Where You Will Stay
Our European beach apartment is small. The bedrooms are small. The kitchen is small. The living room is small. It has only 1 bathroom. It fits a maximum of 6 people. It is perfect for a couple and a few kids, or for two couples. If you are 6 adults sharing 1 small bathroom, then it is going to be really tight.
You are living and sleeping above a small but active beach bar. Music will be turned on whenever the bar is open. You will smell bangers and mash being made in the morning and Portuguese meatballs cooking at night. You will hear voices of patrons as late as midnight.
If you like this sort of thing, then you can grab a cappuccino on your way to your morning swim, hang with the locals for happy hour, or enjoy a night cap with a group of European tourists. If you don't like the sound of this, then you will not be happy staying at La Petite Riad.
After New Years Day, the town of Carvoeiro shuts down for January and February. 80% of the shops and restaurants will be closed, including The Atlantic View Restaurant. If a sleepy, quiet beach town sounds appealing to you, then this is the perfect time to go. But, if you are seeking nightlife and partying, then this is the wrong time to go.
Getting to Carvoeiro
The fastest way to get to Carvoeiro from the United States is to fly United Airlines through Newark (EWR). United Airlines has a non-stop 7 hour flight from Newark to Faro. Faro to Carvoeiro is 63 kilometers. The car ride from Faro's airport takes 55 minutes.
We suggest taking an Uber to Carvoeiro when you fly into Faro. Your Uber will cost between €40 and €60. Trains and busses will take you to Lagoa (a town north of Carvoeiro), but not directly into Carvoeiro. Taxis or Ubers from Lagoa to Carvoeiro take 7-10 minutes and cost €10-€13.
You will find many more flights if you fly into Lisbon. If you rent a car, the drive is 270 kilometers and takes 2.5 hours. If you take a train, it's about 2.5-3 hours to Tunes, Portugal. From Tunes you can travel to towns close to Carvoeiro, but not directly into Carvoeiro. We suggest taking an Uber from Tunes to Carvoeiro. The drive is 30 minutes and costs €20-€35 depending on demand.
Finally, our nephew and niece (and her friends) found taking the bus from the Lisbon to Lagoa to be very affordable. When the bus arrives in Lagoa, taxis or Ubers from Lagoa to Carvoeiro take 7-10 minutes and cost €10-€13. Note that they walk to the ALDI or Apolónia in Lagoa (See Recommendations), stock up on provisions, and then Uber from there.