Beach Homes for Holidays, Ferragudo - Portugal

Just listed on the jmlvillas.com site in Portugal

This privately built and managed resort provides a collection of luxury beach-fronted houses - the ultimate in quality holiday accommodation. All properties enjoy sea views, air-conditioning, fully equipped kitchens and a heated shared swimming pool.Vila Castelo ResortTraditional styled properties built on the hillside overlooking the castle and beach. Ranging from apartments, townhouses, penthouses and three to five bedroom villas. Swimming pool (heated in winter months) with a summer terrace bar providing light lunches.

THE ALGARVE is a mixture of breathtaking scenery, ancient history and modern resorts, one of the most popular tourism destinations in all of Europe. Stunningly beautiful sandy beaches give way to areas of rugged cliffs with grottoes and lagoons. Golf and tennis are virtually a way of life here. The Algarve golf courses are consistently rated among the top in Europe. This is the southwestern corner of Europe and gazing out at the Atlantic from Cabo St. Vincent, you can understand why early Europeans believed it was the end of the world. Its name comes from the Moors who named it al-gharb or "the West." Their distinctive architecture dominates the historic center of the capital of Faro. White washed housing with massive chimneys and castles are evident throughout the region, which is also home to some of the most luxurious resorts and spas in all of Europe.

An alluring backdrop for anyone who enjoys water sports, Algarve's waters provide a massive playground for those who enjoy fishing, sailing, surfing, diving and so much more. To set sail from Lagos is to sail from a marina from which many of the great explorers departed during the Age of Discovery. Discovery is still an important element of vacations here. There is no end to the possibilities for enjoyment for those who come to either relax amid incredible natural beauty or join in the fun of the vibrant and invigorating culture which has evolved along this beautiful coast.

So why not visit this charming region, with its idyllic temperatures (average temperature in winter of 14°C and 24°C - 57°F and 75°F - in summer, rarely going below 12°C - 53°F- during winter and reaching as high as 28°C or 30°C - 82°F or 86° F - in July and August), which are ideal for playing golf and other sports.

Wine & Cuisine

It's easy to see why Portuguese cuisine is up and coming. Always fresh and overflowing with unique combinations of flavors to entice the taste buds, the Iberian Peninsula is a culinary delight. Vast coastlines on Portugal yield popular dishes which take advantage of the wide array of seafood available. Many of the favorite recipes have been exported abroad, but caldo verde never taste better than from the lands in which they were created.

The hability to cure hams and create mouth watering sausages has been perfected over the centuries with each region having their own secret methods. Lamb and even rabbit are transformed in dishes that call on the amazing selection of vegetables. The homemade breads and cheeses are like none you will find anywhere else in the world and those with a sweet tooth can enjoy a wide range of desserts, cakes and pastries.

Wine

Some of the finest wines in the world have the origins on the Iberian Peninsula where wine production has been a way of life dating back to the days of the Romans.

Apart from Port and Madeira wines, Portugal produces more than one hundred different varieties of wines. Internationally recognized as some of the finest in the world, Douro, Alentejo, Dão wines as well and Vinho Verde are noted for their unique and crisp flavors.

Activities
Because an holiday is not just about Accommodation, we have have special activities to provide you unique moments during your stay at Vila Castelo Resort and the Algarve.

Vila Castelo Resort Yacht Exclusively for our guests

Invite your friends for a fantastic half day trip to enjoy the Algarve Coast and its treasures.

Swim the clear and warm sea waters, be in contact with nature, the unique scenery, the privacity, a delightuful snack and much more to discover onboard of our private Yacht.

For further information please contact our reception 00351 282 460 370 for a day/half day or sunset cruise.

Vila Castelo Resort Kayak A Different FUN day!!

Wake up in morning and start exercicing, why not with a Picnick combined with observing nature, rowing throught the beatiful Sea and Arade River chanells. Beaches and caves watching the natural life from all the bird watching to the sea life.

For 2 adults and 1 child (including the life jackets), an adverture day in family!!!

Diving

Discover the deep Algarve……

Why not to discover the deep Algarve, and get to know the beauty of its underwater flora & fauna??

One day diving for experienced divers, Diving packages for beginners, Undewater games for children in the Swimming pool, Diving courses and much more... The perfect relaxation and sea therapy!!

What to know more? Here is the place to find out for your 2010 vacation

November is here, so it is the time to list your holiday rental on the Internet with jmlvillas.com

We are nearly in mid November and it getting rather wintry after a very mild October in Britain thanks to the warm air blowing up from the Med.

Many people are thinking of their 2010 holidays and to save money in this credit crunch era, why not take a self catering holiday rental.

This is the time when property owners should be lising their villas, gites and apartments on a low cost villa advertising service like www,jmlvillas.com

It doesn't actually cost a lot, in fact only £11.75 per year!! Not a lot. You could buy a couple of bottles of wine for that in the UK, a meal in a pub (for one) plus numerous other examples.

November and December are the ideal times to list self catering holiday rentals and jmlvillas.com now advertises properties in over thirty one countries worldwide and the numbers are continuing to increase.

We would like to hear from you and remember you can pay for this by credit or debit card and in many countries advertising costs can be set again TAX!!

Villa Arenaria Leucadia, Lefkada Ionian Islands Greece

Just been added to the jmlvillas.com site.

Villa Arenaria is only one kilometer away from the historical centre of Lefkada town and the marina that is considered one of the best that Greece has to offer.
Lefkada town offers a wide selection of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, shops, super-markets, foreign press as well as amenities such as banks, hospital, postal office, police.

The beach of Agios Giannis, which is famous for its fascinating sunset, is less than one kilometer away. This is where water sport lovers will be able to test their aptitude in kitesurfing, windsurfing, fishing, snorkelling.
The fact that the mainland is easily accessible through a floating bridge, makes the location of villa Arenaria ideal for those who wish to explore the west part of the mainland a bit further.

Arenaria is a ground floor villa of 120 m² total floor area with another 20 m² of terrace space that extends out of the living room.
It has two bedrooms with refined and high quality furniture, each with its own bathroom and digital television.
The dining room which has views to the swimming-pool is linked to a tasteful and fully equipped kitchen which, in turn, is separated from the living room by a stunning wooden partition, a distinctive element of Lefkadian architecture.
Further along, one can find the living room of the villa which features two couches, one of which has three seats and extends to form a king size bed, an armchair and a large stool.
There is also a 32 inch digital TV with satellite and DVD player.
Large glass doors lead the way out to what feels like a continuation of the house, a terrace with swimming pool views where one can find a big wrought-iron table with seating for 6-8 persons...

The villa also has a WC where one can find a washing-machine with tumble dryer and a closet with a vacuum cleaner, an electric iron, ironing board and clothes hanger.
At the villa’s back yard one can find a 55m² swimming-pool with hydro-massage for the relaxation of our guests.
A children's swimming-pool for the entertainment of our small friends makes this ground floor villa ideal for families.
The swimming-pool area is surrounded by olive, orange and lemon trees, as well as by several other trees, plants and flowers that create a beautiful and calm environment.
A barbeque can also be found close to the swimming-pool.
In the front of the house there is plenty of parking space for 2-3 cars.

Villa Arenaria is only one kilometer away from the historical centre of Lefkada town and the marina that is considered one of the best that Greece has to offer.
Lefkada town offers a wide selection of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, shops, super-markets, foreign press as well as amenities such as banks, hospital, postal office, police.
The beach of Agios Giannis, which is famous for its fascinating sunset, is less than one kilometer away. This is where water sport lovers will be able to test their aptitude in kitesurfing, windsurfing, fishing, snorkelling.
The fact that the mainland is easily accessible through a floating bridge, makes the location of villa Arenaria ideal for those who wish to explore the west part of the mainland a bit further.

Lefkada is one of the Ionian Islands. With an area of 302.5 square meters and 23,000 inhabitants, it is the 4th largest island in the Ionian Sea and is located between Corfu and Kefallonia.
Lefkada benefits from easy access as it is connected with the mainland by a floating bridge.

The island's climate is smooth, with long spells of sunshine throughout the year, mild winters and warm but pleasant summers due to the cooling breeze.
Lefkada's coastline is comprised of impressive beaches, peninsulas, capes, coves that make magnificent natural ports towards the east as well as the south side of the island.

For more information about this great holiday rental visit jmlvillas.com Here

20 Years since the Berlin wall fell where is UK TV coverage

(Left: Checkpoint Charlie - photo from jmlproperty services)

Today is the 9th November 2009, twenty years anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

There is plenty of newspaper coverage over the weekend in the UK and no doubt will be on Tuesday. The news channels will be covering this and like the BBC1 10 oclock news last night have the same reporter there who covered the event twenty years ago in 1989.

There was an interesting article in the Traveller supplement of Saturday's Independent by Simon Calder who was a driver for the BBC radio car at that time. He had followed the tail from west to east in a hire car going through the three main checkpoints Checkpoint Alpha (100 miles west of Berlin where Dr Annemarie Reffert and her daughter Julianne were the first East Germans to cross over into West Germany in their Trabant an hour before the Berlin fronier gates opened and then came back again) and Checkpoint Bravo.

However with the anniversary of this important piece of history when communism was finally falling, what coverage can I find on our UK TV channels this week?

Not a lot, sure there will be the news coverage, but the only advertised documentary I could find is on the History Channel at 9.00 tonight. Maybe there have been a few on recently that I have missed, but surely this week would have been appropriate?

BBC 2 had a 90 minute documentary entitled "The Secret Life of the Berlin Wall" a documentary telling the story of the Berlin Wall and its impact on Berliners' lives on Satuday 7th, but is there anything this week?

Berlin is a fantastic place to visit and details of a few days earlier this year Berlin in February is fantastic, but can be very cold has a lot of detail of where to go and quickly get a feel of the city by taking a bus tour followed by a guided walking tour, but if you are thinking of going in the next few weeks, take plenty of warm clothing.

Bankruptcies over the festive season are being predicted by ProtectMyHoliday

Just received a press release from Michael Ward Sales and Marketing Manager at ProtectMyHoliday who sent a press release entitles
"ProtectMyHoliday predict bankruptcies over the festive season". Over the last two Christmas's a number of airlines collapsed and IPP are expecting a similar impact this year, with the knock on effect to other parts of the travel industry being severe, as those linked to all areas of travel are affected.

Their release is advising:

To ensure you are protected this period please follow the following steps:

1. Air Travel Organisers Licence - If a trip is ATOL protected the holiday company being booked with must either hold an ATOL or be an agent of a company that does, in which case it must tell the customer when they book which ATOL they are protected by, and as soon as money is exchanged, issue an ATOL Receipt to the customer.

2. Check your travel insurance policy. Quality policies are now including cover for Financial Protection under sections like Scheduled Airline Failure (airline only) and End Supplier Failure (airline plus all other suppliers, e.g. hotels, car hire, etc).

3. Take a dedicated policy from an on-line protection website such as ProtectMyHoliday.com. With no excess, this tailor made policy will capture the details of the airline and other suppliers of the trip and produce a unique policy on-line in minutes.

To view the Press Release in full visit the page on the jml-insurance web site Here

Welsh Cottage Rental site not working

Our jmvillas.com site Welsh cottage rental.com site is currently not working.

The company that hosts the site is looking into this fact and we trust that it will be up and running within a few hours.

In the meantime if you are searching for a self catering holiday rental in Wales or have a property to advertise.....( and it only costs £11.75 per year) all you need do is visit the site here.

We will put up a posting when Welsh cottage rental.com is live again.

Cereal company removes Anglesey

Left: Holyhead coastline, Anglesey, North Wales (photo jmlvillas.com)

I was on the car ferry crossing between Holyhead in North Wales and Dublin on Wednesday 28th October. I was reading a selection of newspapers on the Stena Line ferry and came across an amusing report in The Daily Telegraph.

It appears that the breakfast cereal manufacturer Weetabix has upset locals by leaving the island of Anglesey ( Ynys Môn)in North Wales off a map of Britain in it's latest competition.

Buyers of Weetabix cereal take a special code printed on the box next to a map of the UK and enter it on the company's website, to take part in a round Britain online competition. Unfortunately Angelesy has gone.

I knew of course it had not, as an hour earlier I driven across the Island on the A55 to board the ferry. The 70,000 population are none too happy either as this is the second time a food manufacturer has done this. The company pointed out that it was an artist impression.