The Algarve offers a wonderful variety of styles of living: from the resorts of the rich and famous, to the hustle and bustle of seaside towns, to the little hillside villages where a quieter pace of life is on offer. These lifestyle differences are reflected most clearly in the properties for sale in the Algarve.
It doesn’t matter if you’re enviably wealthy or just making ends meet: nobody really cares as long as everyone is enjoying life. So I thought I’d have a browse at some of the different homes and lifestyles that are available right now.
By the beach
Most people love the beach, so let’s take a look at where some folks choose to live.
You can’t get much closer to the fantastic beach of Praia da Rocha in Portimão, than this apartment. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill flat, but a smart, spacious apartment set in an exclusive, private condominium that’s selling for €455,000 (£328,000).
This beautiful property with four bedrooms and four bathrooms is ideal for a beach loving family. There’s a large sitting room and separate dining room, and the fully fitted kitchen includes a breakfast nook. There are multiple three balconies overlooking the sea.
The apartment includes a fireplace, air conditioning and double glazing so it’s comfortable all year round. The private condominium is just four storeys high and includes a lift, which is quite unusual for the region. There’s also a security system, private garage, and swimming pool - in fact everything you need for a fine beachside lifestyle.
Just down the road in the village of Montes de Alvor, close to the Ria de Alvor (Alvor River) and just two minutes walk from the Alvor beach, is a two storey house on a gated condominium with a communal swimming pool and gardens.
On the market for just €190,000 (£138,000), this duplex townhouse includes all the furniture and fittings. On the ground floor is a living room with fireplace, a small dining area plus an open-plan fitted kitchen. There is a private patio and small garden area. Upstairs is a spacious landing leading to two large bedrooms and two bathrooms.
This property is move-in ready, and ideal if you’re looking for a home-away-from-home. The fabulous location means it has great potential for holiday rentals too.
City life
Living in the city is not for everyone but it does have its advantages. Everything is on your doorstep: shops, theatres, museums, restaurants and bars as well as schools and parks. Faro has all of these as well as a marina and a blue flag beach is just down the road.
On the ground floor is a living room and kitchen with a small patio that is large enough for dining. The first floor has two bedrooms and a bathroom, with both the bedrooms having built in wardrobes and a view over the city.
The attic has been converted to a large open space and has a bathroom. Currently used as an office, this space has great potential as additional living space and includes an additional private patio.
Priced at just €150,000 (£108,000) it is the perfect home for a couple or small family.
Loulé is an ancient town steeped in history and fantastic old buildings, but it is also a modern town, teeming with life. Pedestrian shopping, markets, restaurants, bars, parks and schools are just part of what this lovely town has to offer. And here is a great apartment for sale in the centre of it all.
Just outside of the town centre, in a quiet area but within walking distance of all of Loulé’s amenities, is this fabulous new condominium. With a choice of two and three-bedroom apartments available in the three-storey building, prices start from just €148,000.
Each apartment has its own parking space and storage area in the basement. The apartments feature private terraces, some with sea views, and come with fully fitted and equipped modern kitchens.
All apartments have at least one bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, and apartments on the top floor even have a terrace with built in barbecue.
With wood flooring throughout, the construction and finishes are of high quality including air conditioning, electric shutters, alarm systems and video intercom.
Rural Algarve
Leaving the coast and the cities for the peace and quiet of the hills, life relaxes to a quieter pace where you may enjoy more space and fresh air. Most properties in the countryside enjoy a larger garden or plot of land and properties are frequently designed for a lot of outside living. Dining outside and enjoying a good barbecue is part of the wonderful lifestyle afforded by the Algarve’s great year round climate.
Set in the countryside about 8km north of São Bartolomeu de Messines is a renovated typical Portuguese quinta with an astounding 20,000m2 of land. Nestled in the rolling hills of Silves county, this property definitely gets you away from the maddening crowd.
The villa comprises an open-plan traditional style living and dining room with beamed ceilings, a fitted kitchen with a small storage room, and three ensuite bedrooms. There’s a wood burning stove for the winter and air conditioning for the summer.
Not only is there a swimming pool but the property has it’s own small private lake too! A BBQ and extensive covered terrace takes care of the alfresco dining while a borehole takes care of the water supply. Priced realistically at €265,000 (which is less than £191,000) this is definitely one for those who like to get away from it all.
Across to the eastern Algarve, here’s an idyllic country house for the family. Set in the hills north of Tavira, with stunning views all round, this villa beautifully combines modern amenities and rural living. This south-facing, one storey villa with a separate self-contained one bedroom annex is on offer for just €380,000 (£273,000).
The main house has a light and airy lounge/dining room with plenty of French windows leading to the extensive terraces and heated swimming pool.
The kitchen is bright (very bright!) and is very modern, fully fitted and equipped. There are two double bedrooms and two bathrooms. Stairs lead to the roof terrace for private sunbathing.
The annex is attached to the main house and is completely self contained, with an additional bedroom and bathroom.
Special features include solar heated water, double glazing, shutters, air conditioning, central heating and a fireplace, ensuring year-round comfort.There’s also a double garage, workshop/shed and a borehole. The gardens are planted with water saving, drought resistant plants and it’s all set in a whopping 10,422m2 of land.
When you think about it, where else could you live with such diversity in such an area filled with sunshine? Beaches are never far from home and with recreational activities abounding throughout the length and breadth of the region, it’s got something for everyone.
During the past year the Algarve has won more accolades than just about any other place on the planet. The local Portuguese are renowned for being the friendliest people in the world (check it out – they are!) and with a trouble free guide to helping you buy property in the Algarve, life becomes a bowl of cherries!
*The properties featured in this article were listed for sale on Meravista.com at the time of publication, but may have since been sold or removed from the website
Choosing property based on your lifestyle
By Sun’s Dragon
The Algarve offers a wonderful variety of styles of living: from the resorts of the rich and famous, to the hustle and bustle of seaside towns, to the little hillside villages where a quieter pace of life is on offer. These lifestyle differences are reflected most clearly in the properties for sale in the Algarve.
It doesn’t matter if you’re enviably wealthy or just making ends meet: nobody really cares as long as everyone is enjoying life. So I thought I’d have a browse at some of the different homes and lifestyles that are available right now.
By the beach
Most people love the beach, so let’s take a look at where some folks choose to live.
You can’t get much closer to the fantastic beach of Praia da Rocha in Portimão, than this apartment. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill flat, but a smart, spacious apartment set in an exclusive, private condominium that’s selling for €455,000 (£328,000).
This beautiful property with four bedrooms and four bathrooms is ideal for a beach loving family. There’s a large sitting room and separate dining room, and the fully fitted kitchen includes a breakfast nook. There are multiple three balconies overlooking the sea.
The apartment includes a fireplace, air conditioning and double glazing so it’s comfortable all year round. The private condominium is just four storeys high and includes a lift, which is quite unusual for the region. There’s also a security system, private garage, and swimming pool - in fact everything you need for a fine beachside lifestyle.
On the market for just €190,000 (£138,000), this duplex townhouse includes all the furniture and fittings. On the ground floor is a living room with fireplace, a small dining area plus an open-plan fitted kitchen. There is a private patio and small garden area. Upstairs is a spacious landing leading to two large bedrooms and two bathrooms.
This property is move-in ready, and ideal if you’re looking for a home-away-from-home. The fabulous location means it has great potential for holiday rentals too.
City life
Living in the city is not for everyone but it does have its advantages. Everything is on your doorstep: shops, theatres, museums, restaurants and bars as well as schools and parks. Faro has all of these as well as a marina and a blue flag beach is just down the road.
This competitively priced townhouse is in the centre of Faro, the capital of the Algarve, and has been modernised.
On the ground floor is a living room and kitchen with a small patio that is large enough for dining. The first floor has two bedrooms and a bathroom, with both the bedrooms having built in wardrobes and a view over the city.
The attic has been converted to a large open space and has a bathroom. Currently used as an office, this space has great potential as additional living space and includes an additional private patio.
Priced at just €150,000 (£108,000) it is the perfect home for a couple or small family.
Loulé is an ancient town steeped in history and fantastic old buildings, but it is also a modern town, teeming with life. Pedestrian shopping, markets, restaurants, bars, parks and schools are just part of what this lovely town has to offer. And here is a great apartment for sale in the centre of it all.
Just outside of the town centre, in a quiet area but within walking distance of all of Loulé’s amenities, is this fabulous new condominium. With a choice of two and three-bedroom apartments available in the three-storey building, prices start from just €148,000.
Each apartment has its own parking space and storage area in the basement. The apartments feature private terraces, some with sea views, and come with fully fitted and equipped modern kitchens.
All apartments have at least one bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, and apartments on the top floor even have a terrace with built in barbecue.
With wood flooring throughout, the construction and finishes are of high quality including air conditioning, electric shutters, alarm systems and video intercom.
Rural Algarve
Leaving the coast and the cities for the peace and quiet of the hills, life relaxes to a quieter pace where you may enjoy more space and fresh air. Most properties in the countryside enjoy a larger garden or plot of land and properties are frequently designed for a lot of outside living. Dining outside and enjoying a good barbecue is part of the wonderful lifestyle afforded by the Algarve’s great year round climate.
Set in the countryside about 8km north of São Bartolomeu de Messines is a renovated typical Portuguese quinta with an astounding 20,000m2 of land. Nestled in the rolling hills of Silves county, this property definitely gets you away from the maddening crowd.
The villa comprises an open-plan traditional style living and dining room with beamed ceilings, a fitted kitchen with a small storage room, and three ensuite bedrooms. There’s a wood burning stove for the winter and air conditioning for the summer.
Not only is there a swimming pool but the property has it’s own small private lake too! A BBQ and extensive covered terrace takes care of the alfresco dining while a borehole takes care of the water supply. Priced realistically at €265,000 (which is less than £191,000) this is definitely one for those who like to get away from it all.
Across to the eastern Algarve, here’s an idyllic country house for the family. Set in the hills north of Tavira, with stunning views all round, this villa beautifully combines modern amenities and rural living. This south-facing, one storey villa with a separate self-contained one bedroom annex is on offer for just €380,000 (£273,000).
The main house has a light and airy lounge/dining room with plenty of French windows leading to the extensive terraces and heated swimming pool.
The kitchen is bright (very bright!) and is very modern, fully fitted and equipped. There are two double bedrooms and two bathrooms. Stairs lead to the roof terrace for private sunbathing.
The annex is attached to the main house and is completely self contained, with an additional bedroom and bathroom.
Special features include solar heated water, double glazing, shutters, air conditioning, central heating and a fireplace, ensuring year-round comfort.There’s also a double garage, workshop/shed and a borehole. The gardens are planted with water saving, drought resistant plants and it’s all set in a whopping 10,422m2 of land.
When you think about it, where else could you live with such diversity in such an area filled with sunshine? Beaches are never far from home and with recreational activities abounding throughout the length and breadth of the region, it’s got something for everyone.
During the past year the Algarve has won more accolades than just about any other place on the planet. The local Portuguese are renowned for being the friendliest people in the world (check it out – they are!) and with a trouble free guide to helping you buy property in the Algarve, life becomes a bowl of cherries!
*The properties featured in this article were listed for sale on Meravista.com at the time of publication, but may have since been sold or removed from the website
Brought to you by Meravista.com – the place where smart people search for Algarve property for sale. Contact Meravista.com