the countryside roads of the small farming village of Moncarapacho lies the impressive gated property housing Solar Alvura a new health and wellness hotel in Portugal From the moment you arrive and drive onto the cobbled stone throughout hectares of agricultural farmland carob and orange trees are scattered around the land where you may see their pet rabbit hopping happily.  renovated and renewed – boasting 21 rooms a hammam and yoga tent for outdoor classes.  filled with modern and contemporary furniture amid the manor house style décor I was greeted by a friendly staff member who offered me refreshments before checking in there is a warm and homely feel about the atmosphere I knew I would be in for a special kind of stay.   Solar Alvura was founded by celebrity weight-loss and diabetes reversal expert whose dream was to create a retreat with specialised programmes to help guests to achieve their health and wellness goals.  you are greeted by Dr Eva herself who will put you through an assessment and discuss your goals and outcomes for your stay bespoke low-calorie menus and various classes and treatments ensure that every experience will facilitate your personal goals joined by a team of nurturing practitioners it felt like each person I spoke to had a passion for helping you reach your goals the guests could feel this too – with two women extending their stay whilst I was there. I spoke to a lady who attended the hotel’s weight loss programme Her initial stay was for seven days and she ended up staying 13 She said: “What Dr Eva is doing is revolutionary I never knew I could eat these types of delicious meals I had here and still lose weight.” contemporary French theme with vintage furniture My room overlooked the south of the property where I could see views of agricultural farmland stretching for miles With two tall window frames flooding light into the room I had access to all the essential amenities which included a barcode menu for spa treatments to order at leisure Their fragrant lavender soaps and olive shampoos are reminiscent of the abundance of lavender shrubs scattered around the property and the scent of the olive shampoo will stay with you even after you leave The food was definitely a highlight for me and was prepared by Michelin-trained chefs who have worked with Dr Eva to create a revolutionary low-calorie menu bursting with flavours from locally sourced ingredients Each meal is carefully curated by a passionate team of chefs using innovative techniques to create bespoke dishes catered to the diet requirements of each guest For those visiting the hotel on a weight loss programme meals are a pleasure one must experience in person Dishes are served swiftly by a team of attentive waiters followed by the chef who will come and personally greet you and explain exactly what is in each dish adding an element of excitement to each serving.  On the menu could be a ratatouille-filled squash on the side of a zucchini-scaled golden seabream Whilst dessert could be a deconstructed cheesecake on a bed of protein biscuits leaving no room for FOMO during this luxury dining experience The head chef greets each guest with a smile and you even get an opportunity to watch him during the curation of his latest dish in a group cooking class The dishes often contain ingredients we all know and love with a dash of creative flair Think fruit salad soaked in fermented juices mixed with mint and ginger in a vacuum pack for 48 hours – just to enhance the taste of the fruit.  you can indulge in the spa which offers an abundant menu of treatments that promise to enhance your overall experience Scanning the menu barcode in your room will give you access to a wide range of treatments from Lymphatic drainage massage to reflexology and a highly recommended hot stone massage steam room and hammam to cater to all of your wellness needs.  you can dip in the infinity pool and dry off by the sunbeds for a nap before dinner.   The hotel is bursting with activities for guests to enjoy as part of their programme or at their own leisure With Portugal’s beauty lying in its low tides and endless coastline the water activities were indeed a highlight and a great addition to a wellness trip As you speed away from the mainland and out to sea as you enjoy a 10-mile walk along the marshes surrounding Fuseta Beach taking in the morning rays and enjoying the serene peace of the town the staff and the food makes this hotel one of the most unique and transformational health and wellness stays But what was most surprising is that I became more mindful of what I eat paying more attention to what I consume daily and how often I invest in my own well-being it alters your perspective in a positive way which Address: Pes do Cerro, 223M, 8700-124 Moncarapacho, PortugalPhone: +351 925 009 405Website: solaralvura.com All imagery supplied by Solar Alvura Health Hotel The Algarve’s new golf society - The Phantoms - celebrated its inaugural year at Restaurant Antonio’s in Moncarapacho recently.   Thirty players and partners enjoyed a super meal and congratulated the Society’s first ever Player of the Year Founded by a small group of friends in the summer of 2023 the Society hosts competitions once a month at Benamor Golf Club near Tavira with away days at other courses in the Algarve friendly games are arranged on a regular weekday basis Currently attracting players from Loulé to Tavira the increasingly popular Society is sponsored by Nevada Bob’s Golf Stores one of the founding members of the Phantoms: “Our aim from the beginning was to create a society from a group of friends who just so happened to enjoy getting together to play golf and I’m thrilled to say that we’ve succeeded in doing exactly that We also welcome members who don’t live full-time in the Algarve but who want to take advantage of our ‘part-time’ membership we’ve done our best to support local charities along the way.” Further information at www.phantomsgolf.eu or contact phantomsgolf@gmail.com We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to, we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small. You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time. Send us your comments or opinion on this article. Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal, written in English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Turkish and Chinese. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Read today's Portuguese stories delivered to your email. The intense rain that fell this morning in the Algarve for around 20 minutes flooded roads in Moncarapacho, in the municipality of Olhão, and cellars and shops in downtown Albufeira. According to the Algarve District Emergency and Civil Protection Command, “the intense rainfall that fell in a short space of time, between 10:58 am and 11:18 am, resulted in a total of 13 incidents recorded in various areas of the Algarve, with no personal injuries reported”. According to the same source, Albufeira was the municipality in the district of Faro where the highest number of incidents was recorded, of which five were on public roads, followed by Moncarapacho, but none of them were serious. The Civil Protection source said that “there is also a record of a roof falling in a warehouse in Silves, which collapsed due to the weight of accumulated water, without causing any personal damage”. However, he added, “there was no need to reinforce Civil Protection resources”, and local fire departments resolved all incidents. “At this moment, all incidents have been resolved, recording normal water flow”, he specified. The more chemtrails they spray the more severe weather there will be. A few days ago the entire sky above the Algarve was sprayed over. Mainland Portugal's southernmost region has a wilder I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Algarve is often mentioned in the same breath as parts of southern Spain; a package holiday picture of fish & chip shops and Irish pubs It is true that some of the region’s prettiest beaches west of Faro such as Albufeira and Lagos have developed to cater for mass tourism head east from Faro airport to discover a region where English is still a foreign language barbecued as espadas (skewers) or in the local caldeirada (fish stew) slightly sparkling “green” wine (vinho verde) and the beaches are less accessible and a hundred times more pleasant temperatures are still in the low- to mid-20s in November making this an appealing prospect for a dose of warm winter sun or simply to explore the area by yourself; look out for chameleons flamingos and seahorses as well as dolphins and migrating birds For just €1.60 for a return trip, a ferry runs directly from the fishing town of Fuzeta on the mainland to Fuzeta beach on a large sandbar sandwiched between the Atlantic and Ria Formosa lagoon During the summer months there are a few beach shacks serving cold beer and hot butter-soaked toasted sandwiches as well as umbrella-men and portaloos there are still two ferries a day and you'll have the sand almost to yourself bring your own lunch and take a water taxi (€60 for up to 10 people) to one of the further-flung deserted sandbars such as Ilha Armona or Culatra – you may even see a dolphin or two on your way At this rustic, lagoon-facing fish restaurant between Livramento and Luz the plastic chairs and Christmas-themed wall decorations do not do justice to the quality and quantity of mouth-wateringly fresh fish that is on offer and feast on monkfish espadas (skewers) and mixed seafood rice stew (arroz de marico) Both Moncarapacho (Da Ana) and Fuzeta have beautiful jacaranda-lined squares with surprisingly good restaurants where you can experience the “inland” Algarve cuisine - meat and game Tavira is also worth visiting, for river-side and roof-top (A ver Tavira) restaurants a ruined 13th-century castle with views of the town’s distinctive roof tops and cobbled back-streets with their blue-and-white azulejo (tile) facades it is more touristy than the smaller and inland villages and you’ll find many Indian restaurants and hear more northern European voices in the central riverside square than Portuguese in the summer and early Autumn months cheese and local delicacies explode out of the red brick market buildings Have a galão (Portuguese latte) and pastel de nata (custard tart) for sustenance before you start your shopping both indoors and out ending with potential gems in the clothing and leather goods section Forgo the restaurants along the market road for Tasca o Galo (Rua Da Gazeta 7) or Restaurante Rio Formosa which specialises in cataplana a rich seafood dish which takes its name from the Moorish pot it is cooked in Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies seafood and unspoilt beaches","description":"Mainland Portugal's southernmost region has a wilder ‘The Banana Man’ had become a somewhat intriguing and mysterious figure in my mind ever since I first heard about him all the way back in November the South African ‘force for nature’ who you may remember from my story on his quirky and yet ingenious ‘Pig Poop Plant Plan’ (still available online if you are curious) but having read about the adventures of The Banana Man (the superhero) in comics like Dandy and Beano when I was a kid for the last few months it had been playing in the back of my mind about just who this fruity yellow-fellow might be Sebastian and I had agreed that one day we would go together to try and track him down The Banana Man remained appropriately elusive And we met up in the town of Moncarapacho one morning to see if we could finally find him The first stage was getting him on the phone to find out where exactly he was This led to a little confusion as neither Sebastian nor I had spent a lot of time in Moncarapacho (however we now know it rather well) and it took us a few spins around the quaint old streets until we eventually found the right road out of town we were starting to feel like we might never find him When he came out of a bush in the road in front of us there was no doubt that it was him Leonardo is Italian (although his accent did make me think for a minute that he might be German) and couldn’t help reminding me of a Roald Dahl character There’s really something quite magical about him Leonardo has a lot of problems with his balance and so needs both a wheelbarrow and walking stick to make his way around - which he does remarkably well through his banana thicket (more on that in a bit) his enthusiasm and joy about both bananas and life We followed him as he wheeled his wheelbarrow through a pathway in between some trees and when we came out the other side it felt like we had somehow teleported to a tropical country but today they are grown in South and Central America There are over 1,000 different varieties in the world but the one we know and love is called the ‘Cavendish’ this variety is under threat from diseases that are becoming increasingly resistant to all our fungicides it’s a good idea to think about cultivating a different species as well as seeing where else we can get them to grow - and this is exactly what Leonardo has been doing I’m afraid Leonardo couldn’t tell us what species exactly he has growing here when I asked him if they were “nice and tasty to eat?” his eyes lit up and he said yes!” He was originally given five of these trees when he was living in Peru and from just these few he has now created this plantation of what he estimates to be over 2,000 trees As Leonardo pushed his wheelbarrow through his jungle I quickly learned a lot of things about bananas that I never knew I should probably stop calling them trees (but I won’t) Bananas are actually more like a giant herb (distantly related to ginger) “They are like prehistoric grass” they don’t grow from seeds but from root-clumps called a ‘rhizome’ They continually expand outwards with new trees sprouting from these roots Another thing I found interesting is that the fruit doesn’t need bees to pollinate them and although bees do buzz around the flowers Leonardo laughed and told me bananas will just grow regardless They take around two years to grow and only fruit once and then die you should really remove that stem to make way for the youngsters that will be ready to come through is that with every new tree the rhizomes grow closer and closer to the surface which makes it more likely that a tree will topple over if its bunches of bananas get too big and heavy But we don’t call him The Banana Man for nothing he thought ahead and planted them deep in big beds which not only means that he has left room to pile new earth on top Banana trees like water a lot and can sit ‘in the bath’ indefinitely without any trouble at all Although Leonardo’s banana species is a lot more resistant to frost than the Cavendish he said it was a cold winter last year and so they didn’t do too well he said he can harvest an impressive one tonne of bananas it turned out we had come at the wrong time of year to try them I must remember to go back and get some in October/November when the harvest begins If you too would like to go on your own adventure to try and find Leonardo to either get some bananas or one of his trees to start your own jungle I’m afraid this time I can’t offer you a website or Instagram page to go to Leonardo is a lot more ‘old school’ than that Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.