Tavira Algarve Portugal

Tavira has a pleasant setting on an estuary of the Ségua river at the foot of a hill girded by the remains of ramparts built by King Dinis. The Roman bridge and Moorish walls testify to the town’s long history. In the past Tavira was an important centre for tuna and today continues some of its fishing activities. The local beach is an offshore bar. The town has 37 churches.
Tavira, to the east of Faro in the south-east corner of Portugal, is one of the most photogenic towns along the Algarve coast, sporting white-washed houses topped with decorative chimneys and pyramid shaped Roman-tiled roofs, set among orange, fig and almond trees.

Although tourism is now the main industry, the resort is still a working fishing village with a compact old centre, and more modern development has largely kept to the resort outskirts. The rest of the area is rural and largely unspoilt, bounded to the SW by the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve and by the tiny, charming fishing village of Cabanas to the E.

Puigpunent Mallorca Spain

Located on the W corner of the island, Puigpunent is set on a ridge in the craggy, partly pine-clad Tramuntana Mountains.
A pleasant village of about 1,000 people, Puigpuñent is strung along a mountain ridge for around ¾ ml, its mix of old and modern, low-rise, stone and render houses tumbling down either side. Its nucleus is a T-junction with a bar/cafe where things are so low-key that there is often no one behind the bar, let alone in front of it.

Apart from the 700-yr-old church, there is little in the village itself to interest visitors. Mainly German, British, Spanish and American tourists who stay at the village’s 5-star hotel. The emphasis here is on civilised relaxation. Not for those who want nightlife or beaches, although these can be found near Palma. There is a Bus service to Palma, but most visitors hire a car.

The area is popular with mainly German, British, Spanish and American tourists who stay at the village’s 5-star hotel. The emphasis is on civilised relaxation. Not for those who want nightlife or beaches, although these can be found near Palma.

Daytime activities are limited and generally revolve around relaxing by the hotel pool as there is no beach, or exploring the countryside. The village’s 1 hotel has live music most nights.

Nightlife is better suited to nearby Palma which has a wide range of nightclubs, bars and discos, as well as cultural events. There are a few bars/cafe/restaurants in the village, and also a Gourmet restaurant at the village’s 15 Star hotel.Natural-history and cultural tours arranged by the hotel. Soller mountain train.
Shopping consists of just essentials such as a pharmacy, small supermarket and bakery which fulfil basic requirements; also tobacconist. A tiny Tuesday morning market has a few stalls selling fresh produce. Full range of shops in Palma.

Local excursions consist of natural-history and cultural tours arranged by the hotel. Soller mountain train. A 5-hr hiking trip encompassing prehistoric remains, pine forests and olive groves. Monastery ruins. Helicopter flights. Golf. Deya and country estates. Valldemosa (where Chopin stayed), its monastery and historical sites. Pollensa, with its Roman bridge, historical church and chapel with 365 steps.

Alaro Mallorca Spain

Alaro is a small village measuring about 1 sq ml, it has a castle on its outskirts and an attractive, solid stone church at its centre. The main square, half-filled with tables and chairs from the 2 cafes, serves as its focal point. Streets are narrow, resulting in a complicated one-way system.
Buildings consist mainly of 3-storey structures of local stone, with a few newer additions on the outskirts. The atmosphere is here is laid back and relaxed.

Locality:

Alaro is situated in NW Mallorca, 6 mls SE of the hamlet of Orient (15 mls NE of Palma and its international airport). Alaro is situated on gently sloping ground in the foothills of the pine-clad Tramuntana Mountains, surrounded by farmland and olive trees. A switchback road leads to the hamlet of Orient.
Popular with German and British couples, Alaro offers a taste of the real Spain.

Accommodation is limited to just a couple of hotels, options just outside Alaro consist of some private rental properties and converted manor houses although are well outside the village.

Typical of a small village, there isn’t a great deal in terms of shops and shopping, with a pharmacy, small supermarket, newsagent being about all that is available. The not to far town of Palma has a far wider choice of shops.

Daytime attractions are really limited to relaxing activities: drinking coffee or beer at the cafe/bars on the main square, walking and exploring the surrounding countryside..etc By night there are a handful of bar/cafes. Palma is the place to go for livelier entertainment as well as cultural activities. A daily bus service is available to Palma and some of the surrounding villages and provides the only real means of getting around. Taxi’s are limited and car hire is not available within the little village.

There are no organised excursions but making your own trips to Pollensa (with its Roman bridge and historical church), the seaside resort of Puerto de Pollensa and Valldemosa (mountain village with monastery where Chopin lived) will make interesting trips whilst in Alaro.