Category: Must Read

Escape One bring us the first of their mystery rooms

Some people will not have heard of an escape room and must think that it’s some strange kind of pastime, but in fact, it’s actually a great way to spend an hour as a group of friends or family. It’s essentially a team game, and, ideally, you should bring different types of people with you — someone with strong problem-solving skills, someone who is good with mathematical equations, someone who is curious and, most importantly, people that you can spend an hour with in a room.

Based in Portimão, Escape One opened last July and The Laboratory is the first room from a husband-and-wife team who already have their second room, Atlantis, in production and should be open for Easter. There’s also a third and slightly more spooky Zombie room on the drawing board for later this year. We drove up to the door where we were welcomed by owner Katie Bodsworth, and escorted to the room. Like most escape rooms, it’s located in a shop lot, and you could easily miss it unless you knew it was there. Katie’s husband and gamesmaster David was waiting for us, and soon the induction meeting began. Those who have never been will welcome Katie’s insight on the purpose of this activity: “In an escape room, it’s all about achievement — getting rewarded for the work you do and nothing if you don’t do anything! It’s about technique and patience,” she explains. “You have to organise yourselves, go through all the steps and wait a bit to see your results. The focus in an escape game is on teamwork, real communication between real people.”

Escape rooms can often seem like perfectly straightforward spaces at first glance, but they hide many secrets. “It might be an office, an apartment entryway, a prison cell, a bank vault or even a rabbit hole. It will depend on the story you’re starring in,” Katie says. “But wait, there’s something not quite right about that drawer — it has a false bottom! There’s a folded piece of paper in it! It has what looks like a cypher written on it, and in the corner, a page reference? You look around. There are some books on a shelf…” And so the story begins to unravel. Hidden in the room are puzzles, enigmas, mysteries and secrets the group must put together and solve “until you have played out your script. The aim is to escape the room within the hour”.

After our briefing, we entered our room and the door locked behind us. Game on. Each room is unique, and you can only solve it once, which is why we won’t give too much away. All we’ll say is that the theme here is of a laboratory and we got out just in time with a few hints from the games-masters who were watching our every move on the cameras.

The Laboratory is a mystery room suitable for all ages since it’s not dark or scary. There are chairs for people with reduced mobility to sit while exercising their brains and it’s wheelchair accessible.

According to the founders of Escape One, the demographics in the escape-rooms business is mostly comprised of millennials, but that didn’t stop them: “We are among the oldest games-masters that we have come across. Maybe that’s why  our room is frequently hailed to be a bit different,” says Katie. “Escape rooms have arrived, and they’re here to stay. But what makes them so addictive? Why do we want to be locked in a room?” she wonders. “Watching all the lovely millennials (and occasionally their parents) playing our escape room has made me realise why escaping in any way is so important in our culture today.”

Katie also points out how different people react in different ways to the challenges: “If I’ve learned anything from watching people play escape games, it’s that everyone sees the world differently. Age and experience make you focus on different things, and I guess this shows through in your work.” Katie and David are very enthusiastic and their energy is contagious. They don’t limit the hints but don’t give them out haphazardly either. Everyone gets out, and getting out within the hour gives you a great sense of achievement.

We were all very excitable when we got out of the room, taking great pleasure in patting each other on the back and can’t wait for the next rooms to open!

www.escapeonealgarve.com

Text: Mia Wallace
Photos: byophelia.com

Zoomarine has new attractions and improved facilities

Way back in 1991, Portuguese-Argentinean businessman, Pedro Lavia, opened the doors to his dream park, Zoomarine Algarve. Anyone who went when it opened probably wouldn’t recognise it now as it keeps evolving and growing into its 26-hectare plot, making it the biggest theme park of its kind in Portugal. The team was the first to introduce dolphins to the country and, in 2002, opened the first marine species rehabilitation centre in Portugal, Porto d’Abrigo.

Things were going swimmingly but Pedro wanted to keep on going and the park expanded in 2008 to include the very popular water park. Around six years later, the big push came, and Zoomarine Beach was born, complete with a wave pool, sandy beach area with loungers and surrounding slides to keep everyone entertained. In 2015 the top-rated pirate show called Pirate Bay came into the fold. Here, revellers can witness extraordinary acrobatic performances played out by the sword-wielding, eye-patch wearing pirates who act out a new show every year, full of hazardous stunts and merriment.

In 2017 the children’s play area, Treasure Island, was added to the ever-growing list of attractions and the most recent addition was being completed as we went to print, Jurassic River. Inspired by the popular Jurassic Park movie franchise, this attraction spans over half a kilometre of small rapids and bending  rivers with fantastic scenery along the way, including dense jungle-like banks, a crashed plane and the jeep from the original film and lots of surprises around each corner. Massive dinosaurs are placed around the edge of the river and up in the surrounding hills. Expertly designed, you can’t really see too far ahead as you twist your way through the trail, which adds to the excitement when you suddenly find yourself under a waterfall or faced with a dinosaur who has a few tricks up its sleeve. With some of the dinosaurs moving and spraying water and others strategically placed as props, the element of surprise is maintained throughout.

The sea lion and seal enclosure is undergoing a massive facelift and will incorporate elements from these animals’ habitat, enriching the experience. Spectators will be able to witness the mammals in their natural environment around the time of the shows.

Visitors can take to the sky on the giant wheel near the middle of the park, and enjoy a bird’s eye view over all of the attractions. There’s also 4D cinema, a lovely carousel, a small but fast roller coaster, a swinging pirate ship, the very cute Zoomarine express and many water-themed attractions with three swimming pools and the famous beach. The park also offers fun and educational shows, such as the birds of prey and tropical birds performances, where the handlers explain a bit about each of the species and show them to the crowd.

But, of course, Zoomarine is most famous for their dolphins. The park offers stunning dolphin shows where spectators can sit in the auditorium and enjoy the trainers explaining a bit about these beautiful creatures before the stars swim in and take their position. Lasting around 30 minutes, they are quite a spectacle with lots of interaction and solo performances. Zoomarine is also one of only two places in Europe where you can actually swim with these wonderful mammals. You can have a small interaction with a dolphin and a photoshoot, a full-on interactive swimming experience that sees people travelling from all over the world to participate, or even an underwater scuba experience.

The team at Zoomarine are animal lovers, marine biologists and conservationists and, as such, they take great pride in making sure that all of the mammals, reptiles and birds are cared for and treated with respect.  The development of the park and team is built around education, and they welcome school groups, nearly every day, to tell them about the various species that live there. Currently, 50% of the park is water-themed, which is great to battle the midday heat of the Algarve’s sunny weather.

On the food front, Zoomarine has the traditional selection of water-park treats, such as burgers and hotdogs, along with healthier options like the eco food outlet, Captain’s Kitchen — where even the utensils are environmentally friendly — or the main food hall, where visitors can have a healthy salad and local dishes. A little insider tip to avoid the crowds — go on the weekend. It may sound strange, but it’s true. Historically, the park is busier during the week. You can also buy a second-day pass for only €8 to visit the park again within 10 days, just in case you couldn’t squeeze everything in.

Text: Mia Wallace

Header image: Zoomarine

Photos: byophelia.com

The future looks bright for Atrium Lagoa

As we all know, the Algarve is a trendy destination for foreign visitors and investors, and thankfully, Dutch entrepreneur Erik de Vlieger fell in love with the region of Lagoa many years ago. Better known for his partnership with Carvoeiro Clube, where alongside his Swiss friend and business partner, Andreas Stocker, they have been rejuvenating many older properties along the coast and even developing two new resorts in Carvoeiro, Quinta do Algarvio and Vale de Milho Village.
We met with Erik to talk about his new project Atrium Lagoa that will see the long-abandoned shell of a building, at the entrance to the town, transformed into a bright, light, stylish housing solution. “I love urban developments, they get my creativity flowing and that’s actually where I started out, back in Amsterdam,” Erik told us.
With 52 apartments ranging from one to five bedrooms, including three palatial penthouses with air conditioning and semi-equipped kitchens and prices initially starting at €105,000, it’s no surprise that at the time of going to print, they had already sold 25% of the apartments and only have units from €120,000 to €230,000 in stock at this early, pre-build stage. There will also be 71 underground car parking spaces over two levels, 54 storage rooms along with 13 retail areas, that are, again, selling straight off plan.

Centrally located both for local transport links via the nearby bus station and straight onto the national roads, connecting residents to everywhere else in Algarve, Lisbon, Seville and more in no time at all. The design of Atrium Lagoa will blend efficiency and an urban-chic style, incorporating energy-efficient solutions, innovative outdoor features with more than 2,100sqm of gardens, balconies and terraces that benefit from its south-facing exposure. The prices are very attractive for both local and foreign residents and are refreshingly realistic and accessible in the buoyant property bubble that Portugal has been experiencing for the past couple of years. That’s what urban regeneration should be all about, not pushing out young and local people but instead offering them a place to build their lives.
“This is a new approach to urban life, with open living spaces and natural light. Atrium Lagoa should be ready to welcome its first residents in early 2020,” Erik told us. “The project is expected to start being built late 2018. The estimated period will vary between 18 and 24 months and the total area will cover almost 12,000sqm.”
He joked that this abandoned structure had “irritated” him for the past 12 years; whenever he drove past it, he thought it was like an ugly set of front teeth in an otherwise pretty smile. Finally, enough was enough, and he went to Banco Montepio in 2010 to see how much they wanted for it. Unfortunately, because the construction company was crippled by the recession, the asking price was very high. In 2017, however, the bank came to him and the deal was done. A self-described urban developer, the Dutch entrepreneur says he has never worked so hard in his life: “The bureaucracy in Portugal really is out of this world.”
Similarly to the works he is carrying out on the waterfront area in Portimão, he wants Atrium to set an example, leave a mark and boost the local economy. He believes that it’s important to employ local people, and has therefore chosen local company Simão & Martins to complete the construction of the building. Bearing in mind that the existing structure had been abandoned for many years, it was vitally important to run a variety of quality and safety inspections to ensure that everything meets the current standards, and the result came back positive.
Architect João Carriço, of Studio Arte, in Portimão, was responsible for the design, which was based on sustainability, simplicity, transparency and open spaces. “On the top floor, the apartments will have very generous dimensions,” he said. “The five-bedroom units will have about 250sqm, the four-bedrooms around 200sqm and the three-bedrooms close to 190sqm.” According to the architect, the underground parking spaces will feature electric chargers for cars of the future, and the roof will be created as an urban garden and a lounge area, with an accessible terrace with a play area, accessible by all residents. “The entire building has been designed with the intention of promoting fluid circulation between spaces.”

Arnold Aarsen, head of Studio Arte, stated that the entire Atrium Lagoa is characterised by a concept that involves elements of nature and natural light: “We realise that Portuguese homes have many blinds or curtains to protect them from the sun, but we like a more transparent building so we will use different solutions.” The goal, he says, is for residents to always have natural light in their home, and the balcony will be integrated into the living room. The rear area will also boast a mini-garden, with water, natural light and a vertical wall with plants. “We’ve also studied the position of the air conditioner and machinery to try and keep the building as clean as possible,” he explains. “Within this complex, we will have a communal laundry room as well as a condominium room and a small gym.”

Considering the issue of sustainability, care will be taken to install solar panels and a heat pump along with both thermal and acoustic elements being addressed. Perforated panels will be placed to break up the facade of the building with some ornamental notes, but at the same time creating filters that allow the balconies to have more shadows. The main focus here is light, sustainability and quality. Studio Arte believes these combinations will ultimately lead to a healthy living environment.
The project promises to give Lagoa her smile back, and Erik de Vlieger is excited about the future: “I see a bright future in the Algarve, I’m happy here. However, as an urban developer, my speciality is to improve the look of cities, even though I’m a businessman and not a philanthropist,” he joked.

Text Mia Wallace

Casa Xyza is a contemporary wellness retreat in Ferragudo

Driving along the coastal road from Carvoeiro to Ferragudo, you could easily drive past the beautiful Casa Xyza, perched on the right side of the road, just before the entrance to Praia Grande beach. Architecturally, the façade is hugely sympathetic to the neighbouring properties and seaside location, and from the street view, you wouldn’t really imagine what is contained within.

Casa Xyza’s atmosphere exudes calmness, and the layout lends itself well to social living while offering privacy within each of the spacious five en-suite bedrooms. The rehabilitation of the original villa was finished in September 2017, under the watchful eye of the conceptual design team of Studio Arte, in Portimão, who have incorporated their signature style with lots of flowing, natural light and use of local materials. The interior design has been a labour of love for the Dutch owners and Georgia de Vlieger, of Georgia Interior Design, with all items throughout the villa having been handpicked to create perfect harmony between the modern, new image of the building and the surrounding, natural elements.

“This is a modern house, boasting incredible sea views and Ibiza-style elegance with sandy colours and neutral tones throughout,” said Marta Nobre, from Pipol Agency. “It’s equipped with a spacious living and dining area, a modern open kitchen and five bedrooms, which can accommodate a maximum of 10 guests, and offers many places to relax and enjoy or sunbathe to energise your body and mind.”
This autumn, Casa Xyza hosted its first Wellness Retreat from November 5-9. The event combined many forms of relaxation and wellness activities while guests soaked up the ambience and enjoyed the tranquil connection with the surrounding nature and soothing sensation of being by the sea. The array of activities had something for all tastes, ranging from Yoga classes to aromatherapy massages, deep meditation with Tibetan bowls or long walks on the beach, which is only a couple of minutes from the house.

According to Marta, the goal of this villa is simple: “We are a small, service-orientated and flexible retreat and guests are welcome to book extra Yoga classes or massages and enjoy the sunset with a glass or two of local, biological wines.”
For accommodation during the retreat, there are various options within the en-suite rooms, double rooms with two single beds (€800) and double rooms with a double bed are €1,000 for solo occupancy or €700 for double occupancy. Guests can opt for a return airport transfer for an additional €100.
Throughout the year, you can rent Casa Xyza independently and enjoy this contemporary, seaside villa with friends or family, as it is a child-friendly space that lends itself well to groups.

www.casaxyza.com

Photos: Luís da Cruz

Inside Carvoeiro visits some of the new restaurants in town

This year has seen the biggest rush of new openings in Carvoeiro for as long as we can remember, and it’s not just restaurants – global brand Ale Hop also opened a shop in the old newsagents on Rua do Barranco, along with a couple of new wine shops. With around 100 restaurants in and around Carvoeiro, you would think that there were enough already, but it would appear that there’s indeed plenty of room for some more.

The Wine House

The latest wine shop in town is The Wine House, a tasting store and tapas bar just across the road from the taxi rank. This is a bit special because they mostly stock wines that you will not find in most other places. Belmira Cruz is the house wine and is named after the owners’ beloved grandmother, with varieties from all over Portugal and free international delivery. Just above The Wine House, there’s a new day spa called Prana Bali Spa where you’ll find the very talented masseuse Made, from Bali.
Upstairs from The Wine House and Força Portugal, opposite the taxi rank, O Albatroz opened earlier this year and has seen its following growing steadily. A spacious restaurant with an outside terrace, it’s sympathetically decorated with a decent menu featuring fresh fish and meat dishes. Some of the dishes have a touch of Brazilian inspiration, courtesy of the owners, and there’s a good selection of wines along with a fully stocked bar.

Chef’s Kitchen
Photo: Dave Sheldrake

Chef ’s Kitchen has probably made the biggest splash as the building underwent a total renovation and now has an extra roof terrace and cocktail lounge. It’s unrecognisable with ultra cool décor, fixtures and fittings. Set over three floors, the large, open-plan layout is filled with cool touches. The menu is very different from the other restaurants in the area, with items like Lebanese meatballs, a Buddha Bowl, veal and foie gras, Wagyu Beef Burgers and a Tomahawk. There’s a kids menu and a yummy dessert section for those with a sweet tooth. As for drinks, they serve local Dos Santos craft beer and special Super Bock lagers on draft, a comprehensive but compact wine list and of course a good choice of gins from the big, central bar.
Joining them is Pani. Looking to the main Carvoeiro beach, you’ll see a road going up to the left, along the cliff side; walk up this road for about 100m and you’ll find this stunning Indian restaurant on the right-hand side that boasts unparalleled views out to the ocean. The décor is beautiful with some ornate Indian pieces, and the furnishings are top quality. The menu features all the classics along with a few of house specials, and strong wine list with some unusual listings. With a small terrace and dining area featuring a wine cellar, a bar and lovely dining room on the first floor and a superb roof terrace, they’ve kept their prices in the mid-range and will no doubt become a very popular establishment.

Gum Tree
Photo: Dave Sheldrake

Hidden behind Brady’s bar on Estrada do Farol, Gum Tree is an absolute oasis with beautiful terraces, a mature garden, indoor and outdoor dining areas, bars and a swimming pool. Serving a vast range of Portuguese and international dishes in generous quantities and their unique house wine, Belmira Cruz, Gumtree is already attracting lots of returning customers. Previously called ‘Flamingo’, a local businessman with years of experience in the industry took on this big, old and somewhat previously unloved restaurant, and it paid off. At the time of going to press, they were serving dinner only, but next year they will be looking at changing their schedule.
Previously in Senhora da Rocha, Gurkha Kitchen has taken just two months to hit the top spot on Tripadvisor since opening and has brought Nepalese food to Carvoeiro. The chef has a somewhat regal background, having worked as a chef for royalty in the past, and son Robin is out front taking care of the day-to-day running of things. Subtle spices and fragrant herbs are blended together to create a selection of unique and delicious dishes. You’ll find them on the road between O Cantinho and The Wolf. The interior dining room has lovely little touches from Nepal, and there’s a spacious terrace at road level.

Taste

Not new, but worth a mention, Taste have moved to the end of Rua do Barranco, on the left. They’ve totally refurbished a building that was empty for as long as we can remember. The bright new interior has lovely touches, there’s a little lounge downstairs for pre/post dinner drinks and a large terrace in the garden. The menu is as good as ever, and they have a fulltime mixologist who serves great cocktails.
Bon appétit!