Until the 1980’s Carvoeiro was a quiet fishing village, but since then, with the increase in tourism, it has now become a popular all-year-round resort. This has had a positive effect on the property market as no longer does the town become a semi-ghost town like so many resorts do in the winter. Many of the bars and restaurant stay open during the quieter period from October to March, catering for Europeans escaping the chilly winter weather further to the north. The excellent golf courses scattered throughout the Algarve also provide tempting opportunities for winter sun-seekers.
The centre of the village is small, with just two roads, lined with restaurants, bars and souvenir shops, which converge on the square. The streets are narrow and steep, not really made for modern day traffic but this is part of Carvoiero’s charm.
The beach, Praia do Carvoeiro, is set in a sheltered, sandy bay protected by cliffs and situated just in front of the square, which has plenty of small bars all around it and is a perfect venue for cooling drinks and ice creams. The beach itself is quite small, and can become crowded in the height of the season but there are two other beaches, Praia da Marinha and Praia de Vale de Centianes, within easy reach of Carvoeiro.
For those who soon tire of lazing on the beach, jetskis and pedaloes are available for hire, and for those who prefer to be under the sea rather than on it, there are two diving schools in the village. There are also daily boat trips to view the many caves around the bay.
For walkers, the cliffs offer great views, and the opportunity to see the algares (holes in the cliff where the sea has eroded the sandstone away from the base) which are synonymous with this part of the Algarve coast. The best examples of algares are near the lighthouse, but due to their fragile state they are fenced off for safety. Also on the cliffs are the remains of the Senhora da Conceição Fort which dates from the 17th century, and contains a hermitage dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Encarnação.
During the holiday season a small train runs from Carvoeiro to Ferragudo just along the coast on the Arade estuary. It gives holidaymakers a couple of hours to explore this unspoilt little fishing village before returning to Carvoeiro.
The modern, tourist development of Carvoeiro extends to the east and west of the resort, the latter area has a 36 hole golf course and holiday complex as well as a tennis centre, while to the east there is a smaller, 9 hole course and a bowls centre.
Despite its rapid change in fortune, Carvoeiro refuses to succumb to mass tourism. Its beautiful bay has been tastefully developed and thanks to a new motorway link the journey time from Faro airport is now a mere thirty minutes.
It’s unsurprising then, that Carvoeiro is a sought-after resort for property investment. Town property has seen sustained growth, and as Carvoeiro is not as expensive as the property hotspots of Quinta de Lago or Vale de Lobo, the resort is a good investment for a town house in one of the many urbanisations that that are springing up around the village. It is said that 40% of all foreign home buyers looking at property in Carvoeiro intend to make it their main home, so that says something about the all year round appeal of the place.
When considering rental investment a town property in central Carvoeiro tends to attract higher rental income from those who wish to have an extensive choice of bars and restaurants just a few metres from their holiday home, while the out-of-town complexes will meet the needs of those holiday makers who prefer easy access to swimming pools and golf ranges.
