Insider’s guide to Portugal’s Algarve
Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
The Independent
3.6 • 628 Ratings
🗓️ 9 February 2026
⏱️ 7 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Sharon Cleator has been travelling to the lovely south coast of Portugal for 40 years. She knows the Algarve like the back of her hand, and now offers a travel concierge service that you can track down online at Sharon’s Solutions
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to today's independent travel podcast with me, Simon Calder. |
| 0:07.0 | Very special day today because I have finally met Sharon Cleter. |
| 0:14.0 | She is the Sharon behind Sharon's Solutions, which for anybody heading for the Algarve is absolutely essential reading. |
| 0:25.3 | Sharon spends her time between beautiful Lyttham St Anne's in Lancashire and the Algarve whereabouts. |
| 0:31.8 | We have an apartment in its little village called Alpishinos and it's near Porches and Amosau-Depera is the main town there. |
| 0:41.9 | So we're talking about being west of Albufera, but not as far west as Largoff? |
| 0:48.2 | Correct, yes, and it's beautiful. Love it, love it, love it. |
| 0:52.7 | When did you first go to the Algarve and when did you think |
| 0:56.0 | this is so lovely I want to have an apartment here? I first went to the Algarv in 1986. |
| 1:04.1 | A company I worked for had a villa there so it was a free holiday at the time and I think |
| 1:09.7 | once you go to Portugal, it just grabs you |
| 1:12.5 | and then purchased the apartment in 2016, so this year it will be 10 years. |
| 1:19.6 | What in particular is the appeal of Portugal? Why is it different from Spain, Italy, France, Greece, |
| 1:25.8 | etc? I think it's the people. |
| 1:28.3 | They just welcome you with open arms, but also the scenery, the beaches. |
| 1:34.3 | And if you go inland a little bit, you've just got all the Portuguese bars and restaurants, |
| 1:40.3 | and it's good value for money. |
| 1:42.3 | Tell me about Sharon's solutions. What are. Tell me about Sharon's Solutions. |
| 1:45.9 | What are you solving? |
| 1:47.8 | Sharon's Solutions started just before COVID actually. |
| 1:51.1 | Friends were asking me to find them accommodation. |
| 1:55.0 | And I then started opening up meeting people who owned the villas and apartments and it's just grown from there so |
... |
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