Luz Life – A Review of October 2024

A brief recap: Since arriving at Ocean Villas Luz in August 2020, writer David Lugg has been experiencing all aspects of Luz Life. This is his review of October 2024:

One of the joys of being a regular visitor to Praia da Luz is that very few things change. And indeed why should it? The beaches are golden, the skies are invariably blue and the standard of the restaurants remains very high. This familiarity is something that breeds confidence. People begin to recognise the same happy faces and choose favourite places to eat and drink. It’s a winning recipe. Yet actually, I would argue that this apparent lack of change is just an illusion. Here’s why:

When a professional athlete is at the top of their game, he or she is not there by accident. Sure, there is a certain amount of natural talent, but the athlete works hard to make the most of their ability. They don’t get to be the best by being lucky. It’s a combination of ability and effort. One of my favourite ever quotes is from ex-golfer Gary Player who (very dryly) said ‘The more I practice the luckier I get’. He ended up winning nine major championships.

The same ethos goes for Praia da Luz. Yes, I will admit that the town is blessed with some stunning natural beauty and yes, the weather is kind to us, but, there are a lot of people doing a lot of good things behind the scenes to keep the town at the top of its game. On an aesthetic level, there are regular beach cleans (organised by volunteers) to help keep them looking as fab as they do. Gardens (including our own at Ocean Villas) are tended to regularly and the streets are kept spotlessly clean.

And as for the restaurants, the continual high standards mean that if you’re not on top form you will soon get found out. There are so many superb places to eat in the town and, I know for a fact, that they work very hard not just on food quality but on levels of service. There’s no point having a fabulous steak if you have a grumpy waiter who slams your food down on the table.

We also have a great community here in Luz. Crime in the town is very low as people look out for each other and respect each other. New businesses are often springing up and there is a real sense that the town-folk will buy local whenever possible. This is no doubt helped by the absence of international companies like Amazon and eBay.

Here at Ocean Villas Luz, we are also doing our best to be on our A-Game. Which is why I am delighted to announce that we have completed a total renovation of all of our bathrooms in the 2-bedroom villas. The bathrooms now all have stunning walk-in showers – I don’t mind admitting that they are looking marvellous. Additionally, the one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments will be completed before Christmas. All the villas and apartments will also receive a new internal lick of paint.

So there you go, it might not appear that Luz ever changes, but the reality is that our lovely town is changing all the time. Without change, standards would drop and Luz would not be the town we all know and love. The important lesson is to keep supporting the local businesses and they will continue to thrive.

We all know that change is inevitable. But the good news is that when change does occur in Luz, it is usually for the better. I for one want to ensure that Luz remains the best town in the Algarve.

More news next month.

David Lugg

@davidluggwriter

All photo images owned by David Lugg

× How can I help you?