Winter Break at Clube Praia da Oura: How much would you pay for a winter week in a studio apartment here? £ 500? - $750?- € 700? - more at this time of year.
The view from our balcony
This is the good news - we have done a very special deal for our friends only – wait till you see the offer we have only for you! (Scroll down if you just can’t wait! – It is a very special offer!)
Clube Praia Da Oura: January 4th 2011.
I woke at 6.45 this morning, the sound of Atlantic Ocean waves lifting themselves onto the golden beach as if every ‘heave’ was a huge effort. I peeped through the curtains of my holiday apartment at Clube Praia da Oura to see the luminous white crests of each roller smoothing out the sand and slip gratefully back to its natural environment.
Well groomed lawns, pools, palms and clipped shrubs draw shadows from discreetly placed lighting. In the distance a dog barks a welcome to the day, seabirds soar over unseen shoals of fish but there is no other sign of any living thing and yet we are within 500 yards of the busy part of Albufeira known as ‘The Strip’.
What to Expect from a Winter Break
If it’s non stop entertainment, British Pubs, English breakfast and a nice cup of ‘char’ you want come to this part of the Algarve when school is out; for now, in the ‘off season’ things are very different. The Strip isn’t closed but more than half the shops and restaurants are mothballed, closed and shuttered. No squeals of childish delight disturb the sanctity of the manicured lawns of the Clube Praia da Oura in the balmy Algarve winter.
Dawn sweeps away the sepia curtain beyond my balcony and paints the sky azure, the sea thousand tones of indigo to match. The sun is low in the winter sky and bathes the few clouds in a lilac wash which somehow turns the tumble of white apartments, hotels and houses a soft pink. Later their white stucco walls will gleam in brilliant counterpoint to the terracotta cliffs and dark green foliage of the pines above. First sign of life around the Clube is a bus arriving in the cobbled forecourt below.
Fifteen maids in assorted sizes and, to judge from their chatter, excited to be at work, decant and spread out to collect their stores, ready to sweep, clean, wash and polish the acres of public walkways and hundreds of apartments. Gardeners are at work pruning and trimming the already immaculately maintained plants and lawns. Trees and shrubs are already resplendent with bright primary colored blossoms.
The Clube Praia da Oura
The main club building is not, as are so many here, a towering slab of concrete but eight terraced stories sitting comfortably on the landscape for all the world like a cruise ship in dry dock. Almost touching the sea, poised,seemingly patiently awaiting the crash of a champagne bottle over it’s bow, the before ‘chock’s away’ and a stately slide into the sea which will of course never happen. The complex seems quiet but not deserted. Later more people will emerge, mainly, but not exclusively, silver haired couples strolling in the gardens, playing bowls and yet there can be fewer better times to visit. While people back at home shiver in ice and snow the temperature hovers reliably between 15 and 18 degrees.
The Weather
Of course sun is far from guaranteed, this Atlantic coast has many moods, only last week, before our arrival, winds blew in from the open ocean and rain lashed at windows. A fellow guest, tanned and lounging in an outdoor Jacuzzi told us we had missed a treat on Christmas day as giant waves crashed onto rocks below the balconies. But the sun is here today and the weather is set fair for at least a week as Bee and I ease gently into the day, an hours reading before a healthy breakfast from the adequately provisioned kitchenette. Later a walk along the golden sands and we lunch on octopus salad at an outdoor café overlooking Clube Praia da Oura beach before taking our little red hire car for an exploratory spin.
Nearby
The club complex itself surrounds Praia Da Oura Beach. You don’t have to leave the complex for anything at all if you don’t want to, it’s all here but Bee and I are explorers. Within five miles to the east there are more five stunning beaches, each with their own unique character. We can’t ignore the secret coves where, even at the turn of the year brave young souls in itsy witsy teeny weenie bikinis’ sunbathe and frolic at the waters edge. Fishermen’s beaches where stoic men cast their lines way out to sea and wait in expectation of a harvest from the sea.
Fishermans cottages where ladies in peasant garb hang out the washing while the men drag boats to the shoreline and head off into the sunset. And then, still 10 minutes drive away from Praia through roads lined Orange and lemon groves, studded with local businesses, old and new, and golf courses galore some busy newly hatched communities clustered round their own beach. At Olthos D’Agua you can sit on a terrace at La Cigale jutting out over the sea and enjoy the unique Portuguese cuisine or maybe just a coffee or a beer. We settled for some pastries.
Things to do
On the way home we stopped to buy Oranges and Lemons from one of the many roadside vendors, 5 kilo of the best oranges I can ever remember for a kilo and a half and two Euro of juicy tasty lemons for an Euro – enough to last us our whole two weeks here. The evening offered a choice of entertainment at the Club or a night in with the tele and tonight we chose the tele. we chose the Portuguese night at Jacs, the in house restaurant here., great food, eat as much as you like and first class local entertainment and all for €22 Of course in the high summer season the kiddies club – Barney Bees – will be buzzing and the complex will be more vibrant but all its facilities, indoor pool, outdoor pools, health club and gym are still on offer, even in winter.
So how much will it cost me?
The rack rate for a studio apartment for a week in January is £349.49but hey – its winter so of course there is a very special deal from the Petchey Leisure web site. they offer a fantastic deal at £133.00
Here is the good news.
If you qualify, the accommodation for 7 days at Praia da Oura or at one of eight other resorts in Portugal, Spain, Tenerife is yours for the asking £0- €0-$0– Free – Ziltch – Nada – Nothing to Pay.
It’s a special deal we have arranged for our members- you will love it. It Gets Better – This offer is NOT just for January – It’s not just for Winter – It is available throughout the year.
The rack rate for a Studio Apartment for June is £ 811.16 but for you it is still FREE . (subject to availability) Better Still As a qualifying subscriber to this site you can get a free apartment at these fantastic resorts in Spain, Portugal, Tenerife and the UK whenever in the year you want to go and the resorts have vacancies.
All you have to do is decide on a few alternative dates and call the resorts booking service to find out when they can offer you a free accommodation.
How do you qualify for a free apartment? You will automatically qualify when:
- You just sign up to my newsletter with your name and e mail address. the sign up box in the right sidebar on this page.
- You are over 21 and under 65 (some exceptions may be made).
- You are a householder in a long term relationship.
There are huge benefits to joining our newsletter, and this is just one of them, free offers, fantastic bargains and great reviews of products we use and love. Relax – we will NOT plague you with thousands of e mails, we will not pass your contact deals on to anyone else.
Sign up today and you could be just where I am now sometime in the next 18 months. Maybe we will see you there?
Too Good Good to Be True? This is a genuine offer available only to our members, it is self catering and does not include transport to the resort. There is nothing to pay now or at the resort for the use of the apartment or the free facilities available at the resort. Linen, towels and maid service are available free.
Full FAQ about this Free Holiday Offer will be sent when you subscribe to our Newsletter in the sidebar of this Page.
@2011 http://AnthonyJBennett.com - Clube Praia da Oura - Winter Break
