The Sand Castle sculptures are good in Pera, we go every year as it changes theme. Not expensive to get in either:- http://www.fiesa.org/

Caldas de Monchique (not to be confused with Monchique) is another lovely little place. There's a bar where they cook rolls in an outside oven and you can get sausage in the buns when they are ready. Walk up the slope next to the seating area and you enter into woodlands with little water ways & Flintstone type rock table and chairs. The youngsters can roam around and follow the paths.

There's Aqualand:- http://www.aqualand.pt/index.php?wlang=en

We've been to this park as I wanted to visit the 4D cinema (big kid...lol):- http://www.zoomarine.pt/themepark/?gclid=COmsqvTo_KICFYeY2AodeSK2gw

Am sure members with children will give you some more ideas.

We always hire a car & pick it up at the airport as it's so much easier & also so handy for getting out and about plus carrying the shopping from the supermarkets. There's quite a few large supermarkets in Lagos, Lidl, Pingo Doce, InterMarche, Aldi in different areas.

Plus there's some lovely beaches up the West Side of the Island all near little villages etc to mooch around.

The places that Glynis mentions are, to all intents and purposes, inaccessible from Lagos without a car except for Zoomarine that runs its own coaches from the major tourist areas.

From Lagos you can get by bus to Portimao (20 - 30 minutes), Alvor (20 minutes) and Praia da Rocha (25 minutes) fairly painlessly, but further afield eg Albufeira and it's well over an hour's ride. The Lagos zoo is on a bus route fairly close to town.

There are also trains between Lagos and Portimao, 15 minutes ride.

For some details on buses and trains in and around Lagos, please take a look at this webpage of mine

http://www.algarvebus.info/lagos.htm

two brilliant replies there - thankyou.

looking round the internet i also fancy a look at LUZ and possibly Sargres?
Portimo a definate as is alvor. Cheers

looking round the internet i also fancy a look at LUZ and possibly Sargres?

... both easily reachable by bus. Remember to allow time to purchase your tickets from the office at the bus station in Lagos before boarding.

I don't know your transfer arrangements but by the time you pay for return trips Faro airportp to Lagos then car hire can be quite cheap. With a car I strongly recommend the "End of the World" Cabo de Sao Vicente and Sagres. I take all of my visitors there and they find it fascinating and dramatic

Transfers sorted - alpharooms at about £147 for 5 persons return (£29 each). car hire was knocking £500

Glad you got sorted Carper. Enjoy

thanks - cheapest car hire quote £725 ! for a medium size family car for 12 days.

What Did you try http://www.economycarhire.com that's who we normally use & are UK based. I think we pay around £350ish for 14 days in June/July for a 4 door with air cond.

http://www.car-hire-algarve.co.uk/
28July VW Polo 12 days €411 plus if you wish complete CDW cover an annual policy cost £40 from below
https://www.icarhireinsurance.com/get-a-quote.html#page2-history

tried economy car hire site - no medium cars available -

VW polo not big enogh for a family of 5 with 3 large cases.

Ive paid for transfers now, i may hire a car in resort for 3 days. im used to hiring a car for 10 days in Lanzarote in feb and its normallyaround 280E

There's a Luz.com in Lagos near the garage towards the town centre

The Portugal Resident is reporting serious shortages of hire cars this season - even worse than last year's problems,- so it may be that the laws of supply and demand are having an upward effect on prices.

I can't really add much to the excursions list, but you may find that like us you end up staying mainly by the pool or at the beach (it's hot).

If this is the case then not hiring a car can be cheaper than paying £400-£500.

Saying that, try to do some exploring as it's a wonderful part of the world, Luz & Salema also have great beaches.

Enjoy your stay.

It seems that the car hire firms were unable to get finance for the acquisition of new fleets, so anyone who hasn't already sorted their hire car for August is quite possibly going to be unlucky.

Some people absolutely need a car when here, so why do they leave it to the last minute?

I always book our car when I book the flights. One thing I did read in the free local paper was about the fact that they are 'debating' whether or not to introduce Tolls on I think it was the N125 There was lots of for's and againsts of course.

There's a bus from Lagos to Salema

Not sure about Europe, but for the US http://www.ch3000.com and http://www.netflights.com are recommended as being cheapest for car hire.

luci

whether or not to introduce Tolls on I think it was the N125

.. Unfortunately, it's the A22 - the newest, fastest and the route of choice for travel to the Western Algarve, that they're hoping to turn into a cash generator, Glynis !

I thought the A22 was already a toll road or is it just part of it Sagres?