My colleague Hannah and I got the chance to explore the beauty of Portugal’s sun-kissed southern coast ahead of Jet2's new flight path from to several exotic countries next year. Stepping off the Jet2 plane at Faro Airport, we were hit by the warm humid air of the Algarve, a part of Portugal known for its all-round sunny weather. For the first few nights, we stayed at the Real Marina Hotel in Olhao to soak in the surrounding waters and get a taste of the islands around the famed city.
After enjoying a three-hour boat tour along three islands on the second day, we headed back to the hotel for a relaxing evening in the hotel pool before preparing for an active day out in Faro. A particularly refreshing aspect of the boat journey was being able to visit Culatra Island, an island with a small population. The trade of the fishermen on the island drives the local economy of the restaurants where fresh seafood is paramount to the region.
When the tide is low you can see beautiful oyster farms. On the third day, we were introduced to Joao, a friendly tour guide from Mega Sport Travel, who showed us the beauty of the Ria Formosa and Faro Island through a bike ride along the coastline. On this day, we also got the chance to explore the city of Faro and have dinner at Tertulia Algarvia where Joao gave us a taste of the local cuisine, including fresh fish and carob.
On the fourth day, before venturing to our second hotel, we visited Zoomarine, a family-friendly zoo and water park built.