A friend who lives in Australia came to Portugal on the weekend of September 23rd and we arranged to meet her and her family in the Algarve. They chose the hotel to stay for a few more days and we only stayed for 2 nights so as not to interfere with the children's adaptation to their new schools. On the way to Carvoeiro, where the hotel was, we decided to stop at Badoca Safari Park, in Alentejo, so that the 3-hour trip from Cascais wouldn't be so tiring for Ju. It was great to see the cats, play in the rafting that we didn't know yet and tired out the two of us who slept straight back to the hotel.

Hosting

Our friends chose the Hotel Baia Cristal Beach & Resort and we went with the flow. I would never choose it because it has a rating below 8 on Booking, which is one of our minimum criteria for booking accommodation, but the goal was to all stay together so I didn't even consider another option.

I thought the space was good, the restaurant food was delicious, the rooms were comfortable and the sea view was amazing. The main problems with the hotel for me were the poorly trained and unfriendly staff and some facilities that could be better maintained. I thought the service in the restaurant was very slow and that really put me off a bit.

I really liked the indoor pool with jets and warm water, as well as the hot tub, and even the 3 outdoor pools that had incredibly cold water. The kids had a lot of fun in them, as well as in the playground with a sea view and in the games room that had several options that were available for a fee. There went a few coins to everyone's delight. 🙂

Our room had an extra bed for Paddy and a crib for Ju, which we didn't even use because our bed was very comfortable and she ended up sleeping with us. What I liked most was the view of the sea that we had from inside the room, with a large window and a door to a mini balcony that I would love to use calmly if my kids would let me... lol.

We ordered lunch on Sunday and Monday at the hotel restaurant and everything we ate was good. Breaded shrimp, breaded chicken, chicken wraps, ham and cheese sandwiches and pasta bolognese were the dishes we chose. We drank beer from a glass cup while sitting at the restaurant tables and from a plastic cup when we were at the pool. It's a shame that everything took so long because I think we would have certainly ordered and enjoyed more.

Badoca Safari Park

On the way between Cascais and Carvoeiro, we decided to stop at Badoc for a strategic break with the kids. We left home late in the morning and arrived there close to lunch time, so we went straight to buy the tickets at the box office and then we went to have lunch in the style picnic, as the little one had asked.

On the way to space picnic We saw some birds and animals, but the most interesting thing was that Paddy climbed on a wooden giraffe that was for 10 year olds and Celo had to climb up to rescue him because he couldn't get down. I was so scared that he would fall from there.

We entered the area of picnic, we opened all the snacks we had brought, but we still thought it was necessary to buy a pizza and a hamburger to keep us going. It was a happy and practical lunch, everything we wanted to start the trip on the right foot.

From there we went out to play in the playground, saw the farm animals, saw the lemurs from afar and then went on the safari tour. We had already done this tour in 2020 with Paddy, who was 2 and a half years old – read more here – and we think Juju deserved it too. It was great! We saw giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, deer and other animals from the comfort of our little tractor-drawn train and we didn’t even get too tired due to the heat.

After we left the Safari, we went to the African Rafting (4 euros per person) and that was what Paddy liked the most! We waited in a very short line and got on a round boat that sailed down the river and got us quite wet. I thought it was super safe and fun for kids and adults, and best of all, it helped to cool down from the heat.

We left the tour happy and then drove for 2 hours with the kids sleeping peacefully in the back seat. It was totally worth it! I think if we had arrived earlier, we could have seen the birds of prey show, which we had already seen in 2020, and we could have seen the primates and lemurs up close too, but it was what it was. There is always room to go back…

Our 2 days in Carvoeiro

We arrived at the hotel late on Saturday and checked in without any problems. We got ready for dinner, went out to eat at the nearby Italian restaurant and then I was able to catch up with my friend while Celo stayed with the kids sleeping in the room.

During those 2 days, we spent most of our time at the hotel enjoying the outdoor pool area, the spa with indoor pool and jacuzzi, the games room with paid toys and the playground with sea views. One day we walked to the beach next to the hotel, but unfortunately the sea was very rough and the sand was covered in seaweed, so we only stayed for a short time and then went back.

To make life easier, we had lunch at the hotel both days, had a good rest and caught up while the kids had fun in the pools. We went out for dinner both nights we were there and I loved it. vibe from the village of Carvoeiro. Lots of busy restaurants, everything organized, lots of stuff in English, but best of all, a feeling of security and peace that is priceless.

It was a wonderful trip to catch up on my friend, meet her husband and the most wonderful and peaceful baby in the world. May they come back soon or may we meet again around the world, right?

Restaurants visited

On our first night, we went to dinner at the restaurant The Mona Lisa, and we were forced to order pizza, because we didn't see any other options on the menu. We were well served, ate delicious pizzas and were impressed with the number of foreigners there...lol.

On the last night, we went to the village of Carvoeiro to try a place recommended by the receptionist, the Portuguese Tavern. We were lucky enough to be able to park nearby, we went in without a reservation and the place was practically full and there was a great table waiting for us. It was meant to be! We loved the service and the food too. I ordered a shrimp curry that was delicious!

Our trip in photos