words by Williams
travel
Vilamoura Marina
One way or another, we've been visiting the marina at Vilamoura every year for the past 20 - pandemics permitting. Even then, we summoned up the courage to risk the darned Covidians for a trip in September 2021 that had been postponed twice before.
In between first booking and finally getting there, the father-in-law, who usually accompanies us, decided he couldn't face the testing, the wearing of a face mask on the plane and the general uncertainty of what travel looks like these days and opted out.
In the end, I think we found that the experience could have been much worse.
Generally speaking, people doing the marina promenade opted mainly for face coverings, which were compulsory anyway on entering bars and restaurants.
At the time you still needed a fit-to-fly test to come back into the UK, but even that was made relatively simple by the presence of a testing station in a tent on a corner of the marina which opened to suit the evening crowd, who could get a quick swab up the nose, before heading off for a pint and a pizza.
The Lake Resort
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Aquamar Apartments
Lately, whenever we've been able to make it to the Algarve, and Vilamoura specifically, we've tried to book an apartment in the Aquamar building at what the guides tell you is the 'quieter' end of the Marina.
(To be fair, it has been known to be a bit less quiet at 3am on a Sunday when the Marina bars have kicked out...)
The six storey building has three faces onto the Marina, two looking directly out to sea and one across to the Lake Resort opposite.
The last couple of times we've been have been booked through the Clever Details company. And this is the view from this apartment, where we stayed in September 2021.
The Aquamar building features a floor-to-ceiling atrium in the foyer, which when viewed from the glass sided elevator looks spectacular.
We've always found the staff friendly and helpful - especially so in these Covid-blighted times - particularly when it comes to printing boarding passes, test and vaccine certificates and so on.
There's a well-tended garden and a J-shaped pool.
Below the apartment is a small supermarket with a big reputation for croissants. You can set your watch by the morning croissant queue.
Since we were last there, the shop has been taken over by an Italian family, who are bringing their own influence on the food and drink available.
