We visited Villa Violetta for a couple of weeks of sunshine at the beginning of July, and had a wonderful, relaxing time.
We found it easily, even in the dark thanks to the detailed directions, and were very surprised to be warmly greeted Andy and Dawn when we arrived, even although it was nearly midnight. They embody the word ‘care-taker’ because that’s exactly what they do- they take care of you and the villa for the duration of your stay. They showed us around the villa, which is well equipped with everything you might wish for while you are there. They also left us a very generous ‘welcome pack’- not the standard bread and milk, but wine, beer, soft drinks, fruit, bread and cheese, crisps and crackers, which was really incredibly thoughtful (and generous!) of them. I cannot commend Andy and Dawn highly enough for taking such good care of us- nothing was too much trouble for them.
The villa was lovely, with comfortable beds. The air con in the bedrooms was very welcome, as it was about 38 degrees when we were there! The pool was lovely and roomy for the boys to play on inflatables, and also a nice size if you actually like to swim. I especially loved the garden, which has been very carefully tended, and is a beautiful place to meditate (if that’s your thing 😊. ) There's also a lovely pergola under which you can eat outdoors, and a barbecue by the pool. (I think theses were built after the photos were taken.)
There is no ‘maid service’ during your stay (although Andy and Dawn regularly replace sheets and towels), and we really liked it that way. We had stayed in villas previously where daily maid service was included, and we found it quite invasive when we were used to peace-and-quiet and our own space. The cleaner would tend to drive us out of the house, which defeated the purpose of a lovely villa! Not so here- it’s all yours for the duration of your stay.
It’s the perfect location if you like peace and quiet, but want to be able to access the beautiful beaches nearby- Faro, Barril, and Tavira are all within 20-30 mins drive, and you’re only 15 minutes from Sao Bras, where there are a number of good-sized supermarkets, including a Lidl. We barbecued at night, or tended to eat-out at the beach so I can’t comment on any of the restaurants nearby.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time here, and will definitely be back! Thank you Marja and Ineke!