A mallorcan experience to be treasured!

Advantages: Cheap, likely to meet Natives rather than just holidaying Brits, Perfect for Divers
Disadvantages: Can be rather a sleepy village at times, You can see it all in a day

...Porto Colom is a quiet little village inhabited by about 400 people. The weird thing is, you will find that everyone is either elderly or an infant. There is a lack of teenagers to be found during the week but they come out in swarms on a Friday and Saturday night to venture down to Zona 3-2, the local Spanish nightclub, of which the owner and the bar staff are very nice to look at. Most of the bars are situated at a central location, midway between the harbour and the beach. In terms of value, the Scottish Pub is probably the best and the owner is a laugh a minute. He can be a little crude but he's harmless really and has a good selection of music he blasts out. A word of warning though, this place does get raided by the police because they don't have music licencing laws and continually break them by playing loud music...

js2ht2andl 18.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Porto Colom, Mallorca

Grande Hotel Do Porto, good location.

Advantages: Those Public Rooms
Disadvantages: Standard Rooms small, but hay that was our choice and your all the same at breakfast

...We have just returned from a Week-end in Porto. We were looking for a Hotel that had good location and some olde world charm, so this one seemed to tick the boxes. We booked it thru Octopustravel.com for £165 that being for a Double Room with Buffet Breakfast for three nights (About £27 per person per night B&B). Getting to the Hotel from the Airport can not be easier. You get the Metro from the Airport, you can not get on the wrong one as that is the start of the line, no changes necessary just stay on unti the BOLHAO stop (approx 25 mins) cost 1 Euro 85 Cents (purchase ticket from Tourist Info Booth in arrival hall, or if braver from the Ticket Machines in the Metro (Do have an English Button) for instructions. At the Bolhao stop come up into the Street Opposite a large Church With Blue Tiles, turn corner about 90 yards...

poshtroika 03.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Grande Hotel Do Porto, Porto

The Pestana Porto - my pick of Porto

Advantages: friendly efficient staff, good location
Disadvantages: poorly promoted restaurant

...In September we had a great holiday in North Portugal and I wanted to tell you about my favourite hotel. We booked into the Pestana Porto for 4 nights and it was a very enjoyable stay. My Aunt had recommended Oporto so after a search on Tripadvisor for hotels there, we booked a room with a river view. Location The Pestana Porto is ideally situated for tourists. It looks out onto the river Douro and the riverside cafes. Nearby are old, narrow quaint streets with bars and restaurants. River cruises regularly set off from just below our bedroom window. A walk across the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia takes you straight into the old part of the town and you can easily walk to many of the famous port houses. The fabulous Palacio da Bolsa is located a short walk away. We walked into town although this is not recommended for all. Parts...

kazbo 27.11.2006 · Read review
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Review of Pestana Porto Hotel, Porto

PORTO AIRPORT GOOD CITY TRANSFER

Advantages: Modern Airport friendly and close to city.
Disadvantages: None.

...We flew into Porto from Birmingham so it was just getting dusk as we were on our final approach, but even so we were treated to a lovely view of Porto, the river and bridges. My brother and sister in law flew in from Stansted so arrived in the early afternoon sun light and said it looked brilliant. The landing was smooth . taxied up to the terminal building, always a bonus rather than a bus transfer. First impressions are of a modern building, and this was to be confirmed in all aspects. First Passport control, plenty of booths manned so was quick and friendly, the friendly aspect to be repeated by all we met, Hotel Staff, Restaurants, shops etc etc. We had only hand luggage, so can not comment on speed of luggage arrival on carrousels. Thru to the main arrival hall, toilets to the right, used by my better half...

poshtroika 12.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Porto Airport, Portugal

"Calem" Port the taste of Porto

Advantages: Port lovers paradise
Disadvantages: Too many to try for one visit.

...We spent a wonderful long weekend in Porto. One of our places to visit if we get round to it. Whilst we where there we visited the Port Wharfs, due to the name and my love of Port. We set off on the Sunday morning, and had a varied trip to get there by the tram, vehicular and the old trolley bus. We travelled over the bridge designed by Eifel who designed the Eifel Tower, in fact he designed two bridges that span the Rio Douro, both well worth walking over if you have a head for heaths go on the top level if not use the lower level, your choice. As you are on the higher level looking over the Douro River you have a vista of all of the Port houses, all the names that you have heard of at Christmas on the TV, and seen in the adverts in the papers and magazines. We opted for ?Calem? as it was open on the Sunday...

bostonianbeer 11.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Calem Port Wharf, Porto, Portugal

Porto Colom, Majorca

Advantages: Clean, quiet, beautiful harbour
Disadvantages: Bit too quiet for some

...I recently had two weeks at this fishing village on the South-East coast and it was beatiful. Although mostly for couples and older people, there were still a lot of bars open until 3-4 in the morning if you needed them. I stayed at the Cape Colom Hotel and couldn't fault it at all. If I was going away with mates then it would probably be a bit quiet. There were very few nightclubs there but an 8 pound taxi ride to Cala d'or was worthwhile. Trouble is though, you can't walk along the street without a tout asking you to come in to their bar. That did get annoying sometimes. No, I can safely say that anyone visiting will have a lovely relaxing time there. The area is very clean, the harbour is beautiful with some very large Gin palaces moored up there and the weather 99 percent of the time superb. If you can get a cheap deal like we...

biglee 13.10.2000 · Read review
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Review of Majorca in General

PALMEIRA RESTAURANT PORTO Where Size matters

Advantages: Good service, Large Portions, and tables.
Disadvantages: Closed on Sundays.

...On our short stay to Porto we like to try local Restaurants rather than Hotel Restaurants, although the Grande Hotel Do Porto, Hotel's Menu looked very tempting. We had noticed a Restaurante sign in the little street that runs behind the Hotel, sorry I did not get the street's name, but if you find the Grande Hotel do Porto on Rua Santa Catarina, stand facing then look for alley to the right, goes down ,turn left about 40 yards the Resaurante Palmeira, dont be put off by the Snack Bar sign, enter by the door on the right down stairs then into the restaurant. We had called in about 17:00 and asked for a table for 4 at 20:00, no problem, they did not even take a name. This concerned us a bit, after all its Saturday are they that slack they just say turn up, did not seem a good sign. Need not have worried, when we entered our...

poshtroika 10.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Restaurante Palmeira Porto, Portugal

Food Glorious Food...There's really none like it

Advantages: Cheap, Varied menu, Kids menu, Romantic views over-looking the harbour, Open til late, Central - not more than 5 mins from anywhere, Great dessert menu, It's at the bottom of a hill so if you're staying nearer the beach you can walk off those calories
Disadvantages: No Wheel Chair Access, Opens later than everywhere else so you have to wait longer for your dinner, above a grottier restaurant

...Whether you have taken a romantic break with the spouse, dragged the kids of to the village for a little solitude, or taken the plunge and taken up diving in the quiet little village of Porto Colom, you'll find something to water your palate. The restaurant is set on a wonderful site overlooking the harbour. On a busy night it can hold up to 100 covers per sitting although in these situations it can become rather cramp in the establishment. owever the nightime view is well worth suffering for. Take the opportunity to sit on the terrace and watch the local go by as they venture in and out of the village plaza, as the boats roll in and out of port, and the sun slowly starts to set. The menu is varied and can cater for many a taste whether it's a taste of England you yearn for or a Spanish palate you want to acquire. Perhaps some...

js2ht2andl 12.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Restaurante Mar Blau, Porto Colom

THB Hotel Felip - Porto Cristo mallorca

Advantages: Service, cleanliness, ambience, views, value for money
Disadvantages: None but not suitable for young families or clubbers!

...First of all, a word to the warning for anyone who enjoys the Magaluf/Palma Nova style holiday experience - the Hotel Felip and the resort of Porto Cristo are not for you! I say resort but in fact, Porto Cristo is a small coastal town built on the fishing industry and now boasts a very busy marina for private boat owners in addition to the still substantial fishing fleet. The town is on the east coast of Mallorca, about 62 kms (55 minutes) from Palma by car. Porto Cristo is probably most famous for the popular and stunning Caves of Drach which hosts day trip coach loads from all parts of the island, on a daily basis. The small town centre has a few tourist shops and cafe/restaurants together with local bars but no large clubs and you're very unlikely to spot a lager lout here! To be serious, the ambience of Porto Cristo is suitable...

daydster 22.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of THB Felip, Porto Cristo

  Vintage Character

Advantages: Full of interest, pleasantly unpretentious, reasonably priced
Disadvantages: Perhaps a little downbeat, even dour

...It?s an unpretentious city, Porto, an honest city, not one to put on airs. Whilst other cities of similar intrinsic interest might be said to ?boast? various attractions, you?d never say that of Porto. It?s just not a boastful kind of place. This modesty is arguably no more than realistic. Porto isn?t, and couldn?t pretend to be, in the very top rank of Europe?s cities for art, architecture, history or grandeur. But it has its share of all of these and other merits too: it is scenically located; it is easy to reach and to get around; it is a good jumping-off point from which to visit other attractive places in the region; and it is reasonably ? by Eurozone standards, cheaply ? priced for staying, eating and drinking. Like its football team, which regularly surprises by how well it does in European competition against...

torr 15.05.2009 (22.05.2009) · Read review
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Review of Porto (Portugal)