VILAMOURA

Vilamoura is a large and opulent purpose-built tourist resort on Portugal's beautiful Algarve coast. The name Vilamoura covers the area rather than any actual town and is one of the largest single tourist complexes in Europe, covering some 2,000 hectares.

Begun in 1974, Vilamoura has grown to become a premier tourist destination and is renowned for its wealth of sporting and leisure facilities. At the heart of Vilamoura is the resort's stunning marina, with capacity for over 1,000 boats. There are also two long, sandy beaches, four championship-level golf courses, riding school and over 50 tennis courts - as well as the glamorous Casino Vilamoura. Within the centre of Vilamoura, there is a preserved Roman Site and the Museum of Cerro da Vila provides an interesting glimpse into the area's past of the area.

HOW TO GET THERE

By air: From the UK, there are direct flights to Faro Airport with British Airways and Easyjet. From other countries, fly first to Lisbon and then it's a short 40 minute connecting flight to Faro.

By Taxi: Vilamoura is situated some 20km from Faro Airport. The taxi fare is around €30.

ACCOMMODATION

Players who have won full prize packages on PokerStars will be notified of their hotel details by email. You do not need to make a hotel reservation. If you have any queries, please email ept@pokerstars.com.

For all other poker players, media and anyone else planning to attend EPT tournaments, we have set up a dedicated website for hotel bookings: www.epthotels.com. Please e-mail info@epthotels.com or call +34 93 352 1010 to take advantage of our special hotel rates.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Official language: Portuguese

Currency:  the Euro (1.00 USD = 0.672939 EUR as at 10/13/2009).

Banks: Banking hours are from 08:30 am to 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Most banks are closed on weekends and public holidays. Some hotels will also exchange money (at rates generally higher than banks).
International dialing codes: +351

Visas: Europeans do not need a visa to visit Portugal. North Americans do not need a visa for visits of up to 90 days. All other citizens should consult their travel agent or nearest British embassy.

Time: Portugal is in the Central European Time zone. All tournament times are local.