VVN Silver Coast Directory

This is an Electronic Copy of our Current Villa Vida Nova Silver Coast Directory. Save the link to your PC or smart phone so that you have it to hand or if you prefer a hard copy simply print it out.

Welcome to Silver Coast and Villa Vida Nova. We hope you have a wonderful relaxing stay here and enjoy the villa as much as we do!

 

To ensure your maximum enjoyment of staying at Villa Vida Nova we strongly recommend that you and all your party take the time to read this directory so that you all understand how things work and what to do when things don’t! For your convenience we have given as much information as possible to make your stay enjoyable. My apologies if it appears that I may have emphasised some points too much, please be assured that this emphasis is only for the benefit of a tiny minority.

 

Should you require any assistance  please email me nige@sapo.pt as I can usually solve problems quickly by email. If it is urgent call me  +351 91 906 4376 (8.00am – 8.00pm) 

 

Emergency number for Fire Department, Police and Ambulance is 112

 

Check In and Out Times

Check in is not before 4.00pm on your day of arrival, we need to give Ana, the Housekeeper, and her team uninterrupted time to clean and prepare the villa to tip top condition, please do not try to enter the villa or its grounds before 4.00 pm. If you have an early flight please use the time before 4.00 pm to explore the area, the beaches and Sao Martinho do Porto, there you will find Intermarche supermarket where you can stock up on groceries.

The above applies to days where we have a check out and a check in on the same day, if the villa is vacant the day before then you may be able to check in at any time. Please contact me 48 hours before your arrival and I will confirm if this is possible or not.

Check out on day of departure 10.00hrs no exceptions. Our staff had at least 6 hours to clean, sanitize and prepare the villa for your arrival and so it is only fair to give the same for our next guests. Failure to comply will incur a service fee. If you have a late flight let me know so that I can make some suggestions for you to maximize the rest of the day.

When you vacate the villa at the end of your stay.

Remove all garbage and recycling. Close all sliding doors and electric blinds. Switch off all airco units. Close the electric gate and return the electric gate remote to the hook next to the safe. Lock the front door with the keys. Lock the pedestrian gate with the keys. Return the keys to the key safe on the wall next to the gate using your unique code that you used to open the key safe on your arrival and revolve the tumblers, close the plastic flap.

Smoking, Candles and Fire Risk *********The villa is strictly non-smoking, this includes e-cigarettes/vapes. However smoking and use of e-cigarettes/vapes is permitted outside the villa, please use the ashtrays provided in the BBQ area. Do not dispose of cigarette buts anywhere except in the ashtrays. Failure to observe this will incur a charge to eliminate stale cigarette odours from the villa or clearing up buts.

For insurance reasons and the safety of all our guests, candles are forbidden anywhere on the property. Candles are one of the major causes of domestic fires.

Taxis

Taxi Teixeira (speaks English) +351 919 943 021 - 961 763 442

West Taxis +351 914 578 675 email: westtaxi1@gmail.com

Taxi Madruga  +351 914 578 675

Taxi Rui +351 925 280 301

Taxi Discreto +351 919 096 065

Other Tel: +351 912 267 692

Gates

There are two gates, please always keep them closed and locked when you leave the property.

The main driveway sliding gate, you should find this in the closed position, please keep it closed. Please close them whilst you are at the villa and when you go out and when you leave. If there is a power cut and you need to enter just park outside and use the pedestrian gate until power is restored. If you want to get out and you can't wait then use the small key hanging in the hall cupboard labelled "Auto Gate" , open the waterproof cap on the lock which is low down on the motor casing, insert the key and unlock the lever, pull the leaver until it disengages the gate. you can return the lever, lock it and replace the waterproof cap. The gate can be manually opened and closed. When power returns it will automatically re-engage

Our cleaning staff.

They will visit the property on the day of your departure.  It is not their responsibility to wash dishes, remove garbage or recycling items etc. 

Pool Cleaner

The pool cleaner will visit once per week during the summer and once per fortnight in the winter to clean the pool. If he arrives whilst you are there please allow him to do his work, he will only be there for about half an hour. Cleanliness of the pool and quality of the water is of paramount importance.

Gardener

The gardener may visit, again they will try not to disturb you. 

Water 

Water plumbed into the house is mains/city water and is very slightly chlorinated, it is safe and pleasant to drink.

WiFi

To go on line simply search for networks, find “MEO-B6064F” and enter the Pass phrase C55D7E4DFB (all the letters are UPPERcase). The router is the white box sitting under the TV in the lounge. Please do not switch off, unplug or insert any cables into the router as security and other satellite video streaming systems depend on this. Tampering with the system may require a technician call out which will be charged for.

 

Electronics There is a 55" smart TV in the lounge, log into your favourite video streaming services here.  There is a Meo decoder box giving almost 100 channels many in English. There is also a Bluetooth/MP 3 portable Speaker.

Please be careful and follow the instructions, do not change any settings or remove/switch cables, if a call out is subsequently required to reset the equipment to make it function correctly again, then regrettably the cost of the call out will be deducted from your deposit.

LOUNGE TV LG Full HD Smart TV.

Turn the TV on using the LG remote by pressing the red button top left. Make sure that HDMI 1 is selected. Turn on the MEO TV decoder with the smaller MEO remote press the red button top left (black box under the TV) red light is off, white light is on.

By default it will show whichever channel was previously selected.

MEO is a Portuguese company so they are mainly Portuguese Channels but many news and movie channels are English language. To choose channels  https://www.meo.pt/tv/canais-programacao/guia-tv

Smart Functions There are many, the obvious ones are YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Rakuten TV because there are dedicated shortcut buttons on the remote. Just press any. 

To view and use the other Smart features, press Home > All Apps > and OK (center button) here you will find Amazon, Filmon and others, some are free to watch others require a subscription. To get out of the Smart function press Home

Remember, please do not unplug or move any cables, from the TV or Decoders, doing so may require calling a technician which will be charged for.

Bluetooth Portable Speaker Anker Sound Core 2

This small but powerful portable speaker comes with a charger with USB cable and a AUX cable to connect an MP3, laptop or tablet. Turn the device on, connect your Bluetooth device by simply placing your device close and pairing it, ensure your device has Bluetooth on and press the blue tooth button on the the speaker for 2 seconds. Flashing Blue + Pairing Mode, Steady Blue = Connected. Or use the AUX cable to connect a non Bluetooth device. The speaker is good for about 18 hours if fully charged. Hold on/off button for 1 second, white light will show when on. Flashing Red = Low Battery, Steady Red = Charging, Steady White = Fully Charged. Charging time 3 Hours.

Please be considerate of our neighbours and do not play too loud outside.

Please keep the speaker plugged in charging for the next guests.

 

ELECTRICITY

Very occasionally there can be a power cut, this will be local but never lasts more than a few seconds. It may also be caused by an overload or thunderstorm, it is very simple to rectify. Go to the fuse box in the hallway (not the one on the stairs but the one to the right of the entrance door) Make sure all switches are in the up position Except number 20, this must always remain down (off). If all switches are up (in the on positions) then the fault is not with the villa but the Local area, it should come back on within the hour, they must be working on the lines. If it does not come back on after an hour or so, call me and I will try to find out what the problem is.

If you reset the main switch #1 and it keeps tripping then the fault is at the villa, either a faulty circuit or appliance or more likely an overload. Switch off all appliances then put main switch 1 back on to the up position. This should resolve the problem.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

DISHWASHER TEKA

The manual is in the hall cupboard above the safe.

It will not be necessary to add salt or rinse aid these will be refilled before your arrival. Please check page 11 of the manual  for the best cycle to use, we are trying to save the planet so please rinse the plates and use the eco setting. Install a detergent tablet in the door and close the flap. Close the door. Press extreme left hand button to turn on the machine and then the relevant program button. It’s very simple but like most dishwashers, for best results plates do need some rinsing off beforehand.

Additional notes on use of dishwasher.

If dishes are not being cleaned correctly in the dishwasher it is usually because of the following:

  • Every dishwasher is slightly different and each has a best way of loading for the best results, do not overload, put plates where plates should go, and glasses where glasses should go, etc.

  • It is always a good idea to rinse dishes under cold water before placing them in the washer and don’t let dishes stand in the washer for hours before stating the cycle.

  • Only use dishwasher tablets, do not use any other type of detergent.

  • Items with dried on food should be washed in the sink, first.

  • If thin items such as carving knives are laid flat in the top left shelf they can move through the bars of the tray and prevent the little door with the soap tablet from opening fully and the washing does not get done properly. Similarly a chopping board placed in the lower tray at the left side can also prevent the tablet door opening.

  • Overloading the dishwasher or loading it incorrectly will result in items not being cleaned properly.

  • If items in the bottom tray are stacked too high or a thin item like a spoon or fork is allowed to dangle through the top tray the revolving water sprayer will not revolve correctly and dishes will not be cleaned.

  • When the dishwasher is loaded and the two shelves are pushed in it is good to check that the revolving water sprayer revolves freely.

WASHING MACHINE TEKA

The manual is in the hall cupboard above the safe.

PLEASE USE ONLY LIQUID DETERGENT or LIQUID PODS Some of the programs take forever, your holiday will be over before the washing is done………so don't use any of the cotton programmes for quickest wash and dry for lightly soiled, delicate or for freshening up items use program "ECO" for a small load 2kg or "Mixed" (Misto) for a full load. When this has finished it’s cycle the machine will spin and it is loud, very loud don't get startled. The instructions for other programs are on page 18. There is a clothes dryer and clothes pegs/pins in the grey plastic cupboard outside. 

MICROWAVE TEKA

The manual is in the hall cupboard above the safe.

Turn dial to desired programme setting either defrost, manual or auto, Refer to the settings in the manual. Select time by using the other dial. For quick blasts of full power use the left button in increments of 30 seconds, press twice for 60 seconds 3 times for 90 seconds etc.

HOB TEKA

The manual is in the hall cupboard above the safe.

Page 19 for English. Touch the on off switch for at least 1 second. Within 10 seconds select a hot plate by touching it for at least 1 second, use the + and - to select the desired heat setting.

OVEN TEKA

The manual is in the hall cupboard above the safe.

Please refer to the symbols in the manual for choosing one of the various modes, page 24.

SMOKING

The villa is strictly no-smoking. Ashtrays are provided by the BBQ so please only smoke in this location and dispose of butts sensibly. Failure to observe this rule may incur a charge to rid the villa of stale cigarette odours.

 

PELLET STOVE IN LOUNGE

This will be decommissioned from 15 May until 15 October.

The air-conditioning units work very quickly and efficiently to give heat or cooling, just set the mode and the temperature. However you may want the ambiance of a fire, the pellet stove will give that. Open the lid on top and look inside there may be some pellets in there, if so press the on/off button for 2-4 seconds (extreme right) do not press any other buttons. The display will show "Ignition" after several minutes the stove will light and feed pellets, the stove takes about 10 minutes to start giving proper heat. The stove is set up for maximum heat for minimum use of pellets, do not touch any other buttons or try to change the settings, doing so may require the call out of a technician which will be charged for and deducted from your Refundable Damage Deposit. To turn off the stove press the on/off button for 2-4 seconds (extreme right) until the display shows "extinguish" it takes about 10 minutes for the stove to turn itself off. 

Do not let the stove run out of pellets always top up the pellets from a fresh bag of pellets, do not store the pellets outside if they get damp they will not work. If you can see the black feeder tube in the hopper (at the point where the hopper narrows), then it needs filling up this as low as it should get.

The stove will be cleaned once a week on Saturdays by staff to ensure efficient operation. Follow these instructions and you will enjoy efficient heat and ambiance. Deviation from these instructions may entail a call out which will be charged for.

15 kg bags of Pellets are available at Intermarche and all major hardware and grocery stores please carefully empty the bag into the hopper through the top lid. The hopper holds about 17 kg. 

CANDLES

The use of candles anywhere inside the villa is strictly forbidden due to insurance clauses. 

 

AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING UNITS

The manual is in the hall cupboard above the safe.

Please close all windows and doors when using these units! Leaving windows open reduces the efficiency drastically. Please only use the units in the room that is being occupied.

There are units in every room and each has a remote control, any one of these remotes can be used to operate any of the units.

Stand in front of the unit with the remote in hand and pointed at the unit. Press the “on” button on the remote. On the remote screen to the left it will show either heat or cool mode. select the mode you desire by using the heat or cool buttons. Set the desired temperature by using the up and down arrows, select the fan speed using the speed button. Cooling or heating will start almost straight away, sometimes it takes longer if the mode was changed. Heating mode always takes about 4 minutes because before it actually starts doing anything it has to go through a checking sequence which takes time. Typically 21º is a comfortable temperature.

Please turn off all the units when leaving the villa or not using the rooms, when you return turn on the unit/s in the rooms that you will occupy, the units are very efficient and cool or heat the rooms very quickly.

Important. Your comfort is of paramount importance to us however excessive and incorrect use, by leaving the air conditioning on all day, or in every room, worse with windows open is completely unnecessary and will use an unacceptable amount of electricity. Electricity is monitored daily by a smart meter and, regrettably, “excessive” use will be deducted from your deposit.

BBQ.

BBQ charcoal and firelighters can be purchased in any supermarket, do not burn any wood in the BBQ, the heat is too intense and the BBQ may be damaged.  Try out you BBQ skills and enjoy!

Swimming Pool.

We want you to enjoy the pool to its fullest and so please observe general common sense rules. Children of all ages must be supervised at all times. For safety reasons no jumping or diving in the pool is permitted. No glassware to be taken within 5 meters of the pool please, if a clear glass is broken and some pieces finds its way into the pool it becomes invisible and dangerous.

The pool is heated using a thermal pool cover which is electrically operated. To keep the pool as warm as possible keep the cover on at all times except when wanting to use the pool. Heat will escape if the pool cover is off. Please open and close the pool cover using the buttons on the control unit. Reversing the motor before it stops will damage the motor, please do not doo that, always wait 2 seconds before switching direction. Retract the cover fully onto the drum so that it hangs 20cms above the water. When closing the cover use the button on the control box and with your other hand help the cover slats start in the correct direction. If this does not happen, stop the motor, wait 2 seconds and use the other button to restore the cover to the drum. Start to cover the pool again and help the slats go in the correct direction until all the slats are in the water and lock into each other.

Security

To assist you in the protection of your valuables the villa has a safe fitted in the cupboard in the hall. We advise the use of this facility, particularly for cash, credit cards, jewellery, passports, valuables, cameras, etc. You will find the safe open when you arrive.

 

Safe Operating Instructions

 

          1. The door should be open, if not, open it by pulling on the handle.

          2. Open the door and gently open the battery box cover.

          3. Press the tiny red button just above the batteries you will hear two beeps, close the battery box cover. The right hand green light will be lit on the front of the door.

          4. Using the key pad enter a code of 4-6 numbers followed by “A” or "B" it will beep a short tune to show that your secret code has been accepted.

          5. Use a number and a letter you will never forget, or write it down and keep it somewhere secure, (not in the safe).

          6. Put your valuables in the safe, close the door and turn the knob counter clockwise, it will now be locked.

          7. To open. Enter your secret code, the green light will come on, turn the knob clockwise and open the door.

          8. To close and lock again, just repeat #6  by closing the door and turning the knob counter clockwise.

          9. If you enter the code incorrectly, wait 20 seconds and try again. If you enter the code incorrcetly 3 times the safe will remain inoperable for 5 minutes. Wait 5 minutes or more before trying again. Use this time to check for the correct code.

 

When you vacate the villa remove your items from the safe and leave the safe door open.

 

If you forget your safe code or leave the door closed and locked when you vacate the villa there will be a minimum Euro 50 call out charge deducted from your deposit.

 

Garbage disposal. 

Please remove all garbage daily to prevent unwanted smells, ants or flies.. Take it to the green plastic container about 75 meters down the road on the left hand side in the direction of Sao Martinho do Porto. Take your recyclables to the recycling bins, there are many at the side of the roads, and more near the restaurants including bottle banks (marked Vidro coloured green), paper and cardboard (marked papel coloured dark blue) and a yellow one for cans and plastic. The green public garbage bins are emptied daily. Please remove all garbage on your day of departure also.