Along with its neighbour on the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is probably the most popular holiday destination in Europe. As Portugal is long and thin, most of the best villas are near to the coastline with the Atlantic Ocean, though there are some good country residences too.

The Algarve has a reputation for being overcrowded but there are some lovely villas here. Try the eight person Quinta Velha which has a shaded terrace and an enormous lawn so that you can choose whether you prefer to sunbathe or lie on the shade. If you want to be looked after during your stay in the Algarve then the Colinas Verdes, or Green hills resort, is the logical choice. It comes with a nanny and a cook so that you all you have to do is let yourself unwind. The villa is only an hour's drive away from Faro airport.

The Algarve has some of the best golf resorts in Portugal and the Casa Moderna, Quinta do Lago is well placed to enjoy them. This lovely property is most appealing for its delectable roof garden where you can cool out in the company of shady plants.

Four people can sleep in the Casa de Fontainha in Minho. This villa is fully equipped with a pool, barbecue and a big garden and is only a few miles away from the Costa Verde.

Another attractive place in Minho is the House of Soutelo which is only an hour away from Porto airport and sleeps six people. This gives you a great slice of rural Portuguese life and you can go horse riding and wine-tasting with ease.

Or you could choose a six person villa which is actually on a vineyard, the Quinta de Lamelas. The 17 century house and pool are surrounded by vines and the airport is only one and a half hours away.

Close to Costa Verde is the Casa do Barral. But many people who stay here never actually make it to the beach so lovely is the pool and garden area. The Casa do Barral sleeps five people.

Also in Minho is the Amarante which is a huge villa where three 17th century houses have been fused together. It sleeps between eight and 10 people. The Amarante has all the great components of Portuguese architecture including a courtyard and a terraced garden which has been put together with a lot of love.




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Fed up of all the speed camera’s and speed humps that are plaguing our roads? If you love the thrill of driving, you’ll no doubt have witnessed the demise of an enjoyable Sunday drive over the last 10 years or so and lets face it, things are not going to get any better any time soon!


There is a solution however.  Track Days have been popular in the UK for over 10 years now, but their popularity is ever increasing with so many performance car drivers taking to the track to enjoy their car to its limits.  Most UK circuits offer track days all year round for both car and bike events including;

•    Silverstone
•    Brands Hatch
•    Castle Coombe
•    Donnington
•    Anglesey

The great thing about track days is that everyone there shares the same passion for performance cars / bikes and are there for one reason and one reason only – FUN!  With a mutual respect for one another safety and vehicle trackdays are possible the only environment in which the average driver can enjoy their car to the full in both a safe and legal manner.

A few tips you might consider if planning a track day in your car;

•    Check your tyre wear levels – Its likely that a single trackday will wear your tyres considerably more than general road use, if your tyres are low its likely that by the end of the day they may be under the legal limit and you will need to drive home on them!
•    Drive within your limits – The best ‘modification’ you can make is to you and not your car – most organised events offer fully qualified instructors, this is by far the best way to get your lap times down!
•    Ensure your car is mechanically sound BEFORE the day, check oil and water levels. Track use put more stresses through the cars mechanicals so ensure your car is in order
•    Check circuit noise restrictions – dB levels vary from circuit to circuit, Castle Coombe for example is on the outskirts of a sleepy Wiltshire village and its dB restrictions are low and well monitored – Don’t arrive on the day and not be able to participate due to failing the test!
•    Listen to the safety briefing – you’ll need to attend the safety briefing, listen to the rules of the day and abide by them, its for your safety and others and if you don’t play by the rules, your day will be cut short by the marshals and your money wasted!

There are lots of organisers here in the UK that offer events at most leading UK circuits such as www.trackdays.co.uk, www.bookatrack.co.uk and www.goldtrack.co.uk .  You can even hire cars prepared for a track day from certain suppliers.  This is often the only way many of us will get to experience a full race car in action on track without winning the lottery.  Motorsport in an expensive hobby however, so don’t expect hiring someone else’s pride and joy to come cheap!  Cars can vary from £250 per day for a Caterham 7 up to £1000 day for a Porsche 911 GT3.  In contrast if you are using your own car a days fun can be had for as little £100 for the smaller tracks and airfields and up to £300 for the national circuits like silversone.  Be aware that your car insurance policy will explicitly EXCLUDE use on a race track.  You can get independant track day insurance, but you will pay on average £1-200 per day, so it isn't cheap, although its not very often mandatory, but do check with the provider.

You can guarantee to fall in love with driving again! Just remember to obey the speed limits on the way home or you could end up in hot water with the local police!

When it comes to golf, Portugal is one of the world's best countries to play in because of the amazing facilities on offer. Within Portugal the Algarve is the golfing hotspot and consequently attracts the most tourists. The golf courses are spread across the east, west and centre of the Algarve. They include popular courses like Alto Golf in the west, and Quinta Do Lago North golf course in the centre.

Alto Golf is a high class 18 hole golf course which is only 72 par. Alto Golf is famous for having the longest par five hole anywhere in Europe so you are certain to find this course challenging. Playing here is a fantastic way to spend a day out as there are amazing sea views and wonderful landscaped gardens to enjoy as you walk around in the gorgeous Portuguese climate. The course was designed to be everything to everyone by a famous English golfer known as Sir Henry Cotton. At more than six thousand metres long this course overlooks Lagos bay on the opening nine holes and has plenty of sloping hills and windy fairways. In 1995 the open was held here and in 1998 the Jonnie Walker amateur golfer competition took place.

Located just to the west of Faro airport, which is the main airport to use for golf in the Algarve, Quinta Do Lago North is a resort which is based around a golf course. This top course has hosted the prestigious Portuguese open tournament before and you are sure to enjoy its finely manicured course and facilities. The course is punctuated by lakes which provide a challenge to even the most adept of golfers and there are quite a few traps to look out for. Pine trees, sand and seasonal grass mostly make up the terrain and there are also beautiful flowers on many of the fairways. All in all you could be assured of a fantastic experience at Quinta Do Lago North. The course is twinned with the Quinta Do Lago South course which was also designed by an American architect and opened in 1974. Since that time the course has been so popular that it has hosted the Portuguese open on a staggering eight occasions.

There are a number of different golf in the Algarve packages and the best thing to do is shop around for deals. You should be able to get all your accommodation, flights, hotels and car hire for around £500 per person if you book early.

The following companies offer custom packages for all your golfing holiday needs;

Golf Holidays in Spain and Portugal
Premier Iberian offer flexibility and choice whatever size your group.

Following a recent holiday in North Italy, i’ve tried my hand at traditional Italian pizza.  What a revelation.  The takeaway menu’s are in the bin and frozen supermarket pizza’s off the shopping list.  Why oh why didn’t someone tell me about this earlier.  All you need are some basic ingredients, 30 minutes prep time (20 of which are letting the base rise) and 10 minutes to cook.  What you end up with is a traditional Italian base that will trump anything on offer on the highstreet!


It all started following my first visit to Italy, Summer 2009 saw us take in the truly delightful lake Garda in northern Italy.  Flying in to Milan, we picked up our car hire Milan from the airport and were swiftly on our way.  Only a few hours drive gets you to the south of the lake where you’ll find lots of camping spots and a very commercial feel to this increasingly popular resort.  Travel around the lake (higher the better) and you’ll stumble across some truly exceptional scenery and villages.  We decided on the sleepy harbour town of Malcesine with its qaint cobbled streets, traditional restaurants and fantastic harbour serving the great lake.  A short walk from the harbour in either direction and you’ll find various hotspots for lapping up the sunshine on the lake side.  Stroll south  you’ll see the small island a few hundred yards from shore that provides an appealing point to swim.  We did this on a number of occasions, but be warned, its further than it looks, I’m a competent swimmer and it took me a good 20 minutes in fair weather!  If you’re uncertain or the water is cutting up, I’d give it a miss.  So if you are planning on taking in the delights of Lake Garda in Northern Itlay, do your home homework and check out a Lake Garda Travel guide or just pack your tent and take a chance, either way you'll be sure to enjoy the fantastic scenery on offer!

Back to the Pizza.  

After a few efforts at making the base, I must confess to cheating here, its far easier to buy a base mix (not pizza base) from the supermarket, these come in small sachets and just require warm water a bit of kneading, let them rise for 20 minutes then they are ready to roll (or stretch by hand if you fancy a challenge).  You can experiment with making your own, but you’ll need to get your flour / yeast mix spot on to succeed!


The key to a good pizza is to get the oven upto its max temperature, not many of us have the luxury of a traditional stone pizza oven, so get it hot nice and early, roll out your base (approx 12” diameter), lightly flour a baking tray and lay the base on.  I use a tomato and basil passata (again I buy from supermarket, but if you have time its easy to make your own, blend fresh tomatoes and add some chopped basil, salt and pepper to taste), lightly cover the base and add mozzarella (approx 3-4mm thick slices).  From there on, the world is you oyster, just grate a little cheddar cheese over your chosen topping and a light drizzle of olive oil, you can add whatever toppings you like, but here are a few that I have tried and tested and come back to time and time again!

•    Prawn and garlic (well drained baby prawns work well)
•    Steak and pepper (best steak you can get – slice into fine strips – add raw)
•    Smoked Ham and mushroom
•    King prawn and smoked salmon – add sliced smoked salmon to pizza once cooked and drizzle with fresh lemon
•    Goats cheese and caramelised onions
•    Pepperoni and Chorizo – my twist on a classic!

Personally, I like rocket and its peppery taste, so often scatter the cooked pizza with fresh rocket and add a generous grating of parmesan to the finished pizza before serving….Belissimo!

If you are taking a break to the med this year, Cyprus is pretty much as far east as you can go!  With near guaranteed sunshine from May to September the beautiful island has plenty to offer.  Its crystal clear waters accessible from almost anywhere on the island within a short drive is truly worthy of its reputation for some of the best waters the med has to offer. 

From the lively town of Ayia Napa at the most easterly tip of the island right to Paphos and Polis in the west, the clear waters are a must.  And what better way to enjoy the water than from a boat!  Sure the beautiful beaches get you into the water, but why not get away from the masses and take a boat trip to some of the islands most beautiful spots that you wouldn’t otherwise get to experience.  Many trips are operated from Ayia Napa, I would recommend you pay Nissi Beach a visit, either by boat of the short 30 minute walk along the coast as the white sand is almost Caribbean like!  If you are in Paphos, the harbour has many trips available, from short hour cruises in a speed boat, to half and full day excursions.  Both sight seeing and fishing trips are available from a number of skippers on the quay, be warned you will be hot property as the skippers see you approaching, you are after all a pay cheque in their eyes, so only enquire if you are actually going to book, otherwise they will follow you along the quay until you do!  Be sure to haggle on the price, the ticket price is always negotiable, especially if travelling in a group, play hard as if the shoe were on the other foot, you’d be giving trips away!

If the thought of a crowded deck doesn’t float your boat however, there are a limited number of self drive boats available from Paphos, however if you have taken advantage of the cheap car hire Cyprus has to offer, jump in the car and head north to Paphos, follow the coast along to Latchi and this is where the real fun begins.  Latchi is a beautiful harbour side village with some truly exceptional boats in its moorings, clearly the harbour of choice for the rich and famous on the island keeping out of reach of the busiest tourist hotspots whilst enjoying arguably the best stretch of coast line the island has to offer.   Latchi has a good supply of self drive speed boats, can take up to 8 adults and can be equipped with all the waters ports equipment you can think of from water ski’s and wake boards to inflatable rings and of course life jackets for both adults and children.  Prices start from approx 50 Euro per hour, however tend to creep up as demand increases in the height of the summer.  You should only take the self drive option if you are familiar with motor boats, its not for the complete novice as you are driving around in a 30,000 Euro boat powered by 200hp outboards!  These things are not for the faint hearted, but if you know what you are doing, a great little boat for a few hours!  A little advice, get safely out of the harbour, swing a left and power along the coast, past the island (feel free to wave to the fishermen around the island, their persistence is admirable, I’ve snorkelled around the whole island and not seen a single fish!) and onto the blue lagoon cove. 


Accessible only by water, the cove is a truly great find!  You might see the odd boat trip out there, but you’ll be happily in charge of your own vessel and can stay until your hearts content.  Anchor down and spend a few hours lapping up the sun or take a dip in the crystal clear water where it’s only about 10ft deep for a few hundred feet from shore!  Boat trips in Cyprus? There are lots on offer, but my advice, get a self hire from Latchi and get away from the crowds!