Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 5^th January 2022

House prices for rent in the Algarve rose 7.6% in 2021

Renting a house in the Algarve now costs 9.8 euros per square meter. Prices only dropped in Albufeira (-2.2 percent) in 2021.

House prices for rent in the Algarve rose 7.6 percent in 2021, comparing December 2021 with the same month in 2020.

According to the price index of the idealista portal, at the end of December 2021, renting a house in the region had a cost of 9.8 euros per square meter (m2). In relation to the quarterly variation, leasing increased by 1.6 percent.

The only drop in prices in the region in 2021 was registered in Albufeira (-2.2 percent). Conversely, prices rose in Lagoa (14.8 percent), Loulé (13.5 percent), Faro (12.2 percent), Tavira (9.9 percent), Olhão (9 percent), Silves (7.3 percent), Portimão (6.4 percent), Lagos (5.8 percent) and Vila Real de Santo António (2.6 percent)

The most expensive municipality to rent a house is Loulé (12.2 euros/m2), followed by Lagos (9.7 euros/m2) and Lagoa (9.2 euros/m2).

On the other hand, the cheapest are Vila Real de Santo António (8.6 euros/m2), Olhão (8.6 euros/m2) and Portimão (8.5 euros/m2).

At the national level, housing for rent registered a decrease of 4.3 percent in 2021, standing at 10.7 euros/m2.

ABC opens Covid-19 testing centre in Moura

The Algarve Biomedical Centre (ABC) will open this Sunday, January 9th, in Moura, which is its first Covid-19 testing centre in Alentejo.

In partnership with the Municipality of Moura, the centre will be open on Sundays, between 16:00 and 19:30, and on Wednesdays, from 11:00 to 14:00.

This testing centre is located next to the City Council, in Pátio dos Rolins, and will provide PCR and antigen tests, the latter being financed by the National Health Service.

Appointments must be made online on the ABC website.

ABC thus opens its tenth Covid-19 test centre in Moura, after Albufeira, Lagoa, Lagos, Loulé, Portimão, São Brás de Alportel, Silves, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António.

Albufeira hosts lifeguard training course in February and March

Registration is open until the 28th of January for the lifeguard training course that will take place in Albufeira between the 1st of February and the 16th of March.

The course, promoted by the Association of Salvadoran Swimmers of Albufeira (ANSA), comprises 31 sessions in a total of 150 hours, from Monday to Saturday (minimum daily load 5 hours). The final exam “will be carried out during working hours”, on a date to be determined by the Instituto de Socorros a Náufragos.

In the end, those who finish the course with a positive grade will be entitled to a certification conferred by this entity.

«The training is valid throughout the country, to perform the functions of lifeguard, at any beach/pool, for a period of 3 years, in accordance with the applicable legislation», according to ANSA.

Candidates will be subject to an admission test, where they will have to “run 2400 meters in a maximum time of 14 minutes”, “swim 100 meters free, in a maximum time of 1h50 minutes”, “underwater swimming (apnea) in a minimum time of 20 seconds”, “swim 25 meters in dorsal decubitus (back), only with swinging legs” and “catch two weights at a minimum depth of 2 meters”.

To be able to access this test, candidates must meet minimum requirements, starting with age, since trainees must be at least 18 years old at the start of the course.

Compulsory education is also required, as well as “proof of professional activities developed and other relevant elements for the assessment of their ability to attend the course”.

Candidates must also “have physical strength and psychological profile for the activity of lifeguard”, proven by a medical certificate for the purpose.

Attendance at the course has a total cost of 200 euros, 40 of which for the entrance exam and 160 for the registration fee. This amount includes insurance, lifeguard manual and a resuscitation mask.

Enrolment can be done through the website of the FEPONS Professional Lifeguard Training School , which will teach the course. 

Ryanair flight from Manchester to Faro makes emergency landing in France after reports of a fire on board

A Ryanair flight departing Manchester, UK, and bound for Faro, made an emergency landing in France this Monday, following a fire that reportedly broke out in the aircraft.

According to reports the plane made an abrupt descent from about 40,000 feet to 6,725 feet in seven minutes, landing in Brest, in western France, at 19.30 hours.

According to publications on the social network Twitter, the flight made an emergency landing after reports from passengers of a fire having broken out on board.

“All the passengers were transported to a bus by the French police”, can be read in one of the publications where there are images of the plane that was received by several vehicles of firefighters.

According to the portal FlightAware, the flight that departed at 6.33 pm from Manchester was scheduled to arrive at 9.30 pm in Faro.

There were initial concerns that there could have been a loss of cabin pressure on the aircraft.

Passengers of flight FR4052 were able to continue their journey to Faro once the incident was dealt with as another plane was dispatched from Stanstead to reach them.