FINALLY, we come to the memories, impressions and photos of readers who have actually had extended stays in both The Algarve and on The Costa del Sol. First up, Brenda H. and her husband Jimmy. In the interest of full disclosure, I have known Brenda and Jimmy for many years and shared my experiences with them about the Costa del Sol before they chose where to stay during their visit there.
Knowing that Brenda conducted in-depth research about their travel destinations and was very descriptive about the sights and features of their holidays in both the Algarve and the Costa del Sol after they got home, I knew she was an ideal candidate to share her thoughts with my readers about both. And thankfully, she agreed to do just that.
Here we go! From this point on, when I am speaking, I will format it as a quote in italics. Everything else is Brenda’s contribution.
Most of the photos used will be Brenda’s taken during their stays. I will credit her, as I normally do, in the photo caption. And I will probably add in a few from other sources like Google Maps, also credited where possible.
I will add in a few of my own where I think their use will help tell the story. None of mine will have credit statements only a caption.
I’m going to use a number of photo carousels here again. Please remember that to have each collection pop up into a much larger view, you simply click on the first image on the left-hand side and then sift your way through the pictures.
Brenda and Jimmy’s Experiences
As a small footnote – as you read through what Brenda has to say, you will see that she refers to things “British” on a couple of occasions. This is not because she and her husband have an “issue” with all things British. 🙂 It is because they immigrated to Canada from Britain many decades ago … we are thrilled that they did … and they always enjoy encountering British culture and travellers wherever they go.
Their chronicling begins in The Algarve.
PORTUGAL – May 2024
We stayed in the Algarve for 4 weeks in the city of Albufeira in Southern Portugal. We were there for the month of May in 2024.
Language Issues
If you do not speak the native language, it does not pose a problem. We found that at most places the staff in restaurants, stores etc. spoke good or broken English. Most of the menus displayed the food choices in English as well as Portuguese. It was harder to navigate the streets as they were all in Portuguese & very different to the street names in Canada.
Food
We found it to be most reasonable eating out & buying groceries. Nothing was jacked up. For example, there was a beautiful Marina close by that was filled with an array of restaurants overlooking the Marina. It was no more expensive to eat there with this incredible view than it was anywhere else. Usually, waterfront restaurants have higher priced menus. One place actually gave you a small discount if you paid in cash. There were many different choices including Asian, Italian, Greek, Indian, Mediterranean Seafood, European & traditional classic British Food such as Sunday Roasts & a “full English” Breakfast). Beer, wine & liquor were very cheap and could be bought in all the grocery stores as well as specialized stores. There was a vast choice of everything.
Accommodation
We rented through Booking.Com a beautiful property with 2 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms with a large living space on 2 floors for the low price of $1800 Canadian for 4 weeks.
At this point, it would be a good idea to have a quick discussion about accommodation pricing trends that apply in the Costa del Sol and certainly do in the Algarve as well, although I have not personally done any checking. Traditionally, you pay more for accommodation as you get closer to the waterfront. With apartments overlooking the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean generally being the most expensive. Brenda and Jimmy’s apartment in Albufeira was, as you will see, a long way from the waterfront, hence the really good pricing.
Mobility/Walkability Issues
Unfortunately, it was only walkable downhill from our apartment. It was much too steep to walk back up but we did manage it once (never again LOL). In fact, we learnt that marathon runners use that same hill to train on. The Algarve is quite hilly – some hills being steeper than others.
At one spot at least, there are escalators going up and down from the beach to make access easier.
Transportation
We rented a car as we knew ahead of time nothing was walkable from our apartment except for a mini supermarket and local restaurant. We never took the bus so cannot comment but we did use Uber a lot, which proved to be very reasonable and convenient. They would show up in less than 5 minutes. If you have a car and you need to park it on the street or on in a parking lot, it is very reasonable. Google Maps was our life saver; without that we would have been lost, so make sure you have enough data on your phone. Roundabouts are in abundance; luckily, they drive on the same side of the road as us!
Beaches
The town of Albufeira has a hill that takes you down on to one of the over 90 beaches in the Algarve. Getting back up that hill can be quite a challenge, so for the faint of heart or those with back problems, try another beach with easier access. There are over 400 beaches in the whole of Portugal so you will not be disappointed. The cost to rent loungers and umbrellas was reasonable – usually priced out with rates for half days or full days. Amenities were good on the beach e.g. clean washrooms, snack bars.
Old Town – Entertainment
Old town Albufeira has the most charm with its historic landmarks, cobblestone streets, traders, boutiques & numerous bars (many of them being Irish we noticed). It attracts a lot of people & has a happy, fun vibe. In the day it is full of happy hour specials. At night it oozes ambiance with a lot of the restaurants turning into fine dining.
The entertainment available In OLD town Albuferia was lively. We went to the same place 3 Fridays in a row (sorry cannot remember the name). It had such a great live band on playing classic rock from the 80’s & other eras. In the evenings, there was live entertainment in the “square”, including buskers for the children.
Places to Visit
Would recommend a day trip to Tavira where you can get on a ferry to tour the island, stroll on the beach, snack or dine at any of the eateries & restaurants. Lots of good Tapas bars. The town itself has much to offer with its unique store front shops. Villamoura is also a great day trip, a luxury coastal resort with another beautiful Marina. We had an amazing breakfast at a lovely restaurant (wish I knew the name) on the waterfront that proved to be exceptional value for the food & 5-star service we were given. There is an abundance of places to dine & shop.
Getting There
We flew direct into Faro airport (Faro being the capital of the Algarve) and this city is a must to visit. Shiny cobblestoned streets in the old town with quaint cafes, local foods, designer stores, & a Cathedral. All of this & much more can be explored on foot.
Many thanks for sharing your opinions about your stay in the Algarve Brenda. I found them very interesting and I’m certain that readers who are considering staying there will do so as well.
On to the Costa del Sol in Spain!
Spain – May 2025
We stayed on the Costa Del Sol, in the Los Boliches area of Fuengirola for 4 weeks. We were there for the month of May in 2024.
Language Issues
We were pleasantly surprised at the number of Spanish speaking people. I say pleasantly, as we expected it to be full of Brits and more commercialized. When we stopped to ask for directions I would say 75% of the people could not help due to the language barrier. However, the stores and restaurants had English speaking servers. As in Portugal, we had no problem with being able to read the menus or relate our meal choice. Most menus displayed the food choices in English as well as Spanish. Various countries’ flags were often used to direct you to alternate languages.
To Brenda’s point, most restaurants in the Algarve and on the Costa del Sol do list menu offerings in English along with the local language. This is for the benefit of Europeans visitors because English has become the lingua franca in the EU. I’m not sure where I took this picture, but usually if there are flags on a menu, we stay clear because it is clearly targeting tourists. Sometimes though, the meals are perfectly acceptable.
Food
I would say it was a little more expensive than Portugal but not outrageous. Lots of authentic restaurants, tapas bars, fresh fish, paella as well as traditional British Food. Along the famous boardwalk there are numerous beach bars (chiringuitos) which are very popular. Prices range from low to high depending on which you choose. There is always a menu outside to view the charges. In Costa Del Sol there are many grocery stores, bars & restaurants all within walking distance.
On market day in Fuengirola, you can find anything from fresh fruit & veg, new & old clothes, records, furniture … the list is endless as are the stalls.
On Tuesday the big weekly market takes place at the fairground (Recinto Ferial), ~09:00–14:00. On Saturday a flea/“rastro” market also takes place at the fairground, also ~09:00–14:00. On Sunday a smaller street market on Calle Méndez Núñez (near Doña Sofía Park / Mosque area), ~09:00–14:00.
Accommodation
We rented an apartment on the top storey (7th floor) from Airbnb for $3200 Canadian for 4 weeks that overlooked the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other GLORIOUS!. I cannot say enough about our choice. It had 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms & a huge balcony off the bedroom and living room. It was very central, so we walked everywhere.
Underneath our building was a coffee shop, mini supermarket & British restaurant (we were in heaven); directly across the street was the beach we went to every other day that had its own chiringuito where we had a lovely Paella one night in fine dining. And in the day, it was more casual serving us plates of fries & free Spanish olives. (Incidentally to rent 2 loungers with umbrella for the full day that came with 2 beers was only 12 Euros!).
Mobility/Walkability Issues
We walked an average of 10,000 steps a day as Fuengirola is very flat, which was a plus. Stretching along the beach directly in front of our building there is a famous Promenade/Boardwalk that stretches for 8 kilometers running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. You can stop off at the Marina or any of the other beaches along it, as well as making stops at the beach bars & restaurants. For the ardent walkers, if you did the full 8k’s you would go through Los Boliches, Torreblanca & Carjaval.
Beaches
The Beaches in Fuengirola all start with the name Playa which is Spanish for BEACH. They run along the length of the Promenade. The sand is quite dark & gritty, the opposite of the white fine sand in the Caribbean. The main beach called “Playa de Fuengirola” is popular with families & competitive games can be seen being played by school children in their sports uniforms. There is also exercise equipment for those of you that like to work out on holiday.
Our go to beach directly across from our apartment, “Playa Las Gaviotas ” in Los Boliches, was very cheap to rent beds & umbrellas with waiter service all day which was lovely. There are plenty of amenities on the beaches, watersports & many shops & restaurants. We often took a picnic to enjoy while we sat on the beach.
Transportation
We found it has an excellent transportation system that we utilized often. A wide selection of buses & coaches to get you to anywhere you want to in the connecting towns & tourist areas along the coast. They include local & regional buses that you can buy single tickets or passes that are very budget friendly. There are numerous bus stops & a local bus station. Even better than the buses are the trains that run from Fuengirola to Malaga including stops at Benalmádena & Torremolinos. You can buy single, return tickets and/or train passes that again are not costly. There are 2 train stations in Fuengirola. If you miss a train, do not worry the next one will be there in 15 mins! They run early in the morning into the latter part of the evening.
Mijas Pueblo we would recommend taking the bus to. It will drop you in the heart of it. It is a historic mountainside village with picturesque, whitewashed buildings.
Flamenco Dancers there put on a great show twice a week in Mijas – a must see if you can. Video by Brenda H.
Torremolinos has lots going for it although be prepared if you go down to the beach & the promenade as it is a long way back up to the town with many steps to climb, but very scenic so worth it if you can. For those who went there back in the day, I hear it has all been “done up” since then. Benalmádena has the best Marina in my opinion it is like something from Disneyland … SPECTACTULAR!
Last but certainly not least, the luxury city of MARBELLA driven there on an air-conditioned coach.
It was a whole lot of fun reading about Brenda and Jimmy’s trip to Torremolinos. I laughed out loud when I read her comment “for those who went there back in the day” because I was one of those Canadian hippies who ended up there in the mid 1970s. Hanging out during the coldest months while hitchhiking around Europe. I even wrote about the experience not too long ago in a piece entitled “It Was 50 Years Ago Today, Sgt. Pepper … and The Retiree Went Travelin’ for the First Time”. Just follow this link if you have an interest in reading about it.
Entertainment
Fuengirola itself does not have a lot to offer – Karaoke bars, Lounge singers/bands. Torremolinos which is close by and easily accessible has a very vibrant night life with a wide range of options including Billie’s Piano and Speakeasy Bar where we had a most enjoyable experience. We travelled there and back via train.
My favourite night out was in Benalmádena at Darcies Motown bar (see pic) where we danced the night away. We took the train to Darcies but stayed so late we missed the last train; we took an Uber home.
We enjoyed the entertainment in both Spain & Portugal.
Overall Impressions
All in all, we found the Algarve in Portugal to be very budget friendly. It contains many hilly, wild areas and rugged rocky coastlines. It is filled with beauty and old charm with their many decorative courtyards that grow the most beautiful purple Jacaranda trees (see pic)
The beaches in both places as you can see in the pictures are lovely, but we believe they cannot be compared to the vibrant turquoise waters and ultra fine white sand in the Caribbean.
We would have to say Spain superseded Portugal due to the strong public transport network and the fact we could walk everywhere but we would recommend both places to visit & experience. We felt safe at all times of the day & can honestly say we never had any bad experiences.
Finally, we miss Europe so much and look forward to returning!
Thank you so very, very much for sharing your experiences with my readers, Brenda and Jimmy. I’m sure everyone is going to find what you had to say very helpful. I should probably add that you will have noticed that they were there in May and not February and March. I think that just points out how consistent things are year-round in both places. Perhaps not quite as warm in February and March as in May, but all the other sights, sounds and experiences are exactly the same.
Next Up: Andy and Marielle S. revisit their experiences from wintering in the Algarve and on the Costa del Sol.
