Alfanzina, on the coast to the east of Carvoeiro, is close to the popular Rocha Brava development. Facilities here include a cyber café, a holistic health centre, tennis club and a small gym. Club Atlantico is nearby, with two tennis courts, an excellent Italian restaurant, a communal pool, mini-golf and a children's play area. The beautiful smugglers beach is a short walk (although it is approached by over a hundred steps - not for the faint hearted). The prestigious Carvoeiro Club, to the west of the town, has tennis courts, a gymnasium, a snack bar/coffee shop and Finisterra, with wonderful views, is on the edge of the club. Nearby Monte Carvoeiro has a lively jazz club, supermarket, bars and several restaurants. There is a central square with a fountain and al fresco dining, including an Indian restaurant and a steak house, where diners are provided with hot stones to cook the meat to their taste at the table. There are two water parks and horse riding within easy driving distance and a lively nightlife in the town centre.
Porches became the centre for ceramics and pottery in the 1960s when Patrick Swift set up the first pottery, using original Portuguese designs of past centuries. The original "Porches Pottery" is on the outskirts of the village, in a delightful setting with a good café and you can watch the pottery being hand painted. Porches is home to one of the oldest restaurants in the Algarve "O Leão"; set within the narrow, cobbled streets, it is a beautiful building, with an attractive terrace for dining on hot summer nights. Porches has a chemist, mini-market, post office, several cafés and a couple of restaurants and is a short drive from several lovely beaches including Benagil, Marinha and Albandeira.
Pros
These areas are close to many facilities including water parks, golf courses, shops, bars, restaurants and many beautiful beaches.
Cons
Once again, this is a developing area so some construction work is possible and the restaurants tend to be busy in the height of the summer.