What to see and do in Vilamoura
Amongst the many attractions and facilities there are six different Golf Courses, a large Marina, a Lawn Bowling Club with two grass Rinks, a Tennis Centre, a Sports Club, a Shooting Club, Night Clubs, an International Casino with glamorous shows, a Cinema, and an excellent Riding School.
There are fascinating excavations of Roman ruins at Cerro de Vila, close to the marina within the centre of Vilamoura, where Vilamoura was first established. From the 1st century AD Vilamoura was a prosperous Roman settlement. It was subsequently occupied by Late-Roman, Visigoth and Moorish communities, each of which left a distinct mark on the site. The name “Vilamoura“, for instance means “Village of the Moors”. The Museu de Cerro de Vila provides an interesting glimpse into the past of the area and allows access to the excavation site and exhibits pieces found there. In Roman times this location was important in producing a fish paste known as “garum”. The ruins include the baths in which the Roman mariners used to bathe.
Outdoor activities
Vilamoura offers superb golfing facilities with 9 hole courses to 27 hole courses covering all ranges of par. Golf courses including OceÂnico Victoria Golf Course, The Old Course, Pinhal Golf Course, Laguna, Vila Sol and Millennium are all only a short distance from the town centre. Other outdoor activities on offer are horseriding, sailing, waterskiing and big game fishing. Facilities such as the Vilamouratenis Centre are available for keen tennnis players.
Sea cruises and boat trips are also very popular. Some of these are specifically designed as dolphin-watching trips. There are also many kiosks around Vilamoura marina that rent sail boats.
Nightlife
There are many restaurants in Vilamoura which offer enormous variety of cuisine cater for most tastes. There are restaurants that offer everything from fast foods to haute cuisine. Fish and shellfish feature prominently on the menus with fish stews and grilled sardines as favourites. Wines are an excellent accompaniment to dinner, while the almond liqueur or, for chocolate lovers the Alfarroba liqueur, is a great way to relax at the end of the day. Vilamoura’s nightlife centres around the Casino Vilamoura. There are many restaurants in this area, nightclubs and a large selection of games and slot machines. A cabaret show is performed nightly, and there is also a cinema. Everything from striptease to karaoke is on offer.
