LOCATION
AT THE HEART OF PORTUGAL'S WESTCOAST NATURAL MARINE PARK, ARRIFANA EPITOMISES LIFE BY THE OCEAN
A beautiful alliance between water, sun and the terrain in between. Arrifana sits within an immensely beautiful, unspoiled stretch of coastline boasting a world famous surfing beach. Just over one hour's drive from Faro, it is well suited to families as it is enclosed on both sides by tall cliffs, with local residences harmoniously sloping down, almost to the water's edge.
The beach is wide and slopes very gently out to the sea; it is off the beaten track so this isolation gives a serenity that avoids the main tourist track, with many of the beach goers being local people or surfers; which delivers an incredibly chilled out, friendly vibe. The ruins of the old fortress are a 5 minute walk from the Casa and are ideal for some of the best sunset views over the ocean and surrounding scenery. There are 8 impressive restaurants and bars, all within walking distance from the Casa and all serving as-fresh-as-it-gets food (seafood caught that day that you can watch being brought back into the port, below the Casa) all with a relaxed and friendly feel and serving caipirinhas till late.
This western Atlantic coastline is blessed with so many glorious beaches, all about 15 minutes’ drive from one another; so many that you may find you are the only people there - your own private little piece of heaven.
BEACHES NEARBY
Praia do Castelejo – a very popular surf beach, less known to the public.
Praia de Monte Clérigo – a deep bay with a scattering of large rocks on one side, making it a lovely place for families as well as surfers; it is also a popular spot for fishing off the rocks.
Praia do Amado - often proclaimed as the most popular beach along the west coast and is one of the surfers’ favourite and home to several surf championships. It has a dramatic backdrop of red cliffs and rolling green hills.
Praia de Odeceixe – One of BamBam Casa’s favourites; a river running through it into the sea gives two very different experiences and the restaurants on offer are beautiful.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
The whole area is a very peaceful area of the Algarve and relatively untouched by tourism, which is part of its immense charm and feel. Beyond Arrifana and the available beaches, there are a plethora of other activities to partake in. Given the location, golf is very popular with some world class resorts nearby.
You can horse ride, cycle or hike across the local wild terrain, visit the ruins in both Arrifana and the nearby Castle ruins in Aljezur. Several music festivals are hosted locally, with impressive line ups. For those who haven’t tried already, join a surf school; it’s one of the best places to learn with such consistent waves. For children, Lagos Zoo is a lovely visit and the large water parks are something of a treat for all ages.
LOCAL AREA INFORMATION
Arrifana's adjacent village is called Vale da Telha, which is a 5 minute drive; it has a small supermarket, a great sushi restaurant, pizza takeaway and several bars to add to the variety in Arrifana itself. Aljezur is a much larger town which takes 15 minutes by car inland and has a large supermarket, multiple banks, various other shops, a public swimming pool, butchers, a pharmacy, more restaurants, a weekly open air market and historic castle ruins.
Another place of note is a fantastic pizza restaurant called Gullis, on the main road from Faro, about 20 minutes before you reach BamBam Casa; serving incredible Italian food.
BamBam Casa is just over 1 hour’s drive from Faro airport.
Praia da Arrifana, Portugal
Faro airport is 70 miles from the Casa - 1 hour drive