The Algarve - One of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe and voted by Channel 4 as the best place in the world to buy a property abroad. With over 3000 hours of sunshine, it hosts thousands of holiday visitors every year as well as thousands of British and Irish expats choosing to make it a permanent home. The coastline of the Algarve stretches 160 Km from Cape St. Vincent with 74 beaches awarded the blue flag and 4 blue flags awarded for its Marinas in 2011.

Faro airport which opened in 1965, caters for the holiday industry and has a new International terminal served by low cost airlines from all over Europe and is undergoing some further significant improvements to its infrastructure.

Many coastal resorts on the Algarve were formerly tiny fishing villages and most of the picturesque towns and villages still have narrow cobbled streets and squares, but it is the attraction of the weather, unblemished sandy beaches and the beautiful golf courses of the Algarve that have made this part of Portugal so popular.

Boliqueime is a typical charming Algarvian village set in the Portuguese hills with views of the Atlantic Ocean, with the beaches and golf courses just minutes away including the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura which covers some 90 hectares.  Faro International Airport is just 20 kilometres.  Boliqueime is a well preserved, typical inland parish village, within one of the richest municipals of the Algarve, Loule.

Boliqueime village is famous for being the birth place of the President of Portugal Prof Dr. Anibal Cavaco Silva who was elected in 2006, born in the village in 1939.  The village has since named roads and schools after him.

Boliqueime is midway between Albufeira and Loulé and has a small village atmosphere. The centre still has some cobbled streets with local shops. Pride of place in the beautiful cobbled square is the local Catholic church, the heart of the village. An annual fair is held during the summer in the church square, with stalls selling locally produced handicrafts and food.  The village itself is quite small, the square is planted with blue jacaranda trees, giving shade during the hot summer months.  Twice a month the village holds a local market, a gypsy market on the last Thursday of each month and another local market held on the first Tuesday of each month.  The square comes alive at night during festival time.

The cockerels provide the dawn fanfare for the village. The shepherds and their goats and sheep are a regular sight and sound with their bells quietly signaling their presence in the surrounding countryside, bringing the local traffic to a halt.  The two main streets in the village have typically Portuguese shops which in some cases are hard to identify from normal house fronts.  You can buy fresh fruit and vegetables and haberdashery.  A local beeps his car horn each day to sell his freshly caught fish to the residents.  The sound of the church bells can be heard each hour, or when in solemn remembrance as a traditional Portuguese funeral takes place or in celebration to welcome the new bride and groom. 

The local bars and cafes are a haven of refuge for discussing life, football and golf - the important issues. Here the local people grow almonds, figs, carobs, oranges and lemons, farm peas, beans and potatoes in the springtime. You can also enjoy fresh eggs from local free-range chickens. The gardens are full of colourful geraniums.

The roads which radiate at all angles, from the village, are lined with the typical Portuguese farm houses, painted white and with beautiful hand made chimneys that are so typical of the Algarve.  There are a number of substantial villas here with swimming pools, tennis courts and stunning seas views, but they are secluded and hard to find.  Many golfers come here enjoying their own private villas, away from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist attractions.

Modern conveniences are available in Boliqueime, with essential amenities including a bank, post office, chemist, health centre, cafes, mini markets, real estate agent and schools. All tastefully integrated into this typical Algarvian village. Almost all the population were born and bred here making it a village community with a real heart. It is really worth a visit, and some expats come to visit and stay for life.

Many of our properties in Boliqueime are within easy driving distance of all the excitement and facilities of the seaside resorts. From the middle of Boliqueime, you are only fifteen minutes drive from the centre of Albufeira and about the same to the golf courses at Vilamoura. Further inland is the town of Loulé, with its superb Saturday market, shops and restaurants. The surrounding countryside is hilly, with pine and almond trees, and dotted with villas. This is the way to get the best of the Algarve if you do not mind a short drive to the shops, beaches and supermarket.

Albuferia, Vilamoura, Praia da Rocha and Lagos
The major Algarve holiday resorts are Albuferia, Vilamoura, Praia da Rocha and Lagos. Albuferia has fantastic sandy beaches, a wide choice of bars and restaurants with waterspouts available at nearby Praia da Oura. Albuferia has excellent nightlife activities, and is 1 hour 20 minutes from Faro Airport. Vilamoura is one of the most popular holiday resorts on the Algarve with a sophisticated shopping a pretty marina top class golf courses and a wide beach. Vilamoura is surrounded by a beautiful landscape, and the town has a broad range of bars and restaurants. The nightlife is lively and there are plenty of sports and leisure facilities. Faro airport is just 30 minutes by car. Praia da Rocha is one of the oldest holiday towns on the Algarve and offers some of the most interesting rock formations on the Algarve coast. Praia da Rocha has a lovely promenade with bars, restaurants and shops. Faro is approximately 2 Hours away. Lagos has narrow cobbled streets and the great restaurants and bars offer a lively nightlife The beaches are excellent and there is beautiful scenery and historical sites. Faro Airport is just over 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Loulé is further inland and has a superb market every Saturday with great local shops and restaurants. The centre still has some cobbled streets with local shops, a post office, chemist and a couple of cafés. In the square is the local Catholic church, the heart of the village. An annual fair is held during the summer in the church square, with stalls selling locally produced handicrafts and food.  The surrounding countryside is hilly, with pine and almond trees, and speckled with white villas. The best of the Algarve and only a short drive to the shops, beaches and supermarket.  The charming village of Boliqueime has a small supermarket and, before you reach it, is a good butcher’s shop. The village has small restaurants serving Portuguese fish and chicken specialties which are dotted along the hillside with a larger main road restaurant also a popular destination.  The resort is home to a much-photographed marina, long stretches of sandy beach and a number of well designed golf courses.

The Algarve has a warm climate, excellent beaches and good water sports facilities, and is a perfect holiday destination for sun, sea and sand. It has a friendly, laid-back atmosphere making it particularly attractive for family holidays. The Algarve climate is good all year, with temperatures in winter rarely dropping below 15C. July and August can be hot and Christmas and New Year can be a little wet.