Frequently Asked Questions about our Villa Rental, Monchique and Algarve.
If you have a question about anything relevant to Villa Vida Nova, Monchique or the Algarve just send us an email and we will answer it as fully as possible.
Are Electric vehicles available for rent in Portugal?
Avoid “All” electric vehicles, they are not suitable for longer distances and charging points are scarce. Hybrids are better but very expensive to rent. Here is a comparison taken from Travelsupermarket.com. Compact car, unlimited mileage free cancellation, Lisbon airport terminal, 1 week in July 2024. Petrol/diesel car €228, Electric €345, Hybrid €424. It is because of the high cost of Electric and Hybrid vehicles, the cost of insuring them and scarcity of charging points that many rental companies are not replacing them in their fleets. After considering this we have decided not to install a charging point at the villa.
What is the best travel insurance for unvaccinated travellers?
If you are an unvaccinated traveler, it is important to have travel insurance that covers COVID-19 related issues. According to Forbes Advisor, the best COVID-19 travel insurance plans typically have generous benefits of at least $100,000 in medical expense coverage and $500,000 in medical evacuation coverage 1. Here are some of the best travel insurance plans for COVID-19 coverage. Take advantage of the "Cancel for any reason" Benefit
For UK travelers, you can consider cancellation cover offered by MoneySuperMarket. Their policies offer cancellation cover ranging from £750 to £12,000 1
Which are the closest airports?
Faro, the most convenient, is about 1 hour drive. Lisbon and Seville are both about 3 hours drive. All are easy drives mostly on motorways and parts on dual carriageways. When booking flights check all destinations to give you the best prices and most convenient times.
Faro is under 1 hours drive to the villa.
Lisbon 3 hours drive
Seville 3 hours drive.
Jerez 3.5 hours
Gibraltar 4.5 hours
Porto 5 hours
Rental cars are available at all airports and can be driven between Portugal and Spain without need of special permits. There are no border crossings.
Has David Cameron stayed at your villa in Monchique?
Unfortunately not. We are not big enough for his family and entourage (staff, guards, drivers, etc.), we only sleep 6. In July 2013 and again in 2015 he had his family holiday in a much larger villa about 1km away from here. He used many of the restaurants in the area, including our closest one, O Luar da Foia, there is a photo in there of David shaking hands with our Mayor Rui. In 2014 he and his family again stayed in Portugal villas in Cascais just west of Lisbon, but of course this year he is back here in Monchique again! ........does he like Monchique or what!
Do you give discounts or have special offers?
Certainly we do. We have Spring and Autumn reduced rates, Last Minute and Romantic deals, click on the special offers under the General tab or just email and ask.
I have seen your Villa advertised on many different websites should I book direct or through them?
It is entirely up to you. We advertise with several major players and have many links on smaller sites to get the best exposure possible. some of the more well known are, TripAdvisor, One Off Places, OwnersDirect, HomeAway, VRBO, HolidayLettings, ClickStay, Flipkey. These companies have very stringent regulations and checks in place to ensure integrity, standards, licensing and compliance with health and safety. Being registered with them also confirms legitimacy and thus compliments guest confidence. They do charge commission so obviously booking direct with us will give you the best rates by far. Either way you will receive the same 5 star service and attention to detail from us at all times.
Is the area and villa safe for children?
Monchique is still the “old” Portugal where neighbours look out for each other, the Algarve’s south coast has the hustle and bustle of tourism and there can be petty crime there like any other busy tourist location. Not so here in Monchique and we hope that it stays this way. The villa is on the end of a private dead end lane with only 5 occupied houses and so we have no passing cars, children can run and explore. We have gates so they can be closed if you have toddlers, we have a swimming pool and a pond so please supervise all children at all times.
Is the villa private and is the pool shared?
Nothing is shared. With this villa rental everything is exclusively yours. The villa is tucked away behind high granite walls and there is a cork oak forest between the villa and the Foia road. We have a neighbour about 50 meters away to one side, (not the pool side), who is quite old and keeps himself busy on his land tending his peach and olive trees. If you are here at the right time of year you might get a basket of peaches from him! The pool area is completely secluded protected and very private, so if you want to swim "au natural", then go for it!
Can we use our mobile phones, tablets and laptops at the villa?
Yes the Algarve and Monchique has excellent mobile phone coverage and the villa has free internet WiFi so you can surf, email, Skype, video stream as much as you like.
How accessible is the villa for older folks?
If they can manage 14 wide stairs in two sections (7 then a wide landing then 7), with a hand rail then they will be fine. These are the stairs to and from the car parking area. We have a twin room on the ground floor so at least we can accommodate two less mobile people and the rest of the villa pool and outside dining is all on this level, only two bedrooms are up more stairs. Unfortunately we are not wheel chair friendly because of those outside stairs.
Do you meet fire regulations?
Yes we do. Our villa is licensed and inspected by local authorities here in Monchique, all rental villas in Portugal have to comply with all Health and Safety regulations including but not limited to regulation fire extinguishers, signs, fire blanket, smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms.
Do you ever get negative reviews, all the reviews I have read are extremely positive, is this real?
Okay, someone had to ask. We pull out every stop and spare no expense to make this villa what it is, small things can go wrong but we put them right straight away, the reviews we have are genuine and come mostly via TripAdvisor or the other big portals. We have only ever had one poor review, you will see this on TripAdvisor and this came from 6 ladies who were permanently intoxicated and embarrassed themselves locally. For this reason we will not take same gender groups anymore.
Can we drink the water?
Absolutely. The villa's water is mains water. Monchique has natural spring water and is famous for its purity and mineral content. It is bottled here and sold throughout Portugal. The mains water is the same water but is very slightly chlorinated, you can drink from any tap.
Is there a tourist information office?
Yes, about 1.5 km from the villa, just as you enter Monchique from this end, you can't miss it, above the underground car park and next to the view point. Here you can find out all of the things to see and do and importantly about where and when the local events, fairs and music festivals are.
Do you have a proper licence to operate?
Yes we certainly do and had to jump through all the hoops to get it but we firmly believe in being accountable. We have had a licence since we started in 2011. All accommodation establishments including private villas and self catering holiday homes/apartments in Portugal must have a current licence.
