Vivenda Belavista

The location is awful, a residential area, no facilities close, noisy dogs either side kept us awake, it was like being around kennels, and then next morning our stay was ruined by construction workers opposite, cement mixers, propane torches, dreadful. if you look at the photo of the seating area in the garden , you will see behind the seats , steps leading down to the pool pump, unbelievably noisy location. Inside, there is nothing to prevent you or your kids from falling off the first floor down the stairwell, highly dangerous. we booked for five nights but left on the first morning. I have travelled round the world and stayed in hundreds of hotels and villas, this was the worst. No welcome pack, no instructions for guests. Despite saying there was a cancellation charge, it was never mentioned how much, they didnt offer us a penny. It also lists air-conditioning, there isnt , it also lists a Hot tub, there isnt.

We were two families, 4 adults and 4 kids. It was a last minute booking (roughly a week in advance) and we were looking for a location that is going to be warm enough for us to have a proper summer feel so 30+ degrees celcius, and of course we wanted a big pool (12x7m) so everybody can relax in their own way. The villa is excellent, and the (unheated) pool just works, we loved it, both kids and adults alike. The place is set in a residential area, both tranquil and functional, enough parking space for two cars, a large outside kitchenette section, including a built in barbecue grill with three grill heights, so you can sear/rare your steaks and fish the way you like. There’s a garden with exotic fruit plants and a shade corner because the sun is quite intense during the day, so you can find refuge or a space for a little afternoon nap in the shade. The villa itself has 4 bedrooms with double beds, enough bathrooms, a spacy living room with a dining section, and a separate well equiped kitchen with an island good for dining 4 people. It really feels like home away from home, and it was just what we were looking for. The nearest supermarket is 5 min away via car, a big enough Lidl for basically anything, if you decide to go 5 min further you’re in Portimao where you can quickly understand why the Portugese eat so well, just by visiting the fish market. And if you don’t feel like going out, or cooking every day/evening, you can always order a delivery via Glovo. We of course recommend visiting the beautifuk sandy beach, so you get a bit of an understanding of the beach culture, that is integrated into the Portuguese, not that you need to (the pool is 2m deep on one side), but just to satisfy your curiosity. The day we arrived, we were greated by the owner Mrs. Neida, who was exceptionally polite, even though we were a couple hours late, coming in hot from Sintra. She gave us a quick tour around the place and facilities.

Well it was Algarve in August, and it was hot, if you open windows and doors the villa will have a nice breeze through the night. There’s just the master bedroom that won’t get much of that breeze, whatsoever. So for me, since there is no airconditioning, this was the hottest room of the house and a bit of a challenge to sleep in.

very spacious modern and clean

no banister on the stairs