Stunning coastal views from hilltop bungalow in the Algarve, Portugal

Introduction

Hi there! My name is Simone, I'm 78, and I'm retired and live with my husband and three dogs: Chu Chu, Scruffy and Pintu. I have a lot of family in the UK (I have five daughters and lots of grandchildren!), so I like to travel to visit them which brought me to this site. I love all animals, cooking, playing bridge, and spending time with friends and family.

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Home & location

We live in a bungalow in a villa compound up in the hills between Faro and a market town called Loule. Because we're up high we have an amazing view over Faro and plain to the sea. On our rooftop we have a BBQ and a table where you can sit of an evening admiring the gorgeous view outdoors. We also have a balcony off the kitchen so you can have breakfast looking out over the scenery. It does mean you need a car to get here, however you can get a taxi to the house and then use our car when we're away no problem, or you can hire a car from Faro airport. If you come a day early we can also come and collect you. Our location means you get the best of both worlds: we have some beautiful walks on our doorstep in the hills, or in less than 20 minutes you can get to the town of Faro where there's lots to do and see and it's rich in Portuguese history; you can also easily get to the market town of Loule, which has an amazing local market on a Saturday, and lots of local restaurants and cafes, as well as a salt mine and Roman baths; and finally you can do lots of coastal trips and sightseeing, visiting beautiful beaches and local scenery. Within 10 minutes drive there is also a large shopping centre with a supermarket and a designer outlet centre.

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Responsibilities

Our three dogs are all rescues who we adopted from our local dog sanctuary. There's Chu Chu (who's the smallest but definitely the boss!), Pintu (who's the oldest and just incredibly loving), and Scruffy (he's the newest and a little nervous still but he has a lovely nature). They all have a very good nature in fact and are very affectionate. The dogs are fed twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. After their food they have their walk, so they're walked twice a day. We live in the hills, so there are some lovely countryside walks you can take them on by the house. We keep them on the lead just because sometimes they tend to get distracted and wonder off. Having had a blood test in January, Scruffy is almost completely off his medications but still needs one important pill (enalapril) which we wrap up in cheese. The sliced cheese is in the fridge. I cut the cheese in half. I also give the other dogs a piece as they love cheese! We have a wonderful cleaner called Elsa who comes in 3 times a week. The recycling can be dropped off just outside the main gates, and Elsa takes the general rubbish from the kitchen every time she comes. The weather is beautiful where we are but it does mean that the plants need watering as they can get very thirsty in the heat. If you could do this every other day that would be wonderful.

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Meet the pets

Photo of Chuchu

Chuchu

12 years

Photo of Pintu

Pintu

12 years

Photo of Scruffy

Scruffy

6 years

Sitter Reviews (2)

Homeowner Reviews (0)

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Stayed: 02 Oct 2023 - 12 Oct 2023
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We had a great stay! Simone and Francis were warm and friendly, showing us the ropes to care for their dogs and giving us tips on things to do in the area. They welcomed us into their home as their guests and made sure we were well fed and had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. Their three rescue dogs are delightful. They have great personalities and welcomed us too! Walking and feeding the dogs was straightforward, as the dogs know their routine and get excited for it, and know exactly what to do. The area is great, with lots to see, eat, and do. Overall it was a 5 star stay and we can’t wait to go back!

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Stayed: 24 Apr 2023 - 08 May 2023

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Simone
Last time sitter needed: 17 months 2 days ago