Popular Saints Parades

June is the month of the popular Saints, and of course, Portimão and Alvor keep the tradition!

Yesterday the parades went arround the streets of Alvor! Everything was colorful cheerfull and full of happy people :) 

And of course being a local I cheer for Alvors parade that is very well represented! Alvor's Parade is Beautiful!!

Junho é o mês do santos populares, e claro Portimão também  mantém a tradição.

Ontem foi a vez das marchas saírem à rua em Alvor.

Muito colorido, muita alegria e boa disposição!

Claro, sendo "bairrista" grito pela Marcha da Vila de  Alvor que está muito bem representada.

A Marcha de Alvor é liiiiinda!

Gastronomic Week in Alvor

Gastronomic Week with lot of entertainment and demonstrations!

Semana Gastronómica em Alvor com muitas animações e demonstrações!!!

Tandem Skydiving - Guest Testemony

What is a Tandem Skydive?

The most popular jump and an ideal first jump or one-off experience day out. A tandem jump is the most popular and the ideal way to try skydiving for the first time without any experience needed at all. 
All expert tandem instructors have thousands of skydives and you will jump using a large parachute specifically designed for two people.  
Securely harnessed to your qualified tandem skydiving instructor you will experience the thrill and excitement of freefall and enjoy the breath-taking sea views over the coastline of Portugal. 
There’s a short ride in the specialist parachuting aircraft before you take an exhilarating leap from 14,000ft (4300m) reaching terminal velocity at around 120mph! 
Your instructor will then open the tandem parachute after 60 seconds of free-falling and fly you safely back to earth. 
 Optional outside video and photo package so you can take the memory of the most exhilarating experience of your life home to show your friends and family.

What happens on the day

• Arrive at the airfield at the designated time on your confirmation email
• Complete your paperwork and pay any outstanding balances
• Enter the dropzone! You will need to show photo ID to go airside so please ensure any friends and family also have this with them
• Receive your skydive briefing from one of our qualified instructors
• Get kitted up and ready to jump
• Meet your cameraman for a short interview – make sure you have booked your video and photo package!
• Enjoy the 15-minute ride up to 14,000ft (4300m) in our fast parachuting aircraft.
• Leap from the door, securely attached to your tandem skydive instructor
• Enjoy 60 seconds of freefall
• At 6000ft the parachute will be opened by your instructor and you can take in the stunning sea views whilst under canopy for around five minutes. Land back at the dropzone with a huge smile on your face!
• Collect your tandem skydive certificate
• If you took the DVD and photo package this should be ready for you within an hour, and you can watch this in the café with your friends and family before you leave if you wish.

Source: Skydive Algarve

Intreview with Ieva - Guest that Tandem Jumped

Were you thinking about skydiving when you first came here at all?
I had no clue.

You were reluctant about skydiving, what made you give in?
It was definitely encouragement of people that I met here at the hostel and further on. The idea came from a guy that was doing the skydiving course in Alvor and they kept encouraging me that I had to try it as well. I was still unsure if I wanted to do it but after a few days under consideration I did it after all.

How would you describe the experience?
It was simply amazing. People at the aerodrome were super friendly and relaxed. Everyone getting to know each other, listening to music and chilling before the jumps. Instructors are very thoughtful and fun. They even invited me for a party later that day. I didn't feel a single drop of fear or nervousness until I was 13,000 ft above the ground, but when the door opened and I was being directed towards it, my heart was beating crazy fast and my mind was asking me what the heck I am doing here! The excitement was huge and I felt a shock for few seconds after jumping out, but the professional instructor made the experience smooth and enjoyable. I was even able to guide the parachute myself and spin around.

 Now that you’ve done it, would you do it again?
 100% I would do it 100 more times

 What experience do you want to have next?
 I want to learn kitesurfing and the classical surfing

 How was your experience here at the hostel?
The best one ever. Marco and his family (and the hostel staff) were so nice to me the whole time. I really felt like home here. Alvor, and Ria hostel, is a place where you meet different people every day. That's what I like about staying at the hostel, the fact that you always see new people and make friends with them. I met amazing persons who offered me to visit then at their places later on and showed me around this place.

 Would you recommend others that want to tandem jump to stay with us?
 You will get the best recommendations regarding the skydive company, pricing and how to get to the aerodrome. And probably some feedback too.

What did you like the most about Alvor? 
I like every single thing so far. In summer it gets really crowded also here, but comparing to other bigger towns in Algarve, Alvor the is a relatively silent spot with relaxed and open minded local people and tourists. You can make friends easily, enjoy the nightlife if you like, find lots of restaurants as well as local cafés with delicious and fresh food. Shopping street is waiting the customers from the early morning untill late night. But the biggest treasure for this place is nature beauty. Laguna with its fauna and sea animals, beloved by kitesurfers, different beaches, sandy ones and cliffs just around the corner, the river and Marina, and even hills in a walking distance for hike lovers.

Given the opportunity would you come visit again?
Definitely. Anytime, and going to suggest it to my friends and family.

WildWatch WildLife Explorer Trip Review

So I did this boat trip with a company called Wildwatch the tour is named "WildLife Explorer" and It's a 3h boat ride along the coast that aims to see marine animals on their natural habitat. I reccomend you to take a jacket as it gets cold in the sea and the boat is fast so you get lots of wind, also, sun protection and sunglasses for obvious reasons ;) The boat is a speed boat that can get pretty bumpy if you ride in the front (which I did but I'm fine with it as it was better for photos :) ). Everyone gets life vests and safety instructions.

I left from Ferragudo at the time but they also pick up in Alvor. I paid for the trip just like everyone else - It costs 65€ per person. The team is composed by marine biologists that really know what they are doing and in the end they do a round up of the sights in the trip and general activity of the marine life in the area while offering some snacks. 

It didn't take long to see some fins - dolphins! they were quite curious and constantly going around the boat and below, really close, some bigger groups some smaller groups, they were really playful and jumped around a lot! We even saw some mothers and babies <3 On this trip we only saw 2 species of dolphins, but it was really interesting as the guides kept explaining their behaviors and identifying the species and gender, very informative!

All the dolphin pictures above were taken by me on the trip. Overall I found this expirience amazing and defenetly reccomend this trip and this company, the price is worth it, the ending session is lovely with tea biscuits and other snacks while seeing some photos from our trip and other species present in the area - I learned a lot about the local marine ecosystem! In a few days after the tour you get an email with underwater footage from your trip :)

Book your Wildwatch Trip with US! (and do it fast since it sells out rather quickly)