Loule Holidays
Loulé Holidays – Country and beach, the best of both worlds
Like much of the Algarve, Loulé lost a lot of its historic architecture in the fateful earthquake of 1755. Nonetheless, it is still a very attractive town, one of the largest inland towns of the Algarve. A holiday in Loulé is for those who like small city life and exploring the delightful local countryside, but also enjoy a day on the beach, which is only a twenty-minute drive away.
The biggest event of the week is the Saturday market, which draws crowds from all over the region. You can buy local fresh foods if you are self-catering, but the town is also known for the traditional workshops producing copperware, leather, cane and wood souvenirs, which are sold at the market. The gypsy flea market is also held on Saturday.
If you feel like a chi-chi night out, the purpose-built resort of Vilamoura, the largest private beach resort in Europe, is almost on your door step, or you can take a cruise from the marina and do a spot of dolphin watching or deep sea fishing.
When to go
If you are a party animal, Carnival takes place in February, and Loulé is the place to be, with people coming from across the Algarve for the three day event. A bright and noisy time of processions, music and dancing, reminiscent of the carnivals in Brazil.
As a market town, Loulé doesn’t suffer the mass tourist influx during the summer season that many of the coastal towns do. July and August will be hot, so if you intend to spend at least part of your time exploring, then June or September will be your best bet – still shorts and T-shirt weather, but comfortable enough to be out of the shade for extended periods of time.
The weather in Loulé
December through to March have temperatures of around 15-17º, and can be chilly at night. It is also when most rain falls, although with only around two inches annually it’s never torrential. The 19º of April climb to 25º in June, peaking at around 29º in July and August, when you can expect twelve hours of sunshine and blue skies. Autumn temperatures drop to the middle to low twenties, making for comfortable days but cool at night.
Getting the best deal
Inevitably, to get the best flight deals to Loulé you need to look outside the main tourist dates; the school holidays, Easter and Christmas. But bear in mind that Loulé is a busy market town, and you might get a good weekend deal at a hotel that caters mainly for businessmen, if all you are looking for is a long weekend.
If your holidays aren’t fixed to these dates, comfortable year-round temperatures mean that you can make the most of any deals on offer during the low- and mid-seasons while still having sun-filled days. Have a look below for some great deals, and also check our late offers.
Airport and transport need to know
There are regular flights to Faro airport, the only international airport on the Algarve, from Manchester (MAN), Birmingham (BHX), London Gatwick (LGW) and twenty other airports in the UK and Ireland. Ryanair, Jet2, EasyJet, Monarch and a number of other airlines offer flights Faro.
Loulé is only sixteen kilometres from Faro airport, and while there is a cheap rail and bus service you need to get a bus or taxi from the airport to the marina in Faro town, so a taxi fare of 20€ (£16) is pretty economical and door-to-door. You will pay a surcharge of 20% between 9pm and 6am and at weekends. If you are travelling as a group of more than four people it could be worthwhile booking a shuttle mini-bus.
Best beaches near Loulé
You will find Vilamoura the most hip and up-beat beach near Loulé; Quateira’s is very long and safe for children as a breakwater calms the seas; and apart from Faro’s main beach, all the others near the town are only accessible by ferry, which adds to the fun of a day at the beach.
