Casa Martin has two bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other with twin beds. The beds are new with high quality mattresses and cast iron frames. There are chests of drawers, mirrors, bedside tables and hanging space in both bedrooms. The double bedroom also has a trouser press. There is a large marble tiled shower room containing WC, bidet, wash basin, the walk in shower and laundry basket. For your convenience there is an iron and ironing board, a hairdryer and an alarm clock. The comfortable lounge has a leather suite and an enormous stone fireplace. Logs are supplied for winter fires but there are electric radiators in all of the rooms for cooler evenings. There are well stocked book shelves with all of the latest guide books and maps as well as a good selection of general travel books and best sellers. There is a CD/radio/cassette so if you like music don't forget to pack a few of your favourite tapes and discs. However to ease your packing the house has an iron and ironing board and a hairdryer for your use. Because the house used to belong to the local baker the large kitchen and dining room occupy a separate building at the end of the covered terrace. The kitchen is fully equipped with gas cooker, fridge/freezer, microwave and grill. There are ample utensils and equipment for making and enjoying mouthwatering meals to be taken either at the dining table inside or outside on the terrace. If you are a keen cook then you will be pleased to hear that there are lots of cookery books in the kitchen and the on this site have lots of lovely recipes all of which have been tested in the Casa Martin kitchen.

Casa Martin has its own swimming pool (5m x 5m with a maximum depth of 2.5m) which is surrounded by plenty of sunny terraces in all directions for soaking up the sun on the comfortable loungers. There is also a good sized shady terrace directly in front of the house which is ideal for getting out of the blazing sun in the summer. As well as the tiled table and benches on the barbecue terrace there is a dining table and chairs for use on the pool and house terraces. Many of the flower beds around the pool and house are planted with aromatic and colorful plants. We are proud of our barbecue area - we should be as we built it ourselves back in the late 1980's to replace a rather sad lawn! It features a large built in barbecue with plenty of tiled work surface all round. The table and benches are tiled in the traditional Portuguese style. There is a powerful halogen lamp to illuminate the area so that you can sit around the table until late into the night. The on this site has lots of recipes that benefit from being cooked on the barbecue and there are plenty of cookbooks in the kitchen for more inspiration. The local butchers and supermarkets sell beefburgers, ready marinated meats, poultry and sausages - both English style and local Portuguese varieties for the more adventurous - try linguica and chourico. During 1998/99 we had a bore hole sunk to guarantee us an uninterrupted supply of water - there is no mains water outside of the major towns. When we were doing this we built a new room to house the pool filter etc and the water pump which enabled us to extend the terrace area and we took the opportunity to install underwater lighting in the pool for late night swimming. It isn't of course necessary to go swimming to enjoy the magical glow that the lit pool imparts to the whole of the terrace area after dark. The gardens immediately around the house are planted with beautiful flowering plants such as oleander, hibiscus, bougainvillea, bignonia and colourful geraniums. The buildings are surrounded by beds planted with colourful and aromatic herbs, bulbs, shrubs and perennials. Further away on our land there are fruit trees - mainly fig with almonds, quince, olives, plums, oranges, tangerine etc which you are welcome to pick if you are staying when they are in season. In spring (which comes early down here - February onwards) the rough land is covered with beautiful wild flowers. If you are interested in gardening in such a hot and dry climate as the Algarve or if you have any experience of gardening on chalk soil then there is a page with lots of photos of our plants and flowers here and I am always delighted to hear any comments or suggestions.

Casa Martin Casa Martin is situated about 3 km North West of Loule in a rural setting amongst olive, fig, almond and carob trees with views to the coast. It is a typical stone built cottage dating from 1926, if you can believe the date which was on the chimney. Mind you we think the chimney is so beautiful that a year or two one way or another doesn't detract from its glory! The house has two bedrooms with good quality beds and chests, a large shower room, living room with large fireplace and a kitchen with an excellent quality cooker and fridge freezer, lots of extras like grill and microwave and a good range of cooking pans, utensils and crockery. The house has electric radiators in all rooms and is available to let all year round. For your added security there is a safe in the house which is useful for the safekeeping of money, tickets, passports, cameras, laptops etc. It is ideal for couples and families with no more than two children. More information and pictures of the house can be found by clicking the links below

Loule and Surrounding Area. Loule is situated only 20 minutes by Car from the Algarve's Capital City, Faro, which has a busy International Airport. It is only twenty minutes away from fine beaches and lively coastal resorts like Vilamoura with its renowned Marina and the upmarket developments of Quinta de Lago and Val de Lobo. Loule is however not a brash place it is a bustling market town which has retained a lot of its typical of charm with some fine old buildings together with some really up to the minute modern architecture. There are plenty of places to shop from the old covered market on the Avenida through exclusive boutiques to several modern supermarkets. There are still some workshops in the town where traditional crafts such as copper work, leather work and basket weaving are carried out. There are also many potteries selling hand made and hand painted tiles and pottery. Our favourite is Os Arcos where many of the pieces in the house come from. One word of warning: Loule is a tourist hotspot on Saturdays. Saturday's Market is by far the busiest day when all of the locals come from miles around to set up stall and sell their wares. Tourists also come in their droves and it can be extremely difficult to park so arrive early. It is quite a wonderful sight to see cage birds, live chickens and ducks, fruit and vegetables, fish and local produce such as olives, local cheeses and the ubiquitous salt cod all for sale in one place at one time so I recommend that you go once, go early (before 9am) and then retire to one of the many open air bars on the Avenida for a coffee and a brandy if it all gets too much! There is also a large gypsy/flea market in town opposite the old convent (which is being turned into an art gallery) every Saturday morning. The remains of the old castle walls in the town house the local tourist information office and the town museum which is quite interesting with some roman and moorish pottery and a rather fine recreation of a typical local 18th Century kitchen. Parking in town can be difficult at busy times - along the main street there are pay and display metered spaces. Casa Martin is a good base for all sorts of activities and excursions in the Algarve and beyond and we cover a few on these pages. For more information on the local area visit the. Loule Councils own site which is in Portuguese (which I suppose is fair enough!) and can be slow but it has lots of good pictures of the area. Loule's council (or Camara) is incidentally one of the richest, most highly thought of and progressive in Portugal.

Loule town with all its amenities including shops, banks, restaurants and a daily market is only five minutes drive away so car hire is essential. Casa Martin is an excellent base for touring as far afield as Lisbon and Seville with most of the highlights of the Algarve within an hour. There are a number of beautiful beaches, golf courses and lively coastal resorts within 20 minutes. Faro International Airport is a 30 minute drive away The airport at Lisbon is now less than a 3½ hour drive thanks to the newly opened motorway (toll approx 15 in 2003). There is a map of the Algarve. For guests we supply a detailed map and set of written directions to Casa Martin once final payment has been received.

There are lots of places worth seeing, too many to visit during one stay but the guide books should help you find the sort of place you would enjoy. There are a couple of big water slide parks which children love, which has dolphins, sea lions etc, and places offering Go-Karting, horse riding etc. Remember if you are intending to travel any distance in the car in the summer heat it is a good idea to have a bottle or two of still water in the car for emergencies. Petrol stations are numerous along the coast and in built up areas but can be few and far between in the remoter regions so it is worth filling up when you can. There is specific information for those interested in. The links below list, in no particular order, a few of the trips we have enjoyed over the years. Loule - a charming, bustling market town renowned as one of the most picturesque but authentic place in the Algarve. Faro - the Old City, close to the marina is well worth exploring. Ria Formosa Natural Park is located at the end of the upmarket Quinta do Lago development. There are two well signed nature walks which start at the beach carpark, of about two or three miles each which are well worth trying - it is surprisingly unspoilt so close to this crowded area. Paderne has a beautiful river, a moorish castle, good walks and picnic spots. Of course there is no need to leave the house at all during your stay. There is nothing nicer than pouring a drink, sitting on the terrace taking the odd dip in the pool (or infront of the fire in winter) and reading a book or dozing. Your stay can be a chance to relax in peace and recharge the batteries. Alte, Salir Querenca - are small pretty villages only a short drive from the house. Silves - is a fine old town virtually untouched by tourism dominated by a Moorish castle and cathedral. Portimao Lagos - are large towns good for shopping and sightseeing with stunning coastlines. Read more. Olhao and Tavira - to the East of Faro are picturesque destinations. Both towns have good nearby beaches on offshore islands reached by ferries. Monchique - is a popular inland destination. Pottery is a traditional souvenir from Portugal and there are lots of places to browse and buy. Barragem do Arade - one of our favorite drives. Cap St Vincent Sagres - are worth a visit for the spectacular coastal scenery. Cova dos Mouros - an interesting reconstruction of an iron age mining settlement. The Alentejo - the undulating plains behind the Algarve are studded with interesting towns cities. Lisbon - only three hours by car on the new motorway. Spain - Seville and Cadiz are only a couple of hours drive away.

 Hairdryer
 Heating
 Ironing facilities
 Kitchen
 Pets are accepted
 Parking lot
 Private park, garden, courtyard
 Quiet surroundings
 Clock/radio
 Fridge
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Swimming pool
 Patio, summer terrace