Cabanas Holidays
Cabanas Holidays – Chill out zone
A holiday in Cabanas is a perfect combination of chilling out and light-hearted exploration. The town sits at the beginning of the lagoons of the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, and started life when fishermen built sheds (cabanas) to store their equipment. They then built houses, and so the town began and kept the name.
A boardwalk runs the full length of the lagoons of the reserve, ideal for an evening stroll. If you would like to take a ride further afield, just opposite the water taxi stand on the prom is a shop that hires bikes. This is the perfect way to explore the beautiful surrounding countryside, or you can take the train that runs from Conceição de Tavira (1km from Cabanas) and visit some of the other small coastal towns.
Nearby Tavira also warrants a day’s exploration, (you can get there from Cabanas by a water taxi). Along with Lagos it is rated as one of the two most architecturally interesting historic towns in the Algarve, is the perfect day out for those who love castles, churches, meandering streets and white-washed houses.
When to go
With the Algarve now being one of Europe’s main golf destinations, if it is your game you will be able to enjoy a stay at Cabanas year-round. Although you may find yourself getting rained on occasionally during November to February, it won’t be so heavy that it will particularly dampen your spirits.
July and August can be pretty hot if you intend to do any exploring in the Rio Formosa National Park or the surrounding countryside, so spring and autumn are the ideal times to go if you like an active holiday. July and August will also be the busiest months because of the school holidays.
The weather in Cabanas
With Cabanas being in the eastern Algarve, the climate is more Mediterranean and therefore slightly warmer than the resorts to the west. Summer highs in the upper 20s with around eleven hours of sunshine daily make Cabanas ideal for a ‘lounging on the beach’ holiday during high season. Temperatures drop to mid-20s, high teens from September to November, making it warm but not unbearably hot. Winter months are around 16º, comfortable, although you will need a sweater in the evenings, and nights can be pretty chilly. With most of the rain falling from November to February, March welcomes spring with 18º, climbing to 23º in June.
Getting the best deal
The high seasons of July and August, and Easter, are likely to be short on deals, but at any other time of the year you should be able to find some good offers on accommodation and flights. Start looking early, even if you are fixed to high season dates, as Cabanas isn’t as large a resort as many on the Algarve, and you could find the best accommodation booked if you leave it too late.
June and September should get you a deal, and the weather is still lovely at this time of year. If you can take your holiday in spring or autumn you will find a lot more bargains on flights and hotels.Check out our best deals below, and keep an eye on our late offers for some great deals.
Airport and transport need to know
Faro airport is only 36 kilometres from Cabanas, and has direct flights from twenty-three UK and Irish airports. A taxi will cost around 45€ (£36), with a 20% surcharge between 9pm and 6am and at weekends and national holidays. A train from Faro town to Conceição de Tavira will cost 3.80€ (£3) but you will need to get a bus or taxi into Faro from the airport.
There are plenty of transfer companies that you can book on-line. If you are hiring a car, Cabanas is an easy drive along the A22 motorway, or you could take N125 coastal road if you don’t feel nervous about driving on the right.
Faro Airport Guide has a list of UK airports with links to Faro, and the airlines that service them.
Best beaches in Cababas
The Blue Flag Ilha de Cabanas-Mar, or Praia de Cabanas as it is also known, is a peaceful sunbathing beach with seven kilometres of white sand and beautiful clear waters, and never seems to get crowded. A ferry takes you across the estuary of the Rio Formosa from April to October. You can rent a sunshade or try your hand at windsurfing and sailing. It also has a café-bar and toilet and shower facilities.
Nearby Tavira Island, is an eleven kilometre-long sandspit beach that is considered one of the best in the Algarve. There is no road access, and you have to take either a water taxi (which you can hire in Cabanas) or a ferry that runs from Tavira and Quatro Aguas from 9am to 5pm daily out of season, 8am to midnight from 1st July to 5th September. Within a short walk of the small ferry terminal there are restaurants, beach bars. It is part of the natural reserve of the Ria Formosa, and is very popular with bird watchers. A section of the beach is available to naturists.
