Well I'm going! Booked a flight this morning so i'll be walking through the front door next week.

They were working on the new promenade last time i visited (see above)so can't wait to see what the finished job looks like. The photo shows where the work was being done at the Pedras del Rei end of the village. It should have been completed at the end of June and apparently the other half at the Tavira end is to be done this winter.

There are mixed feelings about what is going on, some see it as welcome progress others as the begining of the end of the unique nature of the place.

i suppose the truth lies somewhere in between, due to the decline in fishing the local economy is pretty depressed and many of the local people get by on next to nothing so tourists will bring much needed busines and work to the village.

A few years ago you rarely met anyone in the village who was not portuguese but that is changing already though it is (hopefully) never going to be an Albufeira.

One local shop has actually started selling Santa Luzia T shirts and I do believe you can now buy beach accessories in a couple of places.

A lot of run down properties are being done up and I expect the new promenade and the removal of the sewage works from the end of the village will spawn a whole lot of new cafes, bars and restaurants along the new promenade.

A new place was set to open next door to Casa Polvo the last time I visited so I expect that to be now up and running.

The local fiesta is held at the beginning of August and the place is packed with visitors from Lisbon so I think the proprietors would want to benefit from this busy time.

I hope to get some photos of the crowds whilst i am there.