The aire has just been taken over by new management and costs 3 Euros a night (110 litres water 2 Euros, free dump) , 70 Euros for a month with free dump and water at 10 Euros if you pay in advance for the whole month. Wi-fi is extra. A reader from our Facebook page contacted us to say she had concerns about 'trouble' at the Aire. We were unaware of this and certainly didn't experience any. The folks running the site were pleasant and there was a barriered entrance with security. A bar opened the day I arrived. This is located in an old coach with a flip up side like you see at fairgrounds. This one served beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks at local prices (2 Euros a pint and 1.50 for a glass of wine) accompanied by a set of tunes enjoyed by jolly dancing Dutch and Germans. We were unconcerned by this as it was the festive season but if that would cause upset there was plenty of room to get away from the noise further along the aire towards the beach.
On arrival I threw my baggage down inside the van and we set off straight away for a beer and something to eat. The resort was pretty much deserted but we found a bar and then a delish, great value three course meal at Restaurante Três Palmeiras a glass encased restaurant overlooking the sea.
The sun shone bright on Christmas Eve and we sat outside a cliff top cafe for lunchtime beers. Most of the town shut early so we had a late lunch and back to the Aire for a quick drink and bed.
Anyway, back to my meal - I think the main course was a traditional Portuguese dish. Braised pork chops (v garlicky) with mushrooms and chestnuts. I enjoyed mine but Mike had a fatty piece of meat. We ate, drank and made merry for 15 euros a head. Great value as they gave us extra wine, beer and fresh prawns. After such a feast I clung onto Mike for the journey back, we left just around dusk. Back home we watched 'Meet Dave' an Eddie Murphy film which gave us a good chuckle.
Before Mike left the UK for this trip he purchased the Aires book for Spain and Portugal, published by Vicarious books. It has recently been updated and at £17.99 seems expensive at first. However, it is very up to date, has lots of colour photos and has so far been well worth the money. The latest version is on the Vicarious Books website.
The map of where we have been on this post is shown below.
Happy travels and Happy New Year!
Ali and Mike