Vilamoura Travel Guide

Pine Cliffs has a huge amount of facilities, but if you’re yearning to explore a slightly busier town then Vilamoura is a fantastic bet. It’s particularly suitable if you’re looking for nightlife with a little bit more action than Pine Cliffs, or simply a wider choice of bars and restaurants than in the resort.

The Marina area is the heart of Vilamoura, and this is where you’ll find the largest concentration of bars and restaurants. Vilamoura is an upmarket destination. Unlike many towns in the Algarve, you won’t have to worry about tourist traps or annoying touts. The only concern is finding a table during the high season, when things can get a little busy. The crowds may be annoying, but the area is busy for a reassuring reason: Vilamoura is one of the few towns where locals and tourists mix in the nightlife areas, so you can be sure that your bar or restaurant of choice doesn’t just cater to unwary tourists.

There are a wide variety of restaurants, spanning all the cuisines of Europe. The bars are also many and varied, including a jazz café and, of course, a traditional Irish pub.

If you’re travelling with children, there is plenty to keep them entertained, especially in the summer. There is often live entertainment and music on the beach, both during the day and in the evenings, and many of the shows are specially tailored towards little visitors who aren’t allowed in the bars. There’s also a zoo, a water park, a marine park, and even a small theme park with several exciting rides.

The marina is also home to a nightclub and a casino. The casino isn’t huge, but offers a wide variety of table games, including blackjack, roulette, and James Bond’s favourite: baccarat. Just like Bond, you’ll have to wear a jacket and tie for entry, although full black tie is optional.

Vilamoura is where you’ll find the Algarve’s biggest selection of designer boutiques, with all of the names that you’ll be familiar with from high fashion in the UK and abroad. Unlike many resort destinations, the boutiques here are stocked with up-to-the-minute fashions, rather than collections from several seasons ago. There are also several jewelry shops, stocking both classic, timeless items and more exciting statement pieces, as well as a selection of designer Swiss watches for both men and women.

While the shops in the area import luxury goods from all over the world, many visitors will be more interested in local craftworks. Here is one place where you can avoid the typical tourist tat and souvenirs that are sold across the Mediterranean. Of course, not every piece of craftsmanship is high quality or sold at a fair price, but in Vilamoura the rip-offs are amply outnumbered by local crafts with innovative designs that even your most fashion conscious friends will adore.

Vilamoura isn’t the typical Algarvean town, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s well worth the 20-minute journey from Pine Cliffs resort. If you’re looking for lively nightlife or a wider choice of designer boutiques, it’s exactly where you should be.