Villa Milani is only 8km from the beautiful small city of Loulé in the Algarve, there is a small café nearby, but more choice is available in Loulé itself where you have a great choice of cafes, bars, restaurants, small shops and a few supermarkets for your essentials. The nearest sandy beach is the stunning Alameda Praia da Marina in the beautiful village of Vilamoura some 14km away.

Loulé, was originally founded as a Roman fort, some time later it was an Arabian town called Al-Aliya, the preserved the ruins of its medieval castle, city wall, narrow streets (in particular Rua da Barbacã) and some interesting churches bear testimony to its past. The most important characteristic of this region is the simplicity of its architecture, its traditions, and the way of life of the people, the hinterland of the Algarve has not changed as quickly as the coastal regions.

One of the most interesting places in Loulé is Mercado de Loulé, the municipal market, where most locals buy their groceries, on certain days there are additional artisan stalls and even a gipsy market. Another is the shrine of Nossa Senhora da Piedade which can be seen from all around, it looks for all the world like a spaceship. You often see pilgrims making their way up the hill towards it, it is quite a hard walk but worth it for the views.

If you have a day exploring the more traditional villages of Algarve why not visit Tavira, it straddles the Gilão River, which reaches the sea through the inlets and lagoons of Ria Formosa Natural Park. Tavira Island has a long, sandy beach, plus salt pans that attract flamingos, spoonbills and other wading birds.  Quarteria is beautiful old fishing village to visit it has a lovely beach and beautiful cobbled promenade lined by mature palms and lots of tiny fish restaurants.  For something completely different take one of the river cruises from Portimão to Silves, the ancient capital of the Algarve, passengers have time to explore this beautiful small city and discover its history, during the return river trip refreshments are served, it is a magical trip especially on a late afternoon sailing should the tide be in your favour.

If you were to come to the Algarve for a golfing holiday, it offers some of the best links style courses in Europe. At Quinta do Lago you have a choice of three courses, one of which often hosts the Portuguese open. It also benefits from having other sporting facilities on site should some of your party not be golfers. Vale do Lobo is another luxury resort designed with golf in mind and is home to two of the most challenging and outstanding golf courses in the Algarve. The Royal, considered to be one of the most prestigious courses in Portugal, and the Ocean, a challenging course composed of the two original golf courses which were designed by Sir Henry Cotton offers the best views around and an unforgettable experience.

If you’d rather spend your holiday on the beach than on the golf course, the Algarve has mile upon mile of golden sands and clear waters. The beach in Praia de Dona Ana beach is considered to be one of the most picturesque with its dramatic backdrop of red sandstone cliffs, there’s nothing better than spending a day relaxing underneath the warm Portuguese sun.