Watching the Dolphins off Praia da Oura

We have already featured Zoomarine, where visitors to the Algarve can swim with dolphins in captivity. But for those who would like to see the mammals in their natural habitat we strongly recommend Ski Molhado, a water sports club right down on Praia da Oura, which organises an excellent combined excursion to see the dolphins off the Algarve coast, followed by a trip to the caves.

Trips are paid for in advance but the service is reliable and the trained and qualified staff offer an unhurried tour, providing information in English along the way.

As well as the dolphin trip the company offers parasailing, water skiing, jet bikes rental, pedal boats and kayaks.

Ski Molhado offers a comfortable and friendly service, in which safety always takes precedence. At the end of the trip a DVD is offered at a small fee featuring highlights from your own excursion.

For more information about Ski Molhado please click here.

Long Stay Promotion at CPO

Book a stay at the CPO for 21 nights or more online and receive a 25% discount. All taxes are included.

Full non-refundable payment is required to guarantee the booking. This offer is only available for new bookings and cannot be retrospectively applied to existing reservations.

Promotion ends on 31st March 2015. See the CPO website for more details.

Portugal - Some Basic Facts

Mainland Portugal is located at the far south-west of Europe but the country includes the Azores and Madeira archipelagos in the Atlantic. The mainland occupies an area of nearly 89,000 square kilometres, is 218 km wide and 561 km long.

The Azores lie in the Atlantic between Europe and North America, have an area of 2,355 km2 and comprise nine islands - São Miguel, Santa Maria, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, Faial, Flores and Corvo.

Madeira has a total land area of 741 km2 and lies in the Atlantic some 500km from the African coast and 1,000km from Europe. It consists of the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, as well as the uninhabited Desertas and Selvagens islands.

The climate in mainland Portugal varies considerably from region to region. Much of it enjoys mild winters, especially the Algarve.

Closer to the Spanish border the winters are cooler, although the temperatures are still mild in comparison with much of Europe. There is some snowfall, primarily in the Serra da Estrela mountains - the highest point in mainland Portugal.

The summers are hot and dry, especially inland. Temperatures are slightly lower in the coastal areas due to the influence of the sea.

POPULATION

Portugal's population is around ten million. As could be expected density is highest in Lisbon and its suburbs, where about 1.9 million people live. The second largest city in Portugal is Oporto in the north of the country. Generally more people live in the country’s coastal regions than in the inland areas.

The majority of Portuguese people are Roman Catholic, however the Portuguese Constitution guarantees religious freedom and there are many different religions practiced in Portugal.

Portuguese is the third most spoken European language and the native tongue of about 250 million people. It is the national language of Brazil.

Amanda's Bar

Although CPO and its associated resorts boast a number of bars where one can enjoy a drink and some good entertainment, for many Amanda's Bar is where it's at when one wants to wind down for the evening. It is designed as a medium-sized entertainment venue and its various shows, talent contests and karaoke events are usually well-supported by holidaymakers at the resort.

A long, well-staffed bar with ample seating and open till 1.00 am, when Amanda's was undergoing refurb earlier in the year many felt the resort was missing a certain something. It's great to see it back in use.