Rent from owners direct in Lagos

I live in England on the edge of the Cotswolds. I have 3 children. I have run a property company of both commercial and residential properties for over 30 years. I enjoy living in the country but always look forward to going to Portugal especially when the weather at home is dark, grey and cold. I am used to letting out property in my day to day work so I have experience of what people expect in order to have an enjoyable holiday. We have friends who have holidayed on the west coast of the Algarve for over 20 years and said that their favourite place was Praia da Luz so we decided we would go and see for ourselves. The first time we went to Luz we fell in love with it. The beautiful beaches, the lovely blue skies and the warm sunshine was just what we were looking for. The added bonus was although we were in a foreign country the local people all spoke very good English so there was no need to learn Portuguese. Luz is only 45 minutes drive from Faro airport, the town of Lagos is only a 10 min drive away. We looked at several beaches around the area but decided that Luz had the best. After looking at several properties in Luz we felt this one met all our needs and today we are still pleased with the choice we made. We were looking for a villa which was a short walk from the town and beach, not overlooked, has a private swimming pool and with fantastic sea views and that is what we were lucky enough to find. We have owned the villa for 16 years and have always enjoyed our holidays staying at the villa and having a nice restful and relaxed time. It is only 5-10 minutes walk to the shops and beach so you can just walk down in the evening to enjoy a delicious meal at one of several restaurants in the town. You can lounge around the lovely big pool which is private and not overlooked. The gates to the property can be locked and so it is very secure. What I look forward to is to wake up in the morning and look out to see the fantastic sea views. We are fortunate that the management company who look after the villa has their office is literally just down the road.

Paula has a 2 bedroom apartment with shared pool in Meia Praia, Portugal.

Our apartment is family owned and was completed and furnished in April 2007. It is owned by my brother who runs his own mortgage advice company, my partner who is a Matron in the NHS and myself,, saving people money every day with Utility Warehouse. We bought the apartment - our first in tthe overseas property market - before it was completed and it gives us everything we want; fantastic views of the marina, lots of space and its proximity to great restaurants, the beach and the beautiful old town. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Miguel has a 4 bedroom villa with private pool in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Rui has a 10 bedroom villa with private pool in Funchal (Lagos), Portugal.

Miguel has a 3 bedroom villa in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Jessica has a 3 bedroom villa with private pool in Barăo de Săo Joăo, Portugal.

I have always had a special preference for Lagos. The people in the town are most kind and do make an extra effort to ensure that you have a wonderful and relaxing holiday. I came to visit Lagos for the first time while I was still living in Mozambique, where I was born. Little did I know that I would eventually buy a property there, because I liked it so much!! We hope you like it too.

Geoff has a 3 bedroom villa with private pool in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Adrian has a 2 bedroom apartment with shared pool in Santa Maria (Lagos), Portugal.

Our family is Portuguese, however, we have lived abroad for many years. We've been coming to Meia Praia, Lagos for years as it was family tradition to gather up in the summer. We decided to design and build our house on family property which was completed in 2009. Our family for generations have gone to Meia Praia. We love the versatility of the Algarve and we try to come to Lagos as much as possible. We have been coming to Meia Praia for more than 30 years as there is so much to offer. Great beaches, great restaurants and an animated night life in Lagos town center is what makes us not go anywhere else on vacation. Unique benefits: Location and ocean views are key. The house is in a quiet residential area, yet close to town, but most importantly it is walking distance to Meia Praia beach. So fantastic view from the house. There are great beach restaurants along the beach, so if not up to driving to Lagos you can just walk for fresh seafood. It is perfect for who wants a relaxing, yet, diversified holiday.

The apartments I'm renting are both part of the larger family property I grew up in. Both apartments face the sea and are only a few metres from Dona Ana beach. While the bottom apartment with the patio is great for families, the top apartment is ideal for couples. The apartments are decorated simply but carefully, so that they will feel as 'homey' as possible.