Sao Joao Holidays

Sao Joao Holidays – Dance the night away or make like a water baby

Albufeira is one of the most popular resorts on the Algarve, and only a few minutes’ walk from its infamous ‘Strip’ is the disco Diva resort of Sao Joao. A holiday in Sao Joao is the place to go if you don’t like early nights and prefer something a bit more lively than lying around on the beach all day. The nightlife buzzes, with lots of bars and busy discos, but there is also space for more sedate night time fun, with plenty of excellent restaurants, (try the sardinhas assadas - sardines grilled over charcoal).

There are excellent sandy beaches embraced by typical red Algarve sandstone cliffs, and there is a plentiful choice of water sports in Sao Joao, including sub-aqua diving, although you may just be content with marking out your space on the glorious five kilometres of golden sands.

In the central square, street vendors banter and sell local handicrafts, and the more relaxed Old Town of Albufeira, only a short walk from the ‘Strip’, still maintains some of the traditional Arabic architecture. But if you are looking for something to entertain you once the yen for buying a souvenir has worn off, Slide and Splash is the biggest water park in Europe, where kids have to battle with adults for their turn to slide down seriously scary chutes.

When to go

As part and parcel of Albufeira, one of the Algarve’s most popular resorts, there is so much to do at almost any time of the year that the choice of when to go is limited only by your style of holiday or if you are tied to specific dates such as school holidays. This is when the Sao Joao and Albufeira will be at their busiest, and if you are sensitive to noise and crowds are best avoided. Easter will also be popular.

If you love the hedonistic life, these dates are also likely to be the most popular, when young people gather en-mass for their summer holiday. But with the glorious weather on the Algarve, if you crave warmth you will have a wonderful time any time between May and early October, when most entertainments in the area will be open and bustling.

Weather in Sao Joao

Summer temperatures of around 29º are kept comfortable by the light breezes coming off the Atlantic Ocean, with night-time temperatures a peaceful 18º. Beautifully soft autumnal days in the mid- to low-twenties are perfect; still T-shirt weather, but without the cool and rain you can expect from November to February (although the rain is never excessive). March, when the days start filling with sun and blue skies, brings spring temperatures of 18º rising to 22º in May, 25º in June, with sea temperatures around 20º.

Getting the best deal

Sao Poao is a burgeoning resort with easy access to the enormous apartment, hotel and villa rental of Albufeira, although each year there is more on offer in Sao Joao itself. While the Algarve is one of Europe’s most popular summer holiday destinations, all this bed space has to be filled most of the rest of the year, which could be good news for you. Begin looking early and compare prices, but also make sure you can get a flight from your local airport to make the deal complete. If you find a price you are happy with, book it. Far better to pay a bit extra than wait for a bargain and find everything booked up.Check below for our great deals, and keep an eye on our late offers.

Airport and transport need to know

Flights from the UK take between 2.5 to three hours, depending where you fly from. Twenty-two airports in the UK and Ireland are linked to Faro airport, (the only international airport on the Algarve), by six airlines, including budget airlines Ryanair, EasyJet and Jet2. (See here for a full list of flights and airlines.)

Sao Joao is forty kilometres from Faro airport, with a variety of options to get there. A day-time taxi (there is a 20% surcharge at night and weekends) will cost between 44-68€ (£36-55) depending on time and size of vehicle. There are numerous transfer services that can be booked on-line for a fixed fee. There are bus and train services from Faro town to Albufeira (4,40€ (£3.60) and 2.50€ (£2) respectively), although you will probably have to take a local Giro bus or taxi to your hotel in Sao Joao when you get to Albufeira as the railway station is on the edge of the town. You will also need to take the shuttle bus from the airport into Faro or take a taxi, 10€ (£8).

A bargain while you are in Sao Joao is the tourist train, which cost 3€ (£2.50) a day and you can jump on and off as often as you like.

Best beaches in Sao Joao

Praia da Oura is the small local beach of golden sand with some shingle near the water line. There is quite a difference between high and low tides, so keep an eye on your belongings in the late afternoon or you may see them floating away. There is a sub-aqua school open to everyone, from experienced divers to novices with a snorkel, and plenty of water sports to keep the active entertained, including windsurfing, parasailing, pedal boats and banana boat rides, with sun beds and shades to hire for those who simply want to chill out. This is the nearest beach to Sao Joao, and is just a short walk from the famous ‘Strip’.

The long, flat Praia dos Pescadores in Albufeira has calm waters, which makes it ideal for families and swimmers. This is where sun worshippers share the sand with local fishermen repairing their nets, and on 25th April there is an enormous firework display to celebrate Freedom Day. Some of the best summer parties in the Algarve are held on the Praia dos Pescadores.