Old Village Apartments

stayed in the old village from the 1st to the 14th july,the first apartment we were taken to smelled,was dirty ,shabby,dated just uncared for so i refused to stay there and demanded somewhere else,gilda gave in and gave us an apartment overlooking the princess gardens in church street an improvment on the last but still dated the iron was so old the wires were hanging out of it ,i usually bring my own but as id read they supplied them i didnt bother .had to buy a travel iron same for the irong board washing machine didnt work it wouldnt drain or spin,bathroom was very dated as was the kitchen no aircon wich made night times hell,we asked at reception for a fan and was given one for the whole apartment,the beds were ply wood on a frame so uncomfrtable the pillows or should i say pillow eachwere so thin,little things make a big differance on holiday towards your comfort and they just didnt have it here right down to the cooking utensils dated couldnt cut bread the knives were so blunt the frying pan was also one age to myself 30,the stairs inside are steep and dangerous.no barbeque on the terrace you have to buy your own from local shop but the gardens are beutifully kept the gardener comes every day,you have to pay for sun loungers around the pool so i didnt bother we just used the terrace or went to the beach,do try the princess restraunt went twice best meals the whole holiday a bit pricey but worth every penny and the staff in there are fab espcially rui,makes the cocktails etc we ve decided to go to lagos instead next year. jj

Me and my fiancee stayed in The Old Village for two weeks in March. If you want peace and quiet then this is the ideal time to go as I would image in the summer it would be very busy. We stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment overlooking the Princess Gardens restaurant. The apartment had everything that we needed, if not more it even had SKY television Can highly recommed the Princess Gardens restaurant, it is more expensive than the other restraunt in the village but it's worth paying the extra. Excellant service and food, must try the steak on the stone. The walk to the marina takes approx 20 minutes. If you like to fantise about owning a million pound boat then this is the place to go. Tried a few bars/restauramts iin the Marina but the Old Navy was our favourite, if you go try the house salads......Wow. If you like playing golf, that's crazy golf then try Golf Roma, it was advertised as the best in Europe and we can see why. Take a look for yourself. We enjoyed ouselves that much that we are planning to return again next year, can't wait!

Old village as beautiful as described by others. Booked flight, car hire and apartment all separately via internet and used this website to choose to stay at Old Village. We saved a fortune over a package. We had a 2 bed apartment with a roof terrace overlooking the brand new 3rd swimming pool. Only "complaint" would be that there was no air-con in bedrooms and it was very hot. Roof terrace ideal for barbeques and sunbathing all day so I would defintely request one with a roof terrace again. Meant we didn't have to pay for the sun beds either! Didn't dine in the village but the restaurants looked good and not too expensive. Supermarket wasn't too expensive either and for the price difference it wasn't worth lugging stuff from further afield. We ate at Casa do Pescador which is behind the Irish Bar and had a really good portuguese meal. The restaurants on the Marina itself were not that expensive to put us off eating there and we dined at a couple of italian which overlooked the Marina. Our favourite of those was definitely Il Lamparo, but share a starter as the portions are so huge we couldn't eat half of our main course and had absolutely no room for desert - what a crime! Don't bother going to Faro, nothing worth seeing and not many shops. We went to Portimao and splashed out 30 euros each to go and see the dolphins. Thrilling ride out and back in an inflatable was worth the money in itself and "yes" we did see lots of dolphins - always a worry that they will have "disappeared" by the time you get there. Well worth the expense. The waterpark at Aqualand (the Big one) was great, particularly the Bonzai Boggan, although we were told that the nearer waterpark at neighbouring Quarteira is just as good. Quarteira itself has a wonderful fruit/veg and fish markets which are worth a visit, particularly if you barbeque, as we did. Our first trip to the Algarve and we would definitely go again. However, our children, who are now at an age when it's cool to be seen with parents thought Vilamoura to be too quiet for their taste. Great if you want to chill out all day and evening but not so good it you want a bit of nightlife. If Vilamoura is your choice of venue I would definitely recommend the Old Village Apartments. Although 15 minutes from the Marina it was a pleasant walk and the road train round the resort from the Old Village was an experience in itself which we went on just to see the whole of Vilamoura.

We have just returned from our second 10 day summer trip to The Old Village Apartments in Portugal. We will definitely return. In both 2005 and 2006 we have booked private apartments through UK owners. Both times we have found the accommodation to be well above the average UK tour operator offerings. Perhaps those that book apartments through mainstream tour operators should listen & learn. Its probably more convenient to walk into a Travel Agent and get them to take on board the hassle, but with cheap flights on-line with Easijet & Monarch and good deals to be had from owners and car hire companies then it's definitely worth a scan round the Internet. (Note: My sister, her husband and 2 children have just booked direct with a private owner in summer holidays (peak time) and have save over £800 on brochure pricing!). This year, the apartment complex has been improved by the addition of another pool. There are now 3 pools available to village users - all accessible by swipe card (to keep those from other complex's out). Sunbeds cost Euro 1.50 a.m. and the same for p.m. (3 Euro's per day) similar to hiring one out at the beach. The swimming pools are clean and like the gardens are well cared for and tidy. The pool bars are run by restaurant owners from within the complex and offer a good value service. There is also a supermarket within the village. The Beach / Marina and centre of Villamoura are approx 15 mins walk from the village. Its not a strenuous walk and is wheelchair accessible (as is most of the village area). Alternatively, if you like to take the lazy option when you are on holiday, you could also try and call a cab which costs about 3 Euro's down to the Marina (but like most of the Med, the service is'nt always reliable and you could wait up to half an hour!). There is also the Tourist Train, which departments from several stops surrounding the village (including the entrance to the Four Seasons Hotel at the top end of the village). This is also 3 Euro's each (so taxi works out cheaper). Down at the Marina there is a huge range of restaurants to chose from with a wide range of choice. Plenty of fresh fish - we suggest you try the local speciality 'Cataplana', Golden Bream and Sea Bass. Also try the Chicken Piri Piri. If you want a bit of a change, pop into the Bar Nautico and Martyn & Pam will arrange for you to go down to Chez Carlos in Villamoura or La Cabane in Quarteria. Both offer typical Portuguese dishes and are a bit off the beaten track so not easy to find by tourists. The Seafood Wedding & Monkfish at La Cabane are especially good. There is also a great walk to the older Portuguese town of Quarteria next to Villamoura. Walking down and around the Marina in Villamoura, the remainder of the walk is along Villamoura beach which stretches along towards Quarteria. There are plenty of bars and restaurants to rest and eat at when you get there. Quarteria also has a quaint main street with several nice shops offering good leather shoes and holiday fashions (but don't expect a shopping mall!). All in all, Villamoura is a great holiday destination. It offers a wide range of activities for all ages and particularly caters for the Golfer. The Old Village sits between 2 great golf courses and is within taxi distance (5-10 minutes) of many others. There is also an Aqua Splash water park just a few miles round past Quarteria. This park is bigger than many of the Aqua parks I have seen in other Med destinations, but is only one of many on offer in the Algarve. If you have a young family, you'll also love The Old Village. There are plenty of places to eat in the village if you don't want to venture too far. Ranging from the Jazz Cafe up towards the top of the range Princess Gardens - there is something for every taste. If your price conscious on holiday, shop around. Our most expensive meal for 2 was 68 Euro's (£46) and that was with half bottle of wine and 2 large beers. We worked out we spent £200 less this year, for the same time / length of holiday as last year!. Great value for money and we did'nt go on a budget. We will definitely be back.

Firstly, the apartment complex is quite impressive as stated in a few of the other reviews...it was also said though that the studio apartments were quite noisy. Not quite as noisy as being put directly above Bar Nautico! We had to be moved as the noise was quite unbearable and the studio apartment we moved to seemed like we were in a library by comparision (though we were downgraded from a one bedroom, not upgraded as you would hope for). We expected a refund on the difference but all has gone quiet from their end, not at all happy about that so be warned...apart from this we had an ok holiday. We found the area to be fairly expensive (i.e. close to British prices fairly often), though if you venture a little further out of the Vilamoura resort the prices do come down...the weather was great and the people were all very friendly. It seems the main way to get around is by renting a car or taking a taxi (which are fairly cheap). Be careful though as we were told by our property agent there to use a private taxi company which charged 8 Euros for a 4 minute trip to the marina (apparently there were no other company's in the area they said?!)...we asked for a taxi number from the Village Inn Pub in the complex and were given another company's name & number straight away (they charged 5 Euros), mounts up if you are taking a couple of trips a day in them...they must've been getting commission on every fare we decided! There were loads of restaurants in the Marina, I would recommend La Fragata (Italian), The Old Navy and O Cesteiro (seafood) where you get to pick your fish etc. beforehand...top quality food all round. Too many English menus advertised and not enough of the Portuguese variety though... The beaches were good, about a 20 minute walk to Falesia beach which is about 6km long (so you never have to worry about being on top of each other). Just mind the shells! All in all it was an okay holiday but would definitely try somewhere different in future...if you want to see the real Portugal then I would stay elsewhere. The area is a place built solely for tourists and golfers (you should see the amount of high rise apartment complexes and hotels in the area and there is still loads of construction work going on as more go up). You just don't get a feel for the real Portugal at all...

My wife and I stopped at the old village apartments for a week from the 6th November05 for a week. The apartment which we stopped in at first smelled of smoke and need to be aired. The smokey atmosphere cleared on opening the windows. The apartment was in fair condition however it was apparent that it did need refurbishment however it suited our needs. The walk to the Villamoura Marina took approximately 20minutes, we did like the Old Navy restaurtant which is situated at the arena. We did note that lot of the restaurants and shops would not take american express cards. The old village was very quiet and peaceful. I would recommend that whilst staying at the old village that you visit the restaurant on site Casa de Lagos which provided excellent meals for a reasonable cost.

My sister and I stayed here from 31/08 to 09/09. Couldn't fault it. On our arrival they had upgraded us to a two bedroom apartment as it was not let during our stay and they thought we would be more comfortable in it.!! Excellent service from Gilda, Shelley and Rui at Premier Direct offices, helped with recommendations and advice. The maid service was good and the aparment was clean and well presented. They had just finished building a thrid swimming pool whilst we were there but had yet to fill it, when this happens the other two will be less crowded, not that it was awful, just you couldn't always get a sunbed. The bar at the swimming pool had good food and televisions which can be seen from the pool- best view of the ashes in my opinion.!! This village offers a quiet location which is family friendly and safe - security guards roam around all night, but it is only 15 minutes walk or a 4 euro taxi ride to the Marina where you can choose to walk along the beaches, fine dine in the restaurants, browse the shops or party all night. Truly a resort for all tastes. The pubs / restaurants in the complex are good if you want to stay however I would highly recommend going to the marina and sampling some of the food. For Italian it has to be Nosolo rght on the marina and chinese well Harbour View was excellent and good value. If however you want amazing steaks you can't beat the Vilamoura steak House, not on the marina just back, but well worth it, steaks truly amazing, and the fish, you will not get better than Kings of the Seas again just back from the Marina. We were lucky that we met a local on our first day there who helped us with all these places, don't get trapped in the tourist areas. If you want good entertainment and lots of fun go to Rui's bar up in the square opposite the Irish Pub which is up the stairs by Atlantic Bar on the marina. Live music every night until midnight then Karaoke until 2am. Staff fantastic made the holiday great fun. Boat trip - the Condor is the best both for the boat and value for money.

Stayed there Aug27 to Sept 10 2005 Must say it was a very impressive complex. As my title suggests though, you would be better off if possible paying for a two bed apt as we had to be moved for the 2nd week after complaining to the T.C ook rep re sleepless nights due to noise from other holidaymakers, and glad we did as found it to be far superior and quieter. Dont get me wrong, I do not mean loud music or football shirt types, just way studios situated with balconies opposite each other and on 3 levels, the noise travels I suppose. On site restaurants average but the pricier one i.e. princess garden was alot better. Worth the 15 min walk down to the Marina where the choice is varied. Dont bother with the curry restaurants though ! Not enough Portuguese theme restaurants I was suprised about ! The Nautico bar on site we found to be friendly and respectable, plus after 12pm they respect the tenants and turn the music down. Saying that , I do know that if you stay in apts around the a casa largo restaurant, u could be in for a restless hol as on one occasion they had people in a bar just near it until 4pm, so be warned. Staff/maid service very good also plus grounds patrolled by security gurds so felt safe. Grounds/pool were spotless except downside plus a liberty I thought, was that it was 6 euros a day to use a sunbed ! Then again down the beach was 9.85 euros, so guess everyone out to make a few bob out of us tourists but dont they always. That and fact that we had to move apt was the only criticism really, although cant really complain as we had as I say, a large 2 bed the 2nd week with balcony + roof terrace. Who says complaining gets you no where ! Overall, glad we made the choice to go there after reading so many positive reviews on here and on the whole found the holiday to be very relaxing and enjoyable. Think will go again but only to the larger apt.

We are always wary of package holidays and usually prefer to book our own flights/accomodation, however this year we were after a cheap last minute break and we were pleasantly surprised at the Old Village Apartments. After dropping all the other people on the coach off at various hotels/apartments, we felt extemely pleased that in our opinion we were the luckiest. Our apartment was well equiped and had its own terrace and garden area where we could sunbathe on the loungers, this meant we didnt even have to visit the pool area and could totally relax and still be able to use our apartment when we needed a break from the sun. Another pool is being built and I think is needed. The marina was nice but we became a little bored after a week of doing the same thing, didnt feel there were any little restaurants or places to stumble upon but all in all a great place to relax, ideal for families and couples looking for a week in the sun.

My partner and i just arrived back from holiday on 21/08/2005 this was the best holiday we have been on yet. The weather was great the whole time we were there. The Old Village Appartments were great. On our arrival we got taken to our appartment from a receptionist that spoke very good English and was very friendly. On entering our appartment we were very suprised at how nice it was. It had a full fitted kitchen with a washing machine, cooker, microwave and fridge. On site there is a supermarket which sells everything you need. We ate in two restraunts in the old village, the old village in and the one next door. They both served excellent food. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the Marina from the old village really nice walk. Once you get down to the Marina there is a good selection on bars and restraunts. There is not much to take back present wise. If you are in to designer clothes you will be in your element but do take lots of money if your planning to buy anything because they are very expensive. We went to Rui's bar on quite a few occasions the food there is amazing and there is a guy that sings until 10.30 - 11pm after that the karaoke starts. Keeps your eyes peeled also because when we were there, there was a telly star and a ex footballer. My partner went for a round of golf at the pinhal course. It wasn't to expensive and it was a lovely course. If you are thinking about going away in August to play golf i really do recommend that you hire a buggy because it is very tiring walking round the course. I hope this information helps you with your holiday.