Algarve with teenagers. What to do?
TIPS, ACTIVITIES & IDEAS…..
Is Vila do Ouro suitable for families with teenagers? As far as we are concerned, it is! Vila do Ouro is super centrally located in the Algarve, making it great as a strong home base to do all kinds of activities in the Algarve. After all, you’re on the west coast with an hour’s drive and if you drive an hour east, you’re in Spain. Vila do Ouro has hosted many teenagers and all of them were super satisfied with their stay with their parents in our tropical-vibe paradise in the Algarve. There have even been fledgling romances at Vila do Ouro that have continued long after the guests have returned home.
Teenagers at Vila do Ouro: we have the pool, the tennis court, the basketball net, the ping pong table, the bookcase, multiple lounge & chill places and the free Wi-Fi. If there are peers, it’s always fun, but that’s a bonus and you can’t count on that by default. The vibe is always relaxed.
From Vila do Ouro, you can do perfect mountain biking, walking or something sportier: hiking. There are beautiful routes through nature reserves and the agricultural landscape. Mountain bikes can be hired nearby, and we also have a company that delivers to Vila do Ouro. You can even take a guided mountain bike tour. Hiking or just walking is doable anyway, but it is for the experienced. One should make no mistake about the temperature and the number of hills. In the summer months, mornings and evenings are ideal for this kind of activity.
SPORT:
Within a half-hour drive, you can do the following sports: mountain biking, horse riding, surfing, bodyboarding, supping, snorkeling, diving, waterskiing, e-foiling, sailing, canoeing, karting, bowling, paddling, cliff walks, golf & mini golf. Within an hour’s drive, you can add windsurfing, wingfoiling & kitesurfing.
ADVENTURE & THRILLS:
Parque Aventura (climbing park among the tall trees), coasteering (clambering over the cliffs, jumping and swimming), tandem parachute jumping, jetboat ride, buggy safari (in a dusty convoy down the Algarve’s dirt roads), dolphin & cave tours (with a speedboat for a search of dolphins and sailing through caves), jet skiing, water activities (with all kinds of things behind a speedboat such as the famous banana) or a jeep safari (from Vila do Ouro taking the jeep into the hills and rugged Algarve)
PRETPARKS:
Zoomarine (zoo, amusement and swimming park, 15 minutes‘drive from Vila do Ouro), the water parks Slide & Splash, Agualand or Aguashow (all within 25 minutes’ drive from Vila do Ouro), Luso Parque Aventura (3 climbing parks in the Algarve. Albufeira has 1 within a 15-minute drive from Vila do Ouro) or mini-golf parks in Vilamoura, Albufeira and Alvor. Novice teenagers are sometimes still charmed by a visit to a zoo. In Lagos, there is a Zoo where you can admire beautiful animals and have swim next to the pinguins.
NIGHT LIFE:
Going out can be done on Albufeira’s Strip. It is a 15-minute drive to Albufeira’s night life center where most young people hang out in one of the many bars or dancings. Parents can pick them up or the somewhat mature youngsters return by taxi or Uber. But be silent please when you get back…
SHOPPING:
Teenagers focused on fashion and shopping can indulge here. There are 4 major shopping centers within half an hour’s drive with a wide variety of clothes shops. The Shopping Algarve with well-known clothing shops such as Zara, Pull & Bear, C&A, Bershka and H&M, is a 10-15-minute drive from Vila do Ouro. In addition it has a Nike outlet and a Decathlon. In Portimão is the 3-storey Agua shopping and, a 25-minute drive eastwards, you will find the biggest shopping MAR in Loulé. What appeals to shoppers is the outlet centre with well-known brands such as Adidas and Puma. If that doesn’t give you enough, there is another big shopping just 10 minutes away in Faro. The shopping Faro also has quite a stock of shops. At all shopping centres there is a cinema (useful on rare rainy days or during too hot days) and a food court with all kinds of restaurants and eateries. Ideal too, if everyone feels like eating something different. The shoppings are open until 11pm or 0am, so also fun to do after a day at the beach.
HISTORY & CULTURE
Visiting old villages, is usually not appreciated by teenagers, but if they are interested in history, they can gain knowledge in Silves (the old capital of the Algarve), Loulé & Tavira (both towns have excavation museums) and Faro the capital of the Algarve. Lagos is a nice town westly from Vila do Ouro, just a 40-minute drive away and there the slave market and golden church are impressive. In the Algarve are several medieval festivals in summer including the most famous one in Silves. The town goes all the way back in time and is completely medieval for nine evenings and has shows, food, drinks and music. Exciting and educational is also a visit to the salt mines below Loulé. A network of tunnels runs 200 metres under the city which you can visit with a guided tour. Impressive!
The extreme south-western tip of mainland Europe can be found at Cabo de São Vincente. This is where sailors were trained by Henry the Navigator to make great voyages of discovery. A tad touristy, but this cape is not out of place in a cultural day trip with teenagers.
A day trip to Spain is also fun. The ferry takes you straight from Villa Real into the centre of the Spanish village of Ayamonte. Just go for eating some tapas, for example. It’s also an hour later there! You can choose to drive further to Seville and look around. Seville has also a big leisure park there, Isla Magica. If you want to there, we recommend leaving Vila do Ouro early. Seville is 2.5 hours away, as is Lisbon, which is also recommended for a day visit. This can also be done by train or bus.
Teenagers interested in fossils can have a blast in the Algarve. The sandy rocks around Albufeira are full of shells more than 10,000 years old.
NATURE
For the Portuguese, the sea is very important. You can take wonderful trips out to sea in a canoe, boat or go for snorkeling. Walks over the cliffs are always spectacular. For a long beach walk, you can choose the beaches of Galé or Falésia. The nature walk at Salgados beach is also a fun walk to do with teenagers. Bird and turtle spotting. Flamingos can also be seen. Near Faro, you can take a boat into the Ria Formosa wetland to see unusual birds. If you don’t like birdwatching, a day trip to one of the Algarve’s mudflats might be another idea. On the edge of the Ria Formosa are the islands of Armona and Culatra. Super fun atmosphere, crystal clear waters and no cars. Not obvious, is a trip to the Alentejo, the region above the Algarve. Sparsely populated, agricultural and hot. Still, diving into the Santa Clara reservoir there, for example, is fun. Warm fresh water and super quiet. That’s about a 1.5-hour drive away. Teenagers are also often impressed by a visit to the top of the Algarve’s highest mountain. Almost 1000 m high! From here, on a clear day, you can enjoy stunning views of almost the entire Algarve. Remember: the Monchique mountains. Downhill bike rides, trails and a suspension bridge can also be found here.
HOW, WHAT, WHERE?
Vila do Ouro has put together an app for your phone with great tips and getaways. A simple click opens the activity’s details and directions. You can download the app for free and use it as a kind of Lonely Planet for your Vila do Ouro stay.
Vila do Ouro is suitable for all ages, however, we do not have good facilities for the disabled. Vila do Ouro is built against a hill and therefore there are many steps and hills. People with mobility problems often find Vila do Ouro too spicy. Partying youngsters we refer to Albufeira, as it is a much better location for partygoers.
During your stay, you can of course always ask us for details on the trips you wish to make. We currently have 19 years of Algarve experience, and we know the ways to make unforgettable experiences here.
