Villa Amarela

villa Amarela Guest guide

Welcome to Villa Amarela. We have put together a brief guest guide with all the information you might need during your stay.

Location

Villa Amarela is located right in central Vilamoura. It is a short walk to the marina and main shopping area. The Spar Supermarket is located just across the main road. More information on the supermarkets and online deliveries here.

Location

Villa Amarela
24(K2) Volta do Melro
8125-550 Vilamoura
Portugal

Local Contacts

  • Check-in and local assistance: Victor +351 917 811 712 (WhatsApp available)
  • Emergencies 112 (international emergency services operator)
  • Tourist information – Posto de Turismo de Quarteira, Praca do Mar +351 289 389 209
  • Police Station (GNR Vilamoura) – Rua da Amoreiras +351 289 388 989
  • Tourist Support – +351 808 781 212
  • Medical Clinic – +351 289 314 243
  • Hospital Faro – +351 289 891 100
  • Taxi’s João +351 918 947 416
  • Taxi’s – Nuno/Catarina [email protected]  Whats app/ Tel. +351  917 324 859. Airport transfers 4 seater 35 euro’s, 8 seater 45 euro’s.
  • Local advice (Excursions, Restaurants, Catering) – Victor +351 917 811 712 [email protected]
  • Cleaners (Linen, light bulbs etc.) – Cidalia +351 916 190 031
  • Repairs/breakage/keys – Victor +351 917 811 712 (Sergio is the maintenance & pool man but doesn’t speak English)
  • Complaints – Victor +351 917 811 712 or Victoria  +44 7792823450

Check-in/out

  • Check-in is after 4pm on date of arrival. 
  • Please contact Victor on +351 917 811 712 when you leave the airport so he can meet you with the keys. During your stay you can find him at the Kiosk Fortuna which is a short distance away from the Villa.
  • Check-out is 11am on day of departure.
  • Where possible we will try to accommodate early check-in and late check-out free of charge if you contact Victoria on [email protected]

Tips and things to do in Vilamoura

Hot Tub Rental: If you wish to rent a hot tub for your stay please contact this company

Hire Cars in Vilamoura

Use the Discover Cars search engine to see rental car suppliers in Vilamoura and rates. Check with Victor for local rates.

Villa Layout

Villa Amarela Vilamoura

Basement Level (same level as swimming pool)

Villa Amarela Vilamoura

Ground Floor Level

Villa Amarela Vilamoura

First Floor Level

The owners annexe is to the left of the kitchen (not shown on this plan). This is not part of the rental and is not accessible to or from the main villa.  It is completely separate including a separate front gate to enter and leave. There are no shared spaces. 

Cleaning/Linen

  • The Villa will be cleaned prior to your arrival following the ‘Airbnb enhanced hygiene for Covid-19 guidelines’.
  • The cleaners will conduct an inventory before your arrival but if anything is out of order on your arrival please let Victor know straight away so it can be fixed.
  • Clean linen is provided for every bed and sofa beds if required
  • 1 bath towel and 1 hand towel provided per person.
  • We provide a small starter pack for your stay including kitchen roll, sponge, surface wipes, 5 dishwasher tablets, bin bags, 20 tea bags, ground coffee for caffettiere’s and long life milk.
  • The cleaners will not visit during your stay unless pre-arranged with Victoria/Victor.
  • There is a washing machine in the utility room, ironing board and iron in the pantry.
  • The Bins can be emptied a short walk up the road. Turn right out of villa, left at the T-junction and you will see the bins ahead of you. The shopping trolley/ spar basket on wheels is useful for transporting multiple bin bags here.
  • Please remember to take out all of your rubbish(including bathroom bins) before check out.
  • Please do not smoke in the Villa use the terraces.

Kitchen

  • The kitchen has a fridge/freezer there is an extra fridge in the living room which is useful for storing drinks. 
  • The white Haeger machine is an ice maker, please follow instructions.
  • The cooker is electric. 
  • The dishwasher is to the right of the cooker silver Zannussi.
  • The table on the terrace is extendable.
  • Please use heat protectors for dishes/pans on tables.
  • Cutlery, glasses, plates, pans, Caffettiere etc. are all found in the cupboards which are labelled.  Please use the chopping boards.
  • 4 x Hairdryers are in the pantry as are fan heaters. Sometimes these get left in the bedrooms so if not in the pantry check drawers and wardrobes in bedrooms. 
  • We have 2 x portable cool boxes. You can use these for keeping drinks cool by the pool or taking on a picnic. Please leave back in the pantry dry and with the lid open.
  • We also have an ice machine. Please follow instructions provided for use.

 

Villa Amarela Vilamoura

BBQ’s
& 
Pizza Oven

  • The BBQ’s are Charcoal, they are in the BBQ hut area at bottom of the Garden where it is advisable to keep all BBQ equipment such as coals and firelighters. There will be some fuel stored in the hut, please replace what you use.
  • Cleaning the BBQ is simple while still warm a few sprays of the BBq cleaning spray and use the stiff wire brush to clean the grill rack. Once the BBQ is cold empty your used coals.
  • Please make sure the BBQ & pizza oven are clean when you leave to avoid a charge from your security deposit.
  • Please see instructions at the end of this manual for pizza oven use.
  • If the BBQ is not clean on arrival please let Victor/Cidalia know.
Villa Amarela Vilamoura

Pool

  • Pool area is used at your own risk.
  • Pool can be heated up to 30 degrees – 27 degrees is recommended but we can arrange a temperature to suit your group.  
  • Please shower sun cream off, using outdoor shower, before going into pool.   Failing to do this will leave a nasty film on your pool or cause water to go murky which takes a day or so to clear. And Sergio may have to drain the pool.
  • The pool is a maximum 2.2m. Please supervise children as the pool is open and not fenced off.  If you are travelling with children  please hire the certified pool safety fence £50 per stay. We take no responsibility for accidents on the property.  There is lifesaving equipment provided.
  • Please do not dive or use glass around the pool.
  • There are stereos to connect your devices to, for use by the pool. There is a long single extension lead for this in the pantry or in the basement living room which is the best place to plug it in.
  • You are free to use any pool toys, balls and lilo’s you find in the villa.
  • Sergio and his team will try to work around bookings but may need to visit to clean the pool whilst tending the gardens and carrying out any maintenance required.
Villa Amarela Vilamoura
Villa Amarela Vilamoura

Bathrooms

  • The basement bathrooms can hold condensation especially in winter months we recommend having the bedroom air-con units on as heaters to minimise this.
  • This is a common problem in these 1970’s Villa’s in Portugal.
  • After using the bathrooms in the basement please ventilate them by opening windows and doors.
  • Dry towels outside on the washing stand as they will not dry quickly in the bathrooms
Villa Amarela Vilamoura

High Chairs/Cots

  • There are 4 x high chairs and 4 x travel cots for babies
  • They are stored in the main bedroom (adjacent to the lounge) wardrobe.
  • The stairs from the kitchen to the basement are very steep and not suitable for children unsupervised.
  • Try to use exterior stair cases with young children

Extra Beds

  • One sofa in each living room is a double sofa bed. There is also a single sofa bed in the main living room.
  • There are 3 portable fold out beds but the body weight must not exceed 65KG / 10 stone or they break!!
  • The travel cots are stored in the wardrobe of the main bedroom adjacent to the living room.
  • The cleaners know your group number and will leave sufficient linen.
Villa Amarela Vilamoura

Pool Table

  • The pool table is available for use, please ask Victor for the cues and make sure they are in good condition when you receive them. We have spare tips to change them if necessary.
  • There has been a lot of damage to the cues mainly from them being hit on the low ceiling please avoid this.
  • Chalk is stored in the cupboard in the living room.
  • You will be charged for any damage to tips, cues, table, lost/broken balls.
Villa Amarela Vilamoura

TV and Wi-Fi

  • There is a DVD player and some DVD’s (HDMI 2).
  • There is a PS3 and some games (HDMI 1).
  • Broadband Wi-fi is via ThomsonDD5A3F Passcode: 82AD03F60A.
  • Wi-Fi coverage is on the ground floor lounge and out onto the terrace. It is not possible to get Wi-Fi in the bedrooms or downstairs living room.
  • There are stereos to use by the pool. You need a jack lead or Bluetooth to connect smart phones and MP3 players. There is a 25m extension cable on a roll by the pool table to use the stereo outside. Please note sometimes the cleaners store the extension cables in the wardrobes.

Aircon/heating

  • Please do not use with windows/doors open
  • These act as heaters in the winter if required and will need to be on this setting to provide heat.
  • There are also 5 x small fan heaters in the pantry.
  • For heat the remote should have the waves and sun icon visible. It is a big house and designed to keep the heat out in summer so may take a while to warm up
  • Snowflake logo is cooling mode
  • In cold seasons (Oct – April) it is advisable to put the aircon on heat on arrival.
  • There are aircon user guides in the Villa user manual folder

Wood burning fires

  • Fire risk – Please be vigilant we advise that you do not use these fires.
  • If you decide to use them;
    • Do not overfill, and please empty ash trays below
    • Do not use young wood
    • Kindle/pine cones etc. are used to light the fire

Pizza Oven Instructions

Building the Fire & Reaching Temperature

  • Use quality hardwoods suitable for burning in fireplaces and/or suitable for smoking meats or other foods.
  • If using charcoal, only use high quality, lump charcoal.
  • Do not use wax starter logs, lighter fluids or other chemical agents, as these contain chemicals which could soak into the firebrick and oven surfaces, and may permanently affect the taste of foods cooked in the oven.
  • Use smaller pieces of kindling wood to start the fire, adding larger logs once the fire is established.
  • Once the fire is established, a larger fire should be burned for 1 1⁄2 to 2 1⁄2 hours to allow the oven to reach the desired temperature, stabilize, and allow the inner surfaces of the oven to absorb the heat. This absorbed and stored heat will actually do much of the cooking.
  • Once the desired temperature is reached and the fire has burned down to coals, push the coals to the sides or rear of the oven, and cook directly on the floor, in the area of the oven where the fire had previously been burning.

Cooking Pizza

  • Cooking a pizza in a wood-fired oven is somewhat like grilling or smoking meats, in that there are a lot of variables that affect the outcome, such as type of wood used, ambient temperature and humidity, oven temperature, type and thickness of dough and toppings, etc., so be prepared to spend a few evenings testing recipes and techniques.
  • Generally speaking, a traditional Italian pizza is similar to a New York-style pizza, with a thin crust and a thin layer of toppings. These pizzas are typically cooked at 600°F or hotter, and cook for a short time, often 3 – 6 minutes.
  • For thicker pizzas with heavier toppings, lower temperatures are required to thoroughly cook the pizza and toppings without burning. A medium pizza with fairly heavy toppings may cook best at 400° – 500°F, and will probably require a longer cooking time of 15 – 25 minutes.
  • The pizza should be cooked directly on the floor of the oven, and should be placed in the oven using a long-handled paddle called a peel, and protective mitts or hot-pads.
  • The pizza is slid from the preparation surface onto the peel using flour or cornmeal to aid in sliding, and is then slid from the peel onto the cooking surface using a slight jerking technique. Once again, practice removing the pizza from the peel, so that you can transfer it from the peel to the oven cleanly without flipping your toppings onto the oven floor.
  • Depending upon how close the food and coals are to each other and the heat output of the remaining fire, you may need to turn the pizza using a smaller paddle or peel during the cook. This should be easier than sliding the pizza onto the oven floor, as the crust will quickly firm up after touching the hot floor, allowing easy turning and removal of the pizza.
  • Always be mindful of the hot surfaces of your pizza oven, as there will always be potential for burns, just as with any cooking appliance, however, since pizzas are cooked at relatively high temperatures, extra caution should be used when cooking with a wood-fired pizza oven. Use proper, long-handled cooking tools, and protective mitts or hot-pads, when working around the door or reaching into the hot oven.

Security

  • There are many security features in place such as an alarm,  CCTV at the entrance, safety deposit boxes, fence and gates.
  • Burglaries do happen on the Algarve please;
    • Lock the front door and shut windows at the front of the building when sitting out at the pool
    • Lock all windows, doors, shutters and front gates when leaving the Villa.
    • Challenge unexpected visitors.
  • Your personal belongings are not covered by the buildings insurance.
  • Please ensure you have adequate holiday insurance.
  • Please use the safety deposit box in the pantry for money, passports, iPads etc. 
  • Please be aware the new patio doors on both levels do not open from the outside for security so please leave this ajar if you are outside otherwise you will get locked out. 

Breakage deposit

  • The breakage deposit is to cover large items such as windows, the pool table, beds, TV’s, White goods etc. PS3 and remotes.
  • You will not be charged the odd glass breakage we expect this as normal wear and tear.

Noise Rules and Local Laws

  • Please respect the neighbours as this is a residential area.
  • Previously some neighbours have called the police to noisy guests.
  • It is illegal in Portugal to make excessive noise between 11pm and 6am you can be charged under a local law.
  • Please do not play loud music, shout or make other excessive noise after 11pm. Especially outdoors or poolside.