Galé is situated approximately 10 minutes-drive west of Albufeira, on the beautiful Algarve coastline just 30 minutes drive from Faro airport.

The Apartment itself is a 10 minute walk (or 1 minute drive) to a choice of well equipped golden beaches such as Galé, Castelo and Lorenços. They are extremely friendly and safe, and offer miles of soft sand and rugged coves with excellent restaurants. All have clean shower & toilet facilities.

The apartment is opposite the Ti-Manel restaurant & grill, offering excellent fish and meat dishes. A few yards from this is the superb Pateu de Gale restaurant serving a full and varied menu with a good drinks bar and very friendly host. Both have indoor and terrace seating.

Walk 5-10 minutes down the road and you'll find a further choice of venues. There's a café snack-style place (Boca Doce), two superb restaurants (Girassol and Sao Domingos) an Indian (The Karahi) and a sports Bar with large restaurant (Cabanitas). There's also an Off Licence, Outdoor Pub-style bar, a new Wine Bar, a Cocktail Bar and some shops in two small parades.

A couple of hundred yards in the other direction there's a great Pastaleria, and just 10 minutes walk to Galé beach for 3 more super restaurants (Pedras, O' Galeo and Praia de Gale). All serve a varied menu with great fresh fish of the day, meats, snacks, salads and drinks. All are very reasonably priced and open throughout the day and evening to provide for any palate.

You're also within few minute's drive of the smart new Apolonia supermarkets (like a UK Waitrose). There's a Favorite Mini-Market for essentials at the end of the road and a good-sized Oceana supermarke 5 minute's drive in in the other direction . Both local supermarkets can provide for all your essentials and luxuries, with a great patisseris, bakery, deli and fresh meat & fish counters. There's also a hairdressers, dry-cleaners, cash-point and telephone locally.

Just a few minutes by car adds selection of great local eateries. There's the Port o Sol, Scooby's, Jompras, the Ponté Grande, Margem Sul, Olivieras, the View Bar and Casa de Carne - probably the finest meat restaurant for miles. There's a small Italian restaurant and even a take-away curry house! ! 10 minutes drive to Algoz and there's Restaurante O' Joao, and basically every dish here is fabulous and very reasonably priced. A favourite of the locals (always a god sign!) and friendly and welcoming to tourists. Against some very stiff competition, it's probably our favourite place to eat!

Within a 10-minute drive is such a variety of superb places to eat and drink, we simply could not list them all. The next small town of Guia is famous for its food, boasting more than thirty-five different restaurants - all basically superb! Guia is also the official home of Chicken Piri-Piri, so you won't find a finer selection anywhere in the Algarve.

On almost every main road you'll find a place to eat & drink, all offering friendly Portuguese hospitality, super food and great value for money.

Also ten minutes drive away is Albufeira - the bustling, lively resort that is the unofficial tourist capital of the Algarve. In the wonderful Old Town (totally re-modeled for 2009), you'll find just about anything you want. There's a cobbled streets branching from a main pedestrianised square surrounded by shops, restaurants & bars galore (with live music in several bars). It's the perfect place to eat (try the Tres Coronas restaurant up the hill), drink and be merry - in the day or evening. There's also a beautiful new Marina and a long, sandy beach.

About a 20 minute drive away, at the northern end of Albufeira, is The Strip. This is for the more vibrant (tacky) and colourful 'touristy' night-life, complete with lots of plinking neon, street touts, loud music, jostling music-bars and younger night-life. Our apartment is not a good location if this is your type of thing, and getting back from The Strip after midnight can be difficult and expensive.

Within 10 minutes drive there's something for everyone! In addition to truly superb beaches, you can also spend a day at Zoo Marine, play Salgados Golf Course, visit the largest Aqua Park in Portugal and shop at the impressive Algarve Shopping Centre. Here there are more than 100 shops and food outlets of all types, a HyperMarket, Nike Factory Store, English Speaking Cinema and Ten Pin Bowling.

There's Silves, Guia, Algoz and of course Sir Cliff's vineyard all within an easy drive and splendid scenery everywhere you look.

Add the Live Music, Bars and Restaurants galore in the gorgeous Old Town, the infamous Strip for the party animals, and a whole host of fantastic beaches with restaurants and bars - and you have something for every visitor.