Clean and Safe COVID-19 Precautions at Lux Mare

On this page, we hope to answer any questions you may have about COVID-19, both in relation to the extra measures taken at LUX MARE luxury villas and in the wider Algarve, to ensure your stay is clean and safe.

The Portugal Tourism Board created the ‘Clean and Safe’ seal for businesses that meet the highest standards of health and hygiene procedures, as set out by the government. Full details on the Clean and Safe programme can be found here.

There are a set of criteria and standards specific for accommodation that must be met for an establishment to be labelled clean and safe; you can read this full list here.

Both Casa M and Casa L have been awarded the ‘Clean and Safe’ seal, which is displayed on their individual pages.

In addition to meeting the Clean and Safe criteria, LUX MARE intends to go above and beyond these requirements, thus taking every step possible to ensure you have a safe, relaxing holiday in our luxury villas. Further details on specific measures can be found below.

Since the beginning of the outbreak (even before lockdown was decreed), all members of the LUX MARE team were advised and guided by a local medical professional, which included being trained in hygiene and personal safety best practices.

The team have been updated regularly as government guidance has developed. Their local knowledge and contacts mean that they are able to support guests under any circumstances that may arise.

Enhanced cleaning measures have been introduced in order to reduce any possible spread of the infection and protect our guests and our staff.
These measures include disinfecting frequently touched surfaces such as light switches, doorknobs, remote controls, taps, etc., using approved disinfectants every time the housekeeper visits the house (before, during and after stays).

By cleaning first, then disinfecting, we are helping lower the risk of the infection spreading.

All bed linen, including sheets, mattress & pillowcases, towels, and kitchen towels, are washed at the highest heat setting recommended by the manufacturer.

Housekeeper(s) always wear protective clothing while cleaning, including disposable gloves and masks, and should you prefer to limit housekeeping services, you may request to alter the service to meet your needs.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, we are doing our best to minimise person-to-person contact during our guests’ stay.

When staff need to visit the property (such as housekeepers, concierge, and maintenance personnel), they will wear protection, including a mask and disposable gloves and will maintain social distancing recommendations where possible. Guests may also prefer to vacate the property or remain in the outside areas during the housekeeper’s visits.

To help guests maintain a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene, we are providing disinfectants and other cleaning supplies for guests to use, including:
-disposable gloves
-masks
-disinfectant
-hand sanitiser
-paper towels

All guests are advised to follow general health and hygiene recommendations, including frequently washing your hands, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and sneezing into a tissue or their elbow.

We are working closely will all our partners to ensure these services can continue with the right precautions in place. Private chefs, massage services, and personal trainers/physiotherapists are still available. For other services, please contact the concierge.

While some services may be impacted during your stay, as circumstances are ever-changing, we are committed to finding solutions and working alongside our guests to ensure their health and safety at all times.

Gym Access to nearby Cascade is scheduled to resume shortly.

Have the cancellation policies for LUX MARE luxury villas been amended or made more flexible?

We are implementing temporary changes to our cancellation policies due to COVID-19. The main change is that we are suggesting that guests postpone their booking to a later date. This may, however, depend on when the booking was made and insurance options. Cancellations and date changes are being made on a case-by-case basis. Please feel free to contact us to discuss options prior to making your booking at LUX MARE exclusive Algarve villas.

LUX MARE / Destination Algarve is I-PRAC (International Property Rental Approval Certification) approved

Trust and confidence are fundamental to our values as a business.

Our clients can now register their bookings through the I-PRAC website, which means that their payments are guaranteed, and they will have peace of mind that they are booking their exclusive Algarve villa with a legitimate rental agency.

What to do if a guest suspects that they have caught COVID-19 while staying at a LUX MARE property

Before leaving home to go to LUX MARE, please ensure that your travel/health insurance is valid.

If a guest suspects that they have COVID-19, they must immediately self-isolate in the property and call 800 242424.

The guest must also contact their LUX MARE representative/concierge as soon as possible (by email at luxmare@destination-algarve.com or phone (+351) 969 881 453, explain the situation and inform the representative of what the authorities have advised the guest to do so that we can assess how best to assist.

Representatives of LUX MARE will not enter the property; however, they will facilitate the delivery of essential supplies (food, drinks, and other items) to the front door of the villa.

The guest should contact their LUX MARE representative every day with an update on their condition.

May I stay longer at a LUX MARE villa if required?

Please note that if a guest is forced to extend their stay due to catching COVID-19, the extension can only be made until 6 days prior to the next guests’ arrival at the property. This is necessary in order to provide sufficient time for the property to be fully disinfected. Any extension of stay depends entirely on villa availability.

If a guest is forced to extend their stay, and this will impact the arrival of new guests, the LUX MARE representative will support you in finding alternative accommodation where you can continue your isolation.

The cost of any additional nights or accommodation will be the sole responsibility of the client. LUX MARE will not be held responsible for covering these additional costs. For this reason, we suggest seeking the best insurance policy possible.

The Algarve: A summary of the situation

The situation in the Algarve has remained well-managed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and the total number of cases and deaths in the Algarve has been very low in comparison to Lisbon and the North.

In total, since March 2020, the Algarve has recorded a total of 663 cases and 15 deaths, with these spread out across the region and only a number of these cases in the Lagos area.

For the latest information regarding the current COVID-19 situation in Portugal, please follow this link to the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health (DGS)’s website (the information is available in Portuguese and English):

The DGS website contains a lot of very useful information and advice and also lists many of the actions that have been taken since the outbreak in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

Who can currently visit Portugal?

There are ongoing updates on who may enter Portugal for tourism at this time, and you are advised to contact SEF (the Portuguese border agency) or your home country’s government travel advice service to find out the situation for each individual country. The land borders with Spain have also re-opened.

Is there a required quarantine or test on arrival in Portugal?

For mainland Portugal, no quarantine or testing requirements are currently applicable for most tourists to the Algarve. For some specific methods of travel, or visitors from certain countries, a test result may be required, but from the UK and the EU, currently, you will not require a test and will not be required to quarantine when arriving in Portugal. Please confirm with your home countries any requirements relating to your return journey.

Yes, beaches across the country are open, many have lifeguards and flags/traffic light systems to keep you as safe as possible, and there is now an app called InfoPraia, which you may download to track which beaches are at capacity.

Yes, many restaurants, snack bars and cafes are fully open again, albeit with some restrictions such as additional spacing between tables, mask requirements when inside (although masks can be removed when seated) and reservations are recommended due to limited capacity. Late-night bars are currently closed, with an update to follow.

Yes, theme parks such as Slide and Splash, boat tour operators, and kayak tours in Lagos are all open for visitors; again, there are some additional precautions being taken. The LUX MARE team can advise on any particular questions you may have.

The medical advice regarding coronavirus states that if you have a recurrent and persistent cough or a fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher, you should preventively stay at home for 14 days and call SNS24 on 808 24 24 24, which will direct you to the nearest health institution able to deal with you.

If you think you are infected with coronavirus, the government states that you should stay at home and not go to any health care unit or hospital.

Health service contacts (SNS)
If you have a question about COVID-19, please email atendimento@sns24.gov.pt
If you suspect you have COVID-19, you must call 808 24 24 24
If you develop COVID-19 and are in need of medical assistance, SNS will guide you

For further information regarding COVID-19 in Portugal, please visit www.dgs.pt/coronavirus

Why has Portugal not been as badly affected as other countries?

Some of the reasons why Portugal has not been as badly affected by COVID-19 as other countries include:

Portuguese people have been obeying stay-at-home orders and following government recommendations.
COVID-19 arrived in Portugal later than in other countries such as Spain and Italy, which meant we had more time to prepare for the outbreak.
Hospitals were not overwhelmed by new cases and were, therefore, able to deal with critical patients in ICUs.
The disease has not spread through care homes as it has in other parts of Europe.
Portugal shut down schools when there were just 245 cases in the country. (Spain already had 2,140 infections when most regional governments closed schools.)

Lisbon banned all public gatherings at an early stage in the development of the epidemic.
A state of emergency was declared on the 18th of March when the country had 448 cases. (Spain took similar measures three days earlier with almost 10 times more cases; Italy registered over 9,000 positive cases by the time its nationwide lockdown was implemented on the 10th of March.)
Although the epidemic is concentrated in the north, around the city of Porto, Portugal’s centralised system of government allowed for rapid nationwide measures rather than the piecemeal regional action adopted elsewhere.
According to Prime Minister António Costa, “From the beginning of this crisis, the Portuguese have understood that staying at home is the best way they can support our health workers on the frontlines.”
Unlike in Spain and Italy, politicians in Portugal called for a coronavirus truce.
The border with Spain was closed at an early stage (except for citizens returning home, essential workers and the delivery of goods).

2nd March:
The first COVID-19 cases were reported in Portugal (one month after the first cases in Spain and Italy).

12th March:
The Portuguese government declared the highest level of alert because of COVID-19 and said it would be maintained until the 9th of April.

18th March:
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, declared a State of Emergency across Portugal for the next 15 days, with the possibility of extending this period.

2nd April:
Extension of the State of Emergency was approved (until 17th April and subject to further extensions).

30th April:
The Portuguese Council of Ministers approved a plan to start releasing the country from the COVID-19 lockdown measures and cancelling the State of Emergency.
The plan was divided into three stages, beginning respectively on 4th May, 18th May and 1st June.

2nd May:
The State of Emergency was cancelled and downgraded to a State of Calamity.

4th May:
Portugal started the first phase of easing restrictions.

14th May:
Easing of lockdown measures picks up speed.

18th May:
The second stage of the plan comes into effect, including the opening of restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries, all subject to various restrictions to ensure safety.

As of now: The land border has reopened, and most of the country has seen many of its restrictions lifted. In the Algarve specifically, the situation remains calm while still being monitored.

The situation continues to evolve, though we hope to have provided any answers required to specific circumstances. Please contact us via info@luxmare.pt should you have any further questions.

The information contained in this factsheet is based on current knowledge at the time of writing and may not include all information expected by the guests. This factsheet was correct at the time of writing (June 2020).