We had a very relaxing stay in this apartment which was spacious, comfortable, and nicely furnished. The only extra thing we could have possibly wished for would have been to have a parasol on the balcony as it was such a sun trap with sun from breakfast-time right through to the early evening. The pool in our block was out of action (which the owners had warned us about before we booked) but it was only a short stroll to the pool at the block next door, which we had mostly to ourselves! The apartment itself was in a very large and sprawling complex, but it was very quiet as most of the apartments seemed unoccupied. It was a good 5-10 minute walk to the main reception area which was also near the main pool which had a bar and free wi-fi. There was also a small supermarket on site (which we found basic and a little expensive) a couple of restaurants, a bakery and pizzeria, a coffee shop and an ice-cream parlour. There was a BBQ one evening at the clubhouse with live, local music which was enjoyable and excellent value for money. The complex itself was a 5 minute taxi ride from the main resort town of Santa Maria. Santa Maria had a lovely beach with crystal-blue water, not unlike the Caribbean, and there was a reasonable choice of restaurants. The locals there were very friendly too.Transport into Santa Maria from Vila Verde was also provided by a free shuttle bus (passes were available in the apartment). This left at various times throughout the day, but space was limited to about 15 passengers and it was difficult to get on it in the early evening. Taxis were cheap enough however at 3-4 Euros each way. On one day we hired a jeep to explore the attractions on the island which you can see in pretty much half a day. The salt lake is definitely worth a visit and was a highlight on a mostly undeveloped, barren, desert island. The only thing that marred our stay slightly was the very strong wind. When the sun went behind a cloud (which it often did in the afternoons), it felt chilly! Luckily the balcony of the apartment was mostly sheltered from the cold wind, so we often retreated there in the afternoon to soak up the sun. All in all we had an enjoyable and relaxing holiday and I would not hesitate to recommend this apartment if you are after a quiet, relaxing, self-catering holiday.