Nestled in the heart of a natural lagoon in the Ria Formosa National Park is the vibrant and bustling fishing town of Olhão. Away from the tourist hotspot of Albufeira, Olhão delivers a real slice of Portuguese charm whilst offering enough to give keep even the most seasoned tourist happy. From fine dining through to sardines on the sea front with bars and restaurants on your doorstep. Just a 15 minute drive ( taxi approx €20-25 each way + Uber is available ) from Faro airport you will find this luxury raised ground floor apartment of 160 sq m / 1722 sq ft with 3 bedrooms (2 x European King Size (160x200)) beds and 1 twin room with adult sized (90x200) single beds. There are luxury ensuite bathrooms for the King rooms and a separate private bathroom for the twin room. Access to the apartment is via 7 internal steps. Terrace (with 3 doors to the lounge and 1 door to the kitchen ) has views towards the Ria Formosa and shared rooftop pool with 10 sunloungers and terraces with 360° views of the Ria Formosa, the barrier islands, the towns of Olhão and Faro and, of course, the marvellous sunsets. There are usually 10 sunbeds available for guests use. The apartment has air conditioning and heating in all bedrooms and the very large lounge. (Jacaranda Apt is the largest of all the apartments in the Marina Village development.) In addition, all rooms save the kitchen have electric shutters for privacy and security. There is central vacuum. Each bedroom has a well sized built in wardrobe. There is a hair dryer in each bedroom. The lounge has ample seating and dining space for 6 people and features a 55 inch LG Smart TV with Samsung Blu-Ray/DVD player (plus a few films). The TV has USB with an extension lead for easy access if you wish to bring your recorded programmes. There is a separate remote for navigating the Smart features such as YouTube. Amazon Prime is included. Just press the Amazon button on the TV remote for access. There is a rechargeable Bluetooth speaker ( Soundcore Mini ) for connecting to your smart devices and also a Google Home which can answer many of your questions, play music, play International radio, set alarms and timers, translate etc. The kitchen is fully equipped with built-in oven, hob, fridge/freezer, washer/dryer and dishwasher along with all necessary items for a self-catering holiday including plastic glasses for the pool area. The rooftop pool terrace (with toughened glass barriers surrounding) can be accessed by the main lifts outside the apartment. At roof level (5th floor), the swimming pool is accessed by a short flight of steps and there are also two or three steps leading into the pool itself with no handrail. Beach/pool towels are provided. There are 2 showers and a toilet for convenience. Please be aware that water is a precious ( and expensive ) commodity in the Algarve. Please be careful not to waste water. The apartment is in walking distance to an outside gym, the famous fish and vegetable markets, many restaurants/bars and the ferries to the nearby barrier islands. A car is not necessary. From Lonely Planet A short hop east of Faro, Olhão is the Algarve’s biggest fishing port, with an active waterfront and pretty, bustling lanes in its old quarters. There aren’t many sights, but the flat-roofed, Moorish-influenced neighbourhoods and North African feel make it a pleasant place to wander. The town’s fish restaurants draw the crowds, as does the morning fish and vegetable market on Avenida 5 de Outubro, best visited on Saturday. Olhão is also a springboard for Parque Natural da Ria Formosa’s sandy islands, Culatra and Armona, plus the park’s environmental centre at Quinta de Marim. For fans of Portuguese football, until recently this small town had the Algarve's only Primeira Liga team – Olhanense https://www.algarvefun.com/olhao/ultimate-guide-olhao/ NEWS ! Olhão to erect seahorse monument In a bid to pay tribute to Ria Formosa’s endangered seahorse population and stress the need to protect it, Olhão has announced plans to erect a monument in honour of the seahorse at the entrance to the town. “Seahorses are part of the town’s heritage and, in recent years, we have called ourselves the capital of Ria Formosa. This title gives us more responsibility to manage the area,” said Olhão mayor António Pina who wants the species to become the town’s “mascot”. The monument will be created by artist Isa Fernandes, who is responsible for many other monuments erected in the town. Concern about the future of Ria Formosa’s seahorse population has been increasing in recent years following reports that the number of specimens has dropped significantly. Photo taken in Olhão wins The Sunday Times’ weekly photography competition https://www.portugalresident.com/2019/07/04/photo-taken-in-olhao-wins-the-sunday-times-weekly-photography-competition/ Olhão joins in on geocaching craze https://algarvedailynews.com/news/16798-olhao-joins-in-on-geocaching-craze 19 AUGUST 2019 Tourists on Dolphin tour see Killer Whale family off the coast of Olhão (Video) A group of orcas, commonly known as killer whales, was spotted yesterday morning, off the coast of Olhão, in a dolphin watching tour promoted by the company Ria Formosa Tours. The group of about 15 animals, including adults and a few pups, was spotted for several minutes about two miles off the coast in front of Fuzeta's new bar, the company said on its Facebook page. The orcas surprised the dolphin-seeking tourists aboard the Airo boat, guided by skippers João Veiga and João Neto, both students of marine biology. The family is believed to be heading west on their annual migration pattern. Orcas are sighted, albeit rarely, off the coast of the Algarve in the summer months. Orcas are members of the dolphin family. After mankind, they are the species of mammal that occupies the second largest geographical area on planet earth. Their food is based on fish, molluscs, birds, turtles, sharks or seals, and they can weigh up to nine tons. Video can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=362562304422488 Football star Neymar makes guest appearance at Olhão Seafood Festival https://www.portugalresident.com/2019/08/14/football-star-neymar-makes-guest-appearance-at-olhao-seafood-festival/