We stayed at Quinta de Peixe Rei for a week to celebrate the end of teenage daughters major school exams and it rates as one of our very best family holidays ever.
The villa was perfect for our needs, plenty of space, very comfortable, in a traditional style and with everything required. Balconies all round meant you could chase or hide from the heat of the day as you wished. Martin and Serilia occupy the ground floor of the villa, via a completely separate access, which meant we had the comfort of knowing they were there if needed yet we barely saw them - both attentive and discreet.
The gardens and pool really set this property apart. The infinity pool was crystal clear and perfectly maintained. The gardens had been further developed from the photos we saw before we booked and are absolutely pristine, a little oasis in a very dry part of the world. The description says that the gardens are magnificent but we hadn’t quite appreciated how beautiful they were until we arrived. Clearly an awful lot of hard work!
Located rurally the property is very close to the wonderful Olhão and we recommend regular visits to the morning markets to pick up fresh food for the BBQ - in a sheltered corner of the garden.
We had expected to roam far afield, but the villa and gardens/pool were so nice we tended to explore nearby for half a day and spend the rest of the day by the pool. This area of the Algarve is a perfect mix of interesting places to visit, with history, cafes, gelaterias and restaurants aplenty, without being too touristy and in the end we only made it as far as the Spanish border to the east, Loule to the west and Culatra to the south.
We’ll be recommending this villa to friends and family, especially as we could fly from our local airport and so have lunch at home and supper in Quinta de Peixe Rei. 25 mins drive from Faro airport (using Martin’s expert directions) with multiple supermarket options enroute. We think that a hire car is essential.
Enjoy.