FAQ’s Vale a Pena
Frequently asked questions about Villa Vale a Pena
We can accept events, like for example weddings or retreats, but it must be discussed with the team BEFORE you book.
Please find below already some answers about questions you may have:
GENERAL VALE A PENA QUESTIONS:
Q. Which suites have a view on the sea?
A. All upstairs apartments have sea views We would say the apartments in the block of 6 have the best views (Aruba, Bermuda and Cuba). Then you have the sea right in front of you, lovely if you are out on the balcony.
Q. Do you have any double apartments (T2) that have 2 king-size beds?
All T2 apartments have 1 double and 2 twins. However, if you want to, we can put the two singles together and make the beds as if it was a king-size bed. We do this if there are more double beds needed, or if the group is mostly couples
Q. Which double apartments (T2) are the largest?
A. The two apartments in the block of 6, Cuba and Elba, they have the best views and large bedrooms.
Q. Will there be anyone on the property but us? In case of question what will be the best way to contact you or another point of contact when we are on the property?
A. No, you have reserved the full resort, so no other guests are present. We have a manager for the resort who will be there every now and then, to instruct the cleaning ladies. She will not enter the apartments or invade your privacy in any way. If she is not around, you can always call us. Our office is in Carvoeiro, about 5 minutes away, so we will always be close to help you with all you need.
Q. Will we have access to the laundry machine and dryer? Is it free? Will there be laundry detergent? How many do you have?
Yes, in the pool house is a washing machine and dryer for your use, free of costs. There is no laundry detergent, but sometimes clients leave it in the laundry, then we will leave it there for other clients to use. Keep in mind that we provide towels and bed linen, you don’t need to wash that. Towels will be changed during your stay as well.
You also can ask the cleaning ladies to do the washing, drying and ironing for you. This will cost € 10 per washing.
Q. Do the kitchens all have some basic cutlery, dishes, pots and pans, dish sponge and soap?
A. Yes, all kitchens have the basic cutlery to have a good stay, dish sponge and some tablets for the dishwasher are there as well.
Q. Do the bathrooms have soap, shampoo, and conditioner?
A. No, the bathrooms only have the towels provided.
Q. Do you have any inflatable floats or toys for the pool?
A. Yes, there are some inflatable floats and toys for in the pool available.
Q. Does the communal kitchen have a stove? Does it have pots and pans too? Also, it has 2 fridges, correct? For the silverware, plates, and cups, can it accommodate 40-50 people for our reception?
A. The communal kitchen has a stove, pots, pans and a large fridge. If you need one extra, we can arrange that easily for you. There is silverware, plates, cups, glasses, but I think for about 20 – 30 people. But if you don’t mind, we can take it from the apartments and add this to the communal kitchen on your wedding day. We will put it back the next day
Q. Is it possible to walk to one of the local beaches by foot for a quick ceremony on the beach or on the cliffs?
A. It is possible to walk to the cliffs, but the beach there is not easy to reach. You would have to climb down with a ladder or along a robe and this is dangerous and not possible for the kids or elderly people. I am not sure if the ladder is still there or if the city hall has removed it now. I can recommend Paradise beach (Praia do Paraiso) at 2 km from the resort to take some pictures. It has long white stairs going down to the beach (if the tide is good, there is a small beach, with the high tide not), but it is in a small cliff, beautiful to have some pictures with the sand-colored rocks of the Algarve!
QUESTIONS ABOUT CARVOEIRO:
Q. I could use some vendor recommendations. What are the good local grocery stores? Selling meat/ seafood/ beer/ wine?
A. The best (and most expensive) in the area is Apolonia. They have everything you can imagine! Right next to Apolonia is Aldi, a discount supermarket. Along the road to Carvoeiro is also an Intermarche, this is between the budget and most expensive supermarkets price wise. If you drive from Lagoa to Carvoeiro you will pass all the supermarkets Apolonia: https://apolonia.com/en/index.php Intermarche: https://www.intermarche.pt/ (only in Portugese) Aldi: https://www.aldi.pt/tools/lojas-e-horarios/faro/lagoa/rua-dos-pescadores.html They are all open at least between 9:00 – 20:00 |21:00
Q. Do you have recommendations for pastellerias nearby?
A. The best we know is Helydoce in Lagoa. This is where the local people order the birthday cakes :). But maybe the wedding planner has a better recommendation if you are looking for a wedding cake!
Q. Do you have recommendations for boat or kayaking tours and other activities?
A. http://www.secretalgarve.pt/ will take you with a kayaking tour to the most famous cave in the Algarve, the Benagil cave, it is in the worlds top 10 most beautiful caves. But in Benagil are many companies who rent kayaks I would, however, we have to check if they do this in April as well.
Q. Do you have recommendations for the catering/ wedding planner/ florist/ photographer?
Catering we can organize this through a nice couple. They can cater up to 50 people and have reasonable prices. They can also make breakfast or lunch at Vale a Pena.
Wedding planners, I really can not make a good recommendation. The ones we had brought their own wedding planner.
Florist: Suzannah is specialized in weddings: http://suzannahsflowers.com/ but I don’t know her personally. Depending on what you want, you can also contact the local florist in Lagoa: https://www.floristaboutiquedeflores.com/pt
She can make some lovely flower arrangements from fresh flowers!
Photographer: Blush: https://blushphotographyalgarve.com/ is near the resort and a recommended wedding photographer!
Q. Any bus lines from the villa to Lagos, Faro, and Portimao that you would recommend?
A. Yes, there are bus stops everywhere. The bus company is called Eva in the Algarve and has busses between all towns.
Q. Most of us plan on taking the train from Lisbon to Carvoeiro, is there any route that you would recommend?
A. You can check the train schedules here: https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en We think the closest station is Estombar – Lagoa.
Q. My fiance and I will rent a car, would Faro be the easiest place to do so?
A. Yes, if your flight goes to Faro airport, that is the easiest place to rent a car. Or if you fly into Lisbon, I would rent the car there. Do this before you arrive, that is much cheaper than hiring a car locally!
