Algarve Camp for Teenagers: the Coast of Southern Portugal

Portugal is presented by the operator as a country close to France and very different from its Spanish neighbour, valued for its mild sun and the welcome of its people. The route is built to balance cultural activity with sport along the 150 km of Algarve coastline, which holds more than twenty-five seaside resorts, quiet picturesque villages and busy towns. The group works through four bases — Faro, Albufeira, Sagres and Lagos — rather than staying in one place.

The school offers a special discount — ask us for details.

The price published by the operator covers accommodation, meals, the activities and excursions of the published programme, and insurance. Zigo Tours takes out cover for every participant — assistance and repatriation, individual accident, third-party liability, legal costs and baggage — and advances medical expenses during the stay. Travel is by flight with a stopover, out and back on the Paris – Lisbon – Faro route. Pre-travel from regional cities can be arranged by the operator's transport department; it is quoted case by case and is not part of the published price.

The group sleeps in bungalows of four to six places on equipped campsites along the coast.

Catering is run on a co-management basis with help from the adults: everyone takes an active turn in the collective tasks, cooking and clearing included.

The programme alternates visits and outdoor sport. From Albufeira the group walks the Seven Valleys route and paddles into the Benagil sea cave by kayak, and visits the Sand City park with its hundred or so sand sculptures. Sagres brings cliff walks, wild beaches and an introduction to surfing. At Lagos there is a day in a water park, the sea grotto of Ponta da Piedade and the town market. Faro, the regional capital, is explored on foot for its old architecture and its beaches.

Accommodation is on equipped campsites, in bungalows sleeping four to six. Movement between the coastal bases is by minibus driven by the supervising team. The group is small — the operator publishes a minimum of twelve and a maximum of sixteen participants — and is led by a qualified director and activity leaders, one adult for every eight young people.

A small travelling group — between twelve and sixteen participants — moving along the southern coast of Portugal by minibus with a qualified director and activity leaders, one adult for every eight young people. Meals are cooked and cleared collectively, so the stay asks for a share of the daily work as well as the sightseeing.