Pangsapuri di Tavira

I stayed here on my first solo trip/my birthday. The hotel was perfect and the staff were lovely & helpful! They offered suggestions on places to visit and things to do. I even got a surprise bottle of prosecco and cake delivered to my room on my birthday morning! Very quiet & peaceful area, with so many places nearby (10 min walk or less) but if you don’t feel like exploring, the poolside area, spa & rooftop bar could be more then enough. Breakfast was delicious with a wide range of options too. 10/10 from me!

Great hotel - very comfortable rooms, a large swimming pool area, and designed in a 1970s modernist style. There is a free shuttle service to Cabanas de Tavira, from where you can get a short ferry across to the island beach. There is also a well-signposted 3km running route across the Tavira salt flats starting just outside the hotel, with amazing views if you go early in the morning. We booked a family room, and the sofa bed was just about big enough for our two children (aged 13 and 10) but it would probably be two small for older teenagers. Breakfast was very good, and is served in the rooftop restaurant.

We have just returned from a short stay at the Vile Gale Tavira. It's location is great and close to shops, restaurants and cafes. The hotel is large and the standard rooms are small. Clean and well looked after, but small for three. Our room was located on the side of the restaurant and bar/entertainment room. The noise was noticeable from early evening until 11pm but it may not bother everyone. On the plus side we had a great view of the salt pans and the local flamingo family, that was wonderful! The food at the pool bar was ok, we ate there once during our stay and did return the overcooked burger. The breakfast was lovely, a good selection of food and an omelette station too. The staff were helpful on the front desk but the ones working at the pool bar were more mixed! For example, my daughter wanted an ice cream and I went to order at the bar only to be told it was self service. On another day I did the same, returning to the bar to pay, to be told it wasn't self service! Sunbeds - plenty of them and most were easy to secure earlier in the day. However, from around 3pm onwards the pool area became quite busy and there were in short supply. Something, which I haven't read elsewhere in other reviews, is the smell. The hotel is next door to a salt factory, it doesn't impact negatively on your stay but there was a strong smell of gas. It wasn't there all the time but it was became strong enough to make you feel quite nauseous. Like I say I never found the source and the hotel staff had no idea what it was or where it came from, but it was very strong and was off putting when sitting around the pool. Overall, we had lovely break and the bonus is the close proximity to the lovely town of Tavira.

We stayed here for 4 days as a big group of 3 families with ages ranging from 8-70! Our room was perfectly comfortable, and surprisingly good power shower! The breakfast was great, drinks very good and extremely reasonably priced. Dinner could have been better, but there was a food range and for the price, really can't complain! Pool is one of the coldest I've experienced, but very beautiful and the children loved the slides. There were plenty of loungers and even at 9 or 10 you could easily find plenty. Without a doubt, what made our stay was Rodrigo and the other animation team members, they are simply amazing! We never like to use kids clubs, as I don't feel comfort leaving my children with strangers, but Rodrigo would come every day and entertain them, play football with them and they absolutely adored him! The rest of the team also, were just so much fun and a joy to be around. We did tbe dolphin spotting trip from the hotel with very low expectations and were so happy that we had an amazing experience! The crew were excellent and we got to spend a wonderful morning surrounded by dolphins which we will never forget! The only negative was that we got eaten alive daily by mosquitos due to the location, but it felt worth it! Take plenty of mozzy spray!

This is a lovely hotel. A great location in the hills, beautiful and quiet. Surrounded by orange, lemon and olive trees, with fab views and gardens to sit in quiet corners. The rooms are comfortable and immaculately clean. The pool area, the same. The animals are a nice touch, with a donkey, some sheep, peacocks and turtles. And cats wandering around the gardens. All of that makes this a nice place to stay. But the star of this hotel, for us, was the restaurant, the quality of the food and the fantastic staff. From the sweetest, juiciest oranges and figs from the gardens for breakfast, to Algarvian fish stew for dinner, to local specialities like Cataplan, the quality of the food is very high. The staff of this hotel are of course very professional, but they also give a lovely personal service. They are so helpful, friendly and kind. Everyone goes the extra mile to make people feel welcome. Special thanks from us go to Pedro, the restaurant manager, and Miguel and Sofia. Making people feel special, as you do, is not easy, but it makes a huge difference to your guests. Thank you for a lovely holiday!

If you're looking for a great place to chill Herdade da Corte is where you need to go. A Rio Grande style and feel about it, surrounded by fabulous hilly views, orange, lemon trees, olive groves, and pure adulterated silence. You hear the whisper of the breeze throughout the outdoor areas which have casual seating dotted about, a sweeping view, and a to die for salt-water pool. If you want 5 star service and a butler this isn't the place for you! Our favourite time of the day was a leisurely hour and half munching our way through the buffet breakfast, consisting of 4 different freshly made juices, a good selection of local produce, bread, rolls, pastries and cake, cheese, cold meats, fruits, yoghurt, and natural cereals - while idly looking out to the hills. There's also an array of teas, and the coffee is via a machine which is good - but goat's milk! We've travelled the world extensively and it's rare to find such a place. If you want to jazz up your time there Tavira is charming, along with Tavira Island. You do need a car if you stay at Herdade and want to visit many areas, however, we had read other reviews and knew that - but we just wanted to relax there and do nothing! We stayed 4 days and did venture out 1 afternoon to a restaurant in St Luzia. Local taxi, very nice driver. 20 euro each way (same prices to Tavira) about 15 minutes journey. The owners Joao and Francisco are cool, interesting guys, very helpful, and knowledgeable about the area , local produce, wines, and activities to do there - hiking, etc. Good massage also available in relaxing room. €50 Personally speaking, we dossed (an English word for lazing about) around the pool , helping ourselves to the well-stocked honesty bar, with the occasional beer/glass of wine, absorbed in a few good crime novels. Please note: after breakfast there is NO food available until 7pm. We knew that and brought along our own snacks, nuts etc. The evening menu is mainly cold, very good local produce - oh, please try the prawns (they hot). We tried almost everything on the menu during our stay - couldn't fault anything. My husband arrived completely knackered (another old-school word for tiredness) and after almost 4 days rooted to the place said he felt like the Six Million Dollar Man! Thank you Herdades, we will be back. Hayley & Alan UK