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Vila Gale Hotel Lagos
The Place
Private accommodation
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0 out of 5
The 4 to star Vila Gale is a luxury resort located right on the beautiful 1km long Meia Praia Beach
The resort's famous Satsanga Spa and wellness centre is a perfect place to relax and includes a gym, sauna, steam bath and massage room (at additional cost).
There is an indoor swimming pool as well as a Portugals largest outdoor swimming pool (1,200 m²). Gourmet cuisine is served in the restaurants.
The hotel has a Kids' Club and 3 tennis courts and pitch and putt golf!
Location
The hotel faces Maia Praia beach, and further afield is surrounded by some of Portugal's most beautiful beaches including Praia Dona Ana. The area offers great opportunities for water sports, including surfing, scuba diving, SIP, canoeing, wakeboarding and fishing.
- Reviews
- Facilities
- Room types
- Getting there
- Waves
- Terms
20 REVIEWS
Room Type: Private
Sleeps: 2
Spacious Twin room with nice views of the hills behind the hotel
Room Type: Private
Sleeps: 0
Family Room sleeps 2 Adults and 2 children under 12. It is One large room with a Double bed and a sofa bed for 2 children
Room Type: Private
Sleeps: 0
One bedroom and a living room with sofa bed for 2 children.
Sleeps 2 Adults and 2 children under 12
2 flat to screen TVs,
Overlooking the Hillside
Room Type: Private
Sleeps: 0
One bedroom and a living room with sofa bed for 2 children.
Sleeps 2 Adults and 2 children under 12
2 flat to screen TVs,
Balcony overlooking the Pool & Beach
You can never get lost
When you book you will receive our confirmation email with full travel directions of how to get to us.
We don't provide airport transfers but you can book one easily here: Airport Transfers
Surf conditions in Lagos:
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Surf Lessons often occur at the areas best and most reliable surf beaches, Praia do Amado and Praia do Amoreira, 20-30 minutes from Lagos. Depending on conditions you may surf at any number of surf beaches nearby such as Maia Praia, Castalejo, Arrifana, Zavial, Cabanas and Porto de Mos. Either way the surf schools will pick you up and take you to the best beaches on the day.
Don't worry if you have no experience whatsoever. The beginner's lessons are taught in waist deep water riding the white water only. You will learn everything from standing techniques to turning and finally paddling outside and learning how to catch ?green' (unbroken) waves. If you are already experienced the instructors will take you further out and help you develop your technique on bigger waves.
Lagos is a year round surf destination thanks to its position at the corner of the Algarve. It is one of Europe?s best kept secrets and offers waves for beginners, intermediates and expert surfers. It also has the warmest water in Portugal and the winter temperature is warm enough for t-shirts. In the summer the temperature is in the late 20s and stay bright until 10pm.
Within Lagos is the town's long golden sandy beach that seems to go on forever, Meia Praia, a very safe beginners surf beach, but not always reliable.
Further Afield
Head further West and after 20 minutes you arrive at a crossroad, take the turn South West and after a few minutes you reach the laid back surf town of Sagres where you will find breaks such as Tonel, Mareta, Beliche and Zavial. Again different standards are catered for in these beaches that wrap around Cape St.Vincent
Alternatively take the right turn and after 10 minutes you will reach a great beginners /intermediate surf beach Praia do Amado. Close by is one of Portugal?s most beautiful beaches Praia da Bordeira. Further North is the world class surf break in Arrifana and beginners beach Amoreira. The UK's Independent newspaper sums it up best: "Here is one of Europe's undiscovered treasures - thankfully protected by a 120km-long Parque Natural, which helps ensure that "tourist development" mostly means a café in a shack on a beach. It all seems like a fabulous secret, shared only by the intrepid few who make it this far. Their reward? Having miles and miles of these dramatic beaches (almost) to themselves."
Come Surf Lagos with us?
PAYMENT
- A small deposit is required to secure your booking.
- Your balance is due at check in.
CANCELLING YOUR BOOKING
- To cancel go to the MyAccount section and log in or register and you can cancel from within your account.
- Your deposit is non refundable but can be used for the same property/surf school within one year of your original booking.
- You can cancel anytime up to midday the day before and you will not be charged the balance.
The Surfholidays Advantage
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Support before and after your trip
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Authentic travel experiences
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If you are not fully satisfied, we’ll work with you to make it right.
We had a great time in Lagos - we spent one week at Casa Offshore and the second week at the Vila Gale hotel for a bit of luxury!! We really loved Lagos itself as there were gorgeous little cafes/shops and windy streets to see during the day and then at night the place came alive for when we fancied going out. We loved the lessons - although getting up in the morning was hard going :-) The surf school had a bbq on the first night which was cool as we got to meet everyone who was staying there. Thanks for helping us organise it all
This was a very nice holiday for us, both hotel and surfing lessons (and surfing crew of course) were great! We have thought about taking one more holiday in autumn there but not sure about how much time we would have :) The best restaurant we visited was a China Restaurant, 50m distance from the surfing base - Ilya, Trondheim, Norway
We had a great time in Lagos and I would recommend it to any family. The hotel was fabulous - it is fairly new so is in great condition and kept that way There were great activities in the Hotel from the entertainment staff - not intrusive but interesting - most of our family took part in the evening yoga at least twice each anyway and the entertainment in the bar was good fun the couple of evenings that we went down for it (too tired the days we were surfing!). The pool was fantastic...huge.... and the pool bar/ restaurant just great. The fact that you can walk out the back gate and cross the road to the beach is super and the facilities on the beach were great. The restaurant was very good, for one that catered for large numbers - the choice for breakfast was just fantastic - I have to admit we resisted the prosecco for breakfast even for me it was just too early!! - we ate in the buffet dinner twice and that was enough - it was good but unspectacular as one would expect when catering for large numbers - whereas there are fantastic restaurants within walking or short taxi ride distance (into town) serving fabulous food.. There are a few small criticisms that I would have of it: 1. the room we had should have been more sound proof, they were however beautiful - brilliantly appointed - great sized with very modern bathrooms. 2. No Irons in the room - not a big deal but it is a pain i the butt to have to ring down when you want to give something a quick rub with an iron. If it is 4* it should have an iron in the rooms. 3. I felt the gym was pricey - even if they did do a deal for 5 day passes etc. Let me point out that these are small criticisms and they didn't impact on a great holiday - just feedback you can raise sometime. In fact how good our own hotel was became more evident on the bus we took to Zoomarine - which picked us up outside the hotel - it was as we were driving through other places to pick up people that we realised what a lovely part of the country Lagos is and how nice VilaGale and its surroundings are. Zoomarine was a great success and we booked for the two girls (they are 11 and 13) to do the Dolphin Emotions which was an unbelievable experience. Swimming with the dolphins might just have pipped the surfing for the best bit but it meant that everything was way up there on the brilliant scale! Surfing - was great - even if I spent most of my time upside down - I think perhaps my plan to enter the Irish Surf championships might have been a little premature!...they can all breath easily! - with a little extra ballast that I have, I probably needed hurricane force winds to get me going fast enough to really get going but the rest of the family were very successful - the girls want to continue surfing, they enjoyed it so much - Fil is nothing short of brilliant! in and out of the water - He was in total control of the beach and even kept an eye out for the other surf schools - we felt very secure working with him - a good teacher, great with the kids and a very safe operator - he had the kids up on the boards in no time at all - it was a great 3 days. The town of Lagos is beautiful and a lovely place to visit. We had looked up a few places to go before travelling but only made it to about 50% of them - such a choice - best one was a little hole in the wall restaurant - could seat about 30 max - absolutely amazing food, incredible presented and very good value - (Fil at the surf school knew it when we mentioned it and loves it too) with the chef/owner leaning over the bar from the kitchen chatting to people, checking they were enjoying the food etc. It was a great holida and I would recommend it and the area to a family - Paul & family, Dublin
I have to say the hotel was great. Really exceeded expectations. The pool was brilliant and never busy. The pool was so nice we tended to stay there rather than the beach, which was fab as well. Did go surfing for one day in the end, really good intro to the sport. Lagos, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel has some great restaurants, which are quite reasonable when compared to Irish prices. I would definitely recommend the hotel and the area, although the walk into Lagos is quite a boring/dull walk, we usually got a taxi in instead! So apart from that - it was perfect
We had a great time! The hotel was really good – very modern, clean, lovely pool, nice rooms, helpful staff (although only a few spoke English) and really good breakfast! The surf lessons were really well run and really fun! We really enjoyed them! Although the waves were quite big if you went out too deep – but we soon learnt not to go out too deep!!! The town was good for a night out too, possibly too good judging by my head the following day! And the weather was great! All in all, we had a fab time and would definitely be up for doing it again
4th time booking with you and again everything was spot on. The Hotel was and relaxed, family friendly and very comfortable. The town was itself was nice particularly the Old Town. Looking forward to booking with you again
We really enjoyed the holiday. I really liked Portugal as a whole. The beaches were great. Loads of space and very clean. The town was really nice. Loads of restaurants and loads bars too. The surfing was the best part, sharon & sebastien and the rest of the crew were very nice and very helpful. They picked us up and dropped us back to the hotel when we were surfing which was a great bonus and everything was organised very well, including the lunches on the beach. The surf BBQ was one of the best meals we had in Portugal, it was really tasty and loads of food and beers. The hotel was nice, right beside the beach and had an amazing pool. Over all we really enjoyed the holiday and would definitely consider doing another one - Richie, Dublin
It was a fabulous holiday- every thing worked out really well. From the pick up at the airport, reminder texts from Sharon re. pick up for surf and the whole surf experience I felt it was very efficiently organised. The hotel was excellent, junior suite nice and roomy, breakfast choice varied albeit a bit manic and pancake maker girl only had one speed –slow. but that’s cause we did the usual thing of arriving down after 10am. Pool area really nice and the kid’s entertainment laid on by the hotel was particularly good, aqua-aerobics, treasure hunts, cookie making, water fights, crazy golf, water polo. Meia Praia beach literally across the road one of the nicest I’ve ever seen. Surf days a great success. Lessons were 12 -1:30, then 3:30 -5pm. We had time then for a beer or three at the beach bar before being ferried back to the hotel- Exhausted! Samuel gave us the lessons and by the end of the second session on the first day my son had cracked it and got up on the board. He completely loved it. It’s a short walk to town but we usually hopped in a taxi every evening for less than 4 euro. A very popular restaurant especially judging from the queues to get in every night was Adega de Marina, fairly rustic but great fish and incredible value. Thanks again for a fab experience and I would recommend the entire package
Portugal was BRILLIANT! Just exacly what we were looking for - a nice boutique hotel (although its huge) the breakfasts are AMAZING!! The Surf course was so well run and Seb, Marcel etc are just FAB! So sad to be back! Suzanna, Wiltshire
I had a fab holiday in Lagos, would defintely go back. The transfers from and to the airport were extremely handy! It's nice to arrive and just be picked up and they were flexible with return journeys. The surfing was great fun, I really enjoyed the mix of people and Sebastien was a great teacher! He has a great knowledge of the area, so we got to see 5 or so different beaches, all beautiful. The variety of beaches also allowed us to try differnet types of waves - longer waves allowing us to improve more! The Vila Gate hotel is fabulous. If your priority is lazing by the pool, then it's defintely the place to be! The rooms were fabulous and the whole hotel was kept immaculate. Lagos itself is a pretty town with a great variety of restaurants at all different price ranges, dinner could be from €12 - 25 depending on number of courses and choice of venue!
The hotel was lovely, spotlessly clean and the staff were very friendly. The holiday was most definitely made by the surf school. They were all great, really friendly - Trent and Marcel were both excellent instructors. We also met a great bunch of people and enjoyed a nice BBQ at Casa Offshore one evening. We also thought Lagos was lovely, especially the old town. All in all we had a great holiday and will definitely be returning to Lagos
Lagos was brilliant! The hotel was lovely - very well run and the breakfasts were amazing. The pool was also great. Everything was very well maintained and very clean. We enjoyed the walk from the hotel into the town. The beach near our hotel was really nice. Lots going on but not crowded. We did a dolphin trip and a boat trip around the grottos which were both very good. The town was lovely - loads of nice restaurants with lots of different foods to choose from. The town was very lively in the evenings with lots of entertainers and stalls and all the shop stayed open till late. It would be great for families and couples - really nice atmosphere in the town. The marina area was also lovely with nice restaurants and bars with live music every night. We had a really good time doing the surf lessons - the surf school looked after us really well! The airport transfers went really smoothly and they picked us up at our hotel and dropped us off each day which was brilliant. The surfing was really good - the beach was lovely and the waves were great. All very well organised - Marcel especially was a great instructor as he really helped us improve
The surf holiday was great thanks! The hotel was lovely. Beautiful building, brand spanking new! The pool was AMAZING!! Buffet brekki lovely too. Surfing was Fantastic!! I ended up doing 3 days. loved it so much and will definitely doing lots more. The instructor I had for all days was Marcel. He was so nice and literally gave me a tip every single time i came in on the board! Met loads of really lovely people on it too. Id recommend West restaurant at the marina. Food was yummy and place was really nice and they had live music too. Great taps/taster menu and good wine. Bars....mmm pretty crazy bars really!! if u want to go and drink the contents of a fish bowl and then dance on the bar to 80's rock then this is your place! But also some really cool beach bars with great mojitos down on Meia Praia beach! So had a brill holiday and will be booking more with ya!!! Cheers!!! Sarah, Dublin
The Surf Holiday was brill, beaches and the surf were great some good waves to clear the hangover from the night before, Lagos town was lively every evening with no end of pubs and restaurants to cater to all our needs whether it was a pub to find a quiet mojito or a pub to find a lively mojito, Mojito's for all occasions. The people around the town were very friendly, great time had all round. Surf lessons were great - the instructors and staff were great and made the holiday for us. and the BBQ on thursday was good fun but perhaps we overindulged slightly
We had a fantastic time and definitely will go again. The kids loved it and the lads at the surf school were brilliant. All thought the second best family holiday we ever had the first being snow skiing last year. I will be in touch next year, Regards Eugene, Ireland
We had a ball the place is fantastic. We are already fingers crossed planning to go back next year but for a bit longer. The hotel was unbelievable the views were out of this world and the staff so helpful. The facilities in the hotel were excellent. Ray enjoyed the surf. The break was so enjoyable and I would definetly recommend it to all my friends and family! Kind Regards, Sarah, UK
We had a super surfing holiday in Lagos, Portuhal. The hotel, Vila Gale Lagos, was superb and had great facilities, all new and great breakfast buffet. The restaurants by the marina were very good (there is a quaint Swiss restaurant and if you like fondue (choc or cheese) I highly recommend it). Loved the surfing and it was an experience finding the beach where the girls had the lessons. We spent 3 days there and the instructors were good and fun. It was nice to move away from the main tourist beaches and the atmosphere there was pure ‘surfers paradise’ (could have been Big Sur!). The surf was great even for the non-surfers who enjoyed playing in the waves! We also went to Marineland which is a real experience. The girls were able to go to the ‘dolphin experience’ where they actually swam with the dolphins! It is a fabulous quality park with great shows and some water rides. Having been at many this one is a good experience and not a rip off once you enter the park. All in all we had a great time and I will look out for any offer you have running next year. Louise, Dublin
The hotel was great - and they have a spa there which was good for the muscles after the surfing. Very luxurious for a surfing holiday and suited me as I wanted to relax and unwind as well.The town was about 10-15 minute walk from the hotel (taxi only cost about €3 - €4) - the town had plenty of restaurants and bars (bars didnt get busy until late (after 12)) and drink was cheap so very easy to be unfit for the mornings surfing! Patrick, Ireland
We had a great time in Lagos. We really enjoyed the surfing and found the instructors really good. The hotel was perfect also, by the beach and not too busy. We had lovely meals in town every night and we were surprised how cheap eating out is compared to Ireland. Thanks for organising everything for us and Id definitly book through your website again
Just wanted to drop you a note to say thanks a million for all of your help. We had an amazing week in Lagos. The girls loved the surfing and I even though I didn’t make it that far (this time) I had a brilliant holiday. The town, food, beaches and people were fantastic. And the spa in the hotel was perfect - thank you! We’ll definitely be back