How many species did you add throughout the summer months?

Although it has been well reported that August was a very quiet time for birders, this was not the case in the sunny Algarve, Portugal.

Birding in the Algarve takes you off the tourist track popular with walkers and cyclists to a land where White Storks and Hoopoes, Purple Swamp-hens and Azure-winged Magpies offer a truly memorable experience.

Enthusiasts that booked their accommodation with Select Resorts this year all returned home in buoyant moods as they report to us the number of species that they have ticked - included sightings of Wigeons, Booted Eagles, Ospreys and Glossy Ibis all at Ludo farm in Quinta do Lago.

Ludo Farm borders the Quinta de Lago resort and spreads east as far as Faro Airport. The best access to get the most out of your visit is from the road leading to Ilha de Faro. If you park on the right-hand side of the road and head along the track westwards away from the airport you have access to saltpans and glorious lagoons that provide some great views.

At Select Resorts we want to hear of your birding experiences in the Algarve region, so please feel free to add your comments.

Remember at the end of an action packed day bird watching it is essential for some good food and comfortable accomodation to relax in. Check out Select Resorts website http://www.selectresorts.co.uk to arrange your accommodation in the Algarve now.

A Walkers Paradise!

The Algarve is a walkers paradise. This Southern part of Portugal may be best known for its exclusive golf resorts and fabulous beaches, but there is a lot more to be discovered just a short distance from the main resorts. Select Resorts offer holidays in the main exclusive golf resorts such as Quinta do Lago but we also encourage visitors to get out and about to see the stunning scenery and wildlife which is so close by!

The Algarve´s climate makes walking a pleasure at least nine months of the year. In the springtime, the countryside is covered by brightly coloured flowers. Summer adds the butterflies and an abundance of wildlife. In autumn there is new growth and giving the sense of a second spring.

There is a wide variety of walks from coastal foot paths to rugged mountains, orange valleys to quaint traditional towns. One of the most stunning parts of the Algarve, Monchique and its surrounding regions are a delight to explore. Walking allows you the opportunity to explore the landscape which has been untouched by development.

Few visitors are aware of the variety of wildlife on the Algarve. From flamingos to eagles, from ancient olive trees to wild orchids, from geckos to wild boar, the Algarve has an abundance of wildlife. The flora and fauna of the South coast changes season by season. Cork oak, olives, pines, eucalyptus and tree heathers and cultivated orange and lemon groves and almond trees give a colourful display and smell. There are gum cistus, wild jasmine, rock roses and oleanders.. There is also a lot to see for birders, including cranes and flamingos.

Local guide books and good walking guides can help you find the best routes around the area, and can also suggest walking guides who can arrange a walking tour with other like minded explorers. By using local guides and visiting rural restaurants and shops selling local products also helps put money into the local economy, and walking is an environmentally friendly and healthy way to explore the beautiful Algarve.

All you need at the end of a tiring day walking is some good food and a comfortable villa to relax in. Check out Select Resorts website www.selectresorts.co.uk to arrange your accommodation in the Algarve now.

Enjoy!

Four Season Country Club Quinta do Lago

Located in the prestigious golfing resort of Quinta do Lago, the Four Seasons Country Club has been a favorite with Select Resorts clients for many years. It could be the fact that the resort offers a high standard of accommodation throughout, and with all the properties with the same décor clients know what to expect. Its popularity could also be due to the fact that it offers excellent facilities on site including a kids club meaning it makes an easy and convenient holiday for families. Golfers also like the Four Seasons Country Club as golf courses are as close as 500m and guests receive preferential rates.

Along with the choice of one and two bedroom apartments sleeping up to six people, the Four Seasons Country Club also offers a gym, health and fitness club, restaurant and bar and indoor and outdoor pool, really making it a club for all seasons! Despite the array of facilities, the Four Seasons Country Club is pretty. The apartments are built in little clusters with the appearance of a little white washed village. The beach and nature reserve is also very close.

It would be fair to say that the Four Seasons Country Club suits all types of holiday makers and its excellent reputation means that accommodation gets booked up very early. At the moment there is also a fantastic special offer giving early bookers 10% discount for holidays between 1/1/09 and 29/3/09 if booked before 31/12/08. So hurry, before everyone else gets there first! Enquire Now!!

In these turbulent economic times it makes sense to have the right people working with you.  Select Resorts are a long established Villa Rentals specialist based in the UK.  We have a proven track record of delivering quality rental revenues to our owners for over 25 years.

We are now actively seeking villa owners in the area in and around Vale do Lobo to register their properties with us.  We are not seeking sole agency agreements, simply the opportunity to rent your property.  Select Resorts have a strong database of clients who return to us year after year seeking quality property just like yours.  We also have an excellent record in getting bookings outside of the traditional high seasons. 

Select Resorts is a great place to start if you wish to increase your year round revenues.

If you are interested in finding a rental agent who will work proactively on your behalf then call Georgina on 01202 786490.

Select Resorts (www.selectresorts.co.uk / 01202 786490) is offering up to £70 per night off a selection of villas and townhouses in the Monte da Quinta Club, on stays before 31 December.  All villas and townhouse are modern and comfortable and include a fully equipped kitchen, TV with cable channels, PlayStation and internet access, plus a private garden with plunge pool or swimming pool.  This superb new resort is located in the very heart of exclusive Quinta do Lago on the Algarve.  Facilities include the club house with café, restaurants, health club, three swimming pools including a children’s pool, gymnasium, Jacuzzi, steam room and children’s club.  Many activities are available nearby such as golf, horse riding, tennis and cycling.

Prices start from £87 per night (a saving of £38) for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse.  Sleeping up to four, the price equates to less than £22 per person, per night.  Boasting a private garden and plunge pool, townhouses are perfect for couples or groups and are available with one, two or three bedrooms.

Whilst a three-bedroom, three-bathroom villa starts from £140 per night (a saving of £67).  Sleeping up to six, the price equates to less than £24 per person, per night.  With a private garden and swimming pool, the villas are well-suited to large groups or families and are available with three, four or five bedrooms

The price includes a welcome pack on arrival, daily maid service and full use of the complex facilities.

 Below are details of our most recent offers from Select Resorts

Praia D'el Rey

The European winners of the 2008 World Travel Awards, dubbed “the Oscars of the travel industry” by the Wall Street Journal, were announced this week at a glittering awards ceremony in Slovakia attended by 300 guests from 19 countries across Europe.

Against stiff competition, the Praia D’El Rey Marriott Hotel, situated 50 minutes north of Lisbon on Portugal’s Silver Coast, was named “Portugal’s Leading Resort” for the second year running.

This caps a highly successful year for the Praia D’El Rey Golf & Beach Resort, already well known as a year round sporting destination by the world’s elite sportsmen. Recent visitors include football superhero Cristiano Ronaldo, since the resort’s Marriott hotel is currently the home-from-home for the Portuguese national football team during their World Cup 2010 training sessions.

Praia D'el Rey Golf and Beach Resort

“We are thrilled to win this prestigious award”, says Jorge Almeida, Resort Director of Praia D’El Rey. “It’s a recognition of how we have grown over the last 10 years to become one of Portugal’s best known resorts, with over 250,000 visitors a year.”

Launched in 1993, the World Travel Awards acknowledge excellence in travel and tourism.

Now, after fifteen years, both travel professionals and travellers alike regard the awards as an endorsement of quality. Votes are cast by travel professionals from 167,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies and tourism organizations in over 160 countries worldwide.

You can book holidays at Praia D’el Rey or at Quinta do Lago, which was voted “Portugals Leading Golf Resort” with Select Resorts, who offer a wide range of villa, apartment and hotel accommodation on the resort.

Apart from its 5 star Marriott hotel, the 230-hectare Praia D’El Rey Golf & Beach Resort has an 18 hole golf course with full coaching facilities, water sports, a tennis centre and FIFA-standard football centre, shops and restaurants, and over 800 luxury villas, townhouses and apartments.

The World Travel award winners have just been revealed and it means great news for Select Resorts clients.

Quinta Do Lago Resort

Confirming what we already know from our many satisfied clients Quinta do Lago Resort has been awarded Portugal’s Leading Golf Resort for 2008.  The resort boasts four magnificent courses which are a focal point though there is a wide range of other sporting and leisure activities such as tennis, sunbathing, swimming, windsurfing on the lake, sailing, fishing, horse riding and beach combing. 

There are also a further 12 courses within easy distance and a host of other exciting activities in the area, making Quinta do Lago the perfect holiday spot for all the family.

Praia D'el Rey Resort

Further great news was the recognition of Praia d’el Rey as Portugal’s Best Resort.  The resort consists of 600 acres (200 hectares) with a landscape as richly varied as the surrounding countryside.  The resort has a beautiful sandy beach of 2.5km, popular with surfers and sun seekers. Summer activities include football, volleyball and other supervised beach activities. Praia d’el Rey is the ideal place for those who wish to socialise, play golf, tennis, walk, windsurf or just relax – the list is endless!

If you are interested in visiting either of these fantastic resorts please visit our website or call +44 1202 786490

The full list of winners is available at http://www.worldtravelawards.com/winners2008-8

Carol has been a reservations agent with Select Resorts for many years and has visited many of our Quinta do Lago Villa properties over the years.  Here she discusses a particular favourite of hers in the ever popular Lakeside Village area of Quinta do Lago.

“I have visited the Algarve on many occasions now for holidays and work and I still feel that Lakeside Village in Quinta do Lago is an ideal location. The resort has much to offer with its proximity to excellent beaches, superb golf and wide variety of restaurants, and yet it manages to retain a sense of space and tranquillity.

One of the properties that I particularly like is a 2 bedroom semi detached Lakeside Village villa with its own swimming pool. This charming villa has recently been completely re-furbished and benefits from a new kitchen and bathrooms. The soft furnishings have also been replaced, and the proud owners are constantly improving the property with a guest cloakroom, gas fire and broadband as the most recent additions. The roof terrace offers views over the resort and towards the sea.

PV2-01 Lakeside Village

Lakeside Village is always a popular resort and is suitable for families or couples. On site there are tennis courts, communal pools, including children’s pools, and a snack bar which is open during the summer season. The resort is set on a man made lake which offers water sports, and is within easy reach of a few restaurants, the beach and, of course, golf! Writing this has evoked a lot of happy memories – I definitely need to book another trip!”

You can book your stay in this Lakeside Village property PV2-01 by contacting Select Resorts or why not take a look at our other fantastic properties in Lakeside Village or other parts of Quinta do Lago.

Lakeside Village is a very popular destination within the 5 Star resort of  Quinta do Lago. The village comprise a range of villas, apartments and townhouses and borders the picturesque natural salt lake at the south-western end of Quinta do Lago. The development at Lakeside Village comprises beautifully landscaped gardens, whilst the apartments and townhouses offer access to 3 excellent communal pool. The villas are complete with private pools.

Lakeside Village Communal Pool

This October half term from the 25th October lucky visitors can stay in a two bedroom Lakeside Village Apartment from just £420 per week – that’s just £15 per person for a family of four.

There are also great deals available on villas and 1 bedroom apartments.

2008 saw the opening of the latest addition to the Monte Da Quinta club offering in Quinta do Lago with the launch of the Monte da Quinta Suites. 

The Monte da Quinta club have traditionally offered luxury Villas and Townhouses within Quinta do Lago but the launch of the suites has taken their offering to a new level.  The Monta da Quinta Suites, comprises of 132 suites with 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms. Each suite has been carefully designed and decorated with a modern touch. These apart-hotel suites have self catering facilities but also include Buffet Breakfast in the Club restaurant to help start your day off in style.

This superb new resort is situated at the heart of Quinta do Lago and offers a high standard of accommodation and service within a modern design setting.  The suites boast excellent on site facilities including a fabulous leisure complex incorporating a gym, swimming pool, jacuzzi and steam room.  These new additions complete superbly the existing club house and cafe facilities.

This great holiday getaway in Portugal also is conveniently situated near the award winning Quinta do Lago golf courses, and other activities such as tennis, horse riding, and cycling.

As a new resort, the management of Monte da Quinta Suites are keen to show off their new project to as many people as possible and as a result have been offering amazing deals throughout the summer and now have even more deals for the Winter.

Select Resorts are offering a Tee for Two offer combining 5 nights accommodation, breakfast and dinner with 2 rounds of golf each for two people for under £800 - that’s less than £400 per person when booked with Select Resorts.

Or what about their Relax and Enjoy package which offers 2 nights and includes accommodation in a 1 bedrooms Suite for 2 people, with breakfast. And includes 2 body treatments (1 per person) at Monte da Quinta Health & Beauty Spa (from their selected treatments) plus a free bottle of wine for just £350, just £175 per person.

If you need a getaway this for Christmas then don’t delay contact Select Resorts on 00 44 (0)1202 786490 Now to book or visit our website.

For those of you looking to stay in a Quinta do Lago villa or elsewhere in the Algarve we have some exciting news – Select Resortshave teamed up with the Algarve Chef who are bringing personal chef and hosting services to the Algarve. 

The Algarve Chef provides a personal dining experience, using the freshest and finest ingredients from in and around the local area.  They bring to you the dining experience of a restaurant, into your home and villa.

Providing one off special gourmet dinner or a fully catered week, they specialise in hosting dinner parties and also corporate groups.  The aim is to make your stay in the Algarve a holiday to remember giving you time to sit back and relax.

Services include:

• Breakfast
• Gourmet Dinner
• BBQ’s       
• Platters
• Hampers
• Yachts

All services can be taken from Land to Sea for those wanting a personal chef and host.

Call Select Resorts on 01202 786 490 for more information