Vale do Lobo Villas – Useful Facts You Should Know About Europe's Leading Luxury Holiday Destination

Vale do Lobo is undoubtedly one of Europe's premier luxury holiday destinations. Just a short drive from Faro International airport, Vale do Lobo is packed with many of the finest things in life. Golden sands, a natural park and world class sports facilities are just some of the wonderful attractions you could be enjoying this afternoon if you boarded a flight to Portugal this morning from almost any European airport.

The brief flight time to the Algarve is one of the factors behind Vale do Lobo's success as a luxury holiday destination; it's affinity with golf tourism is another. Vale do Lobo is home to both the Royal Golf Course and the Ocean Golf Course, both of which have played host to the Portuguese Open on more than one occasion.

Water sports, lawn bowls, horse riding and tennis also feature highly on the list of recreational activities available in Vale do Lobo. The Vale do Lobo Grand Champions ATP Seniors tournament is a popular event on the resort's social calendar, bringing great champions such as Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Henri Leconte to the Algarve, year after year.

The majority of rental properties in Vale do Lobo are luxury villas, built in styles that encompass everything from traditional Portuguese to contemporary. All boast notable interior and exterior living space and feature vast gardens and substantial swimming pools. It goes without saying that these luxury properties are finished to the highest standards with the sort of facilities you would only expect from accommodation in the luxury niche: squash courts; hot tubs; entertainment centres and games rooms to name a few.

Traditionally luxury villa holidays in Portugal were price prohibitive but in recent years there has been an increase in the incidence of group and large family holidays to the Algarve. When you consider the fact that many villas to rent in Vale do Lobo have 5+ bedrooms, the cost of a luxury group or large family villa holiday in the resort is often comparable in price to that of hotel accommodation for the same number of people. Factor in the freedom and privacy afforded by a luxury villa and it's easy to see why more people are choosing to rent villas in Vale do Lobo than stay in one of the resort's hotels.

Interested in staying in this luxury Algarve resort? Then check out the following websites, all of which are run by local companies with offices and staff based in the Algarve.

Useful Vale do Lobo Links

Regency Luxury Villas – Vale do Lobo specialists providing a full portfolio of villa rental services in and around the Algarve's "Golden Triangle". They have some of the most exclusive listings in Vale do Lobo on their books. Visit them now at: http://www.regencyluxuryvillas.com/

Rent Villas Algarve – Specialising in large villas for rent in Vale do Lobo, this company provides year round promotions on the properties that they rent so always check their promotions page for the latest offers if price is important to you. http://www.rentvillasalgarve.co.uk/

Arcadia Luxury Villas – One of the Algarve's longest established luxury villa rental companies. What they don't know about holiday villas to rent in Vale do Lobo, isn't worth knowing, especially as they provide a full property management service too. Visit their website here: http://www.arcadialuxuryvillas.com/

Your Luxury Property – It's a well known fact that many people who stay in Vale do Lobo often fall in love with the resort and end up buying a property there. If you want to see some of these wonderful villas now, or even arrange a viewing during your stay in Vale do Lobo, visit their website now at: http://www.yourluxuryproperty.com

If You've Got the Cash Start Looking at Portuguese Real Estate As A Serious Investment

Whilst walking around Albufeira last week I noticed a real estate agent specialising only in "bank repossessed properties". I suppose it's a sign of the times that a real estate agent can make a living purely from the misfortune of property owners who failed to make repayments on their mortgages.

With so many surplus properties entering the Algarve property market from banks and other lenders, it is no surprise that prices in the Algarve have fallen to an all time low.

Although low property prices are an incentive to investors, the fact remains that it is nearly impossible to get a repayment mortgage from either a Portuguese or international bank today, without paying a hefty deposit and highly inflated monthly payments. In order to take advantage of these low prices, buyers need portable wealth, so it is the cash buyers who are snapping up the best properties for sale at the cheaper end of the Algarve property market.

But it isn't only low cost properties that are changing hands.

There is more than a little truth behind the reports of Russian, Chinese and Angolan investors arriving in Portugal with large bags of cash in search of property investment opportunities. The Portuguese government is actively promoting investment in Portugal with their "Visto Dourado" iniciative that offers automatic residency to those who invest €500,000 or more in Portuguese real estate.

Newly implemented tax breaks for French buyers have resulted in an additional surge in interest in the Portuguese luxury real estate sector, with French speaking estate agents in Portugal being the first to benefit. So it is really no surprise that the luxury property market in the Algarve is also beginning to move once more.

The old adage: "if you have money, you can make money" has never rung truer than it does in today's Portuguese real estate sector. If you have the cash, now is the moment to consider investing, as there have never been so many opportunities at both the top and the bottom ends of the market.

Estate Agent specialising in property for Sale in the Algarve region of Portugal: http://www.sevenquintas.com/

Property Management Company in Portugal: http://www.nortonmackenzie.com/