Portugal’s sun-soaked south-meets-west coast comes into its own in the summer months. It’s a gloriously varied and enticing landscape—a seemingly never ending series of rocky coves and luminous beaches, sleepy villages, thumping tourist towns, world-class seafood and clifftop bars.
The Algarve is just jaw-dropping beaches and turquoise seas, though it has plenty of them.
The Algarve has three quite distinct regions.
To the east it borders Spain, the Guadiana River forming a natural barrier all the way to its spectacular coastline. Here you’ll find the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa where sandy islands, salt pans and marshlands protect the land from the sea. Kayak tours will see you paddle with dolphins and flamingoes. Inland, lazy villages and empty valleys make for wonderful hiking.
To the west the Algarve runs into the wild Atlantic and can feel like the edge of the world. It proliferates with dusty cliff paths that lead to eerie coves frequented mostly by local fishermen and visiting surfers hunting ocean swells. Tiny white-washed villages cluster around farmsteads and winding roads clog with campervans trundling their way to nowhere but the end of the road.
Buzzing and beautiful Albufeira, 'the castle in the sea'.
Central Algarve is the most developed area, framed on either side by the major towns of Lagos to the west and Faro to the east. Even here, amid the waterparks and golf courses, the old Algarve survives. At its heart is Albufeira, ‘the castle in the sea’. A former fishing village and last bastion of Arab occupation in Europe, today it’s grown into a visitor favorite thanks to its mix of old and new and perfect location for striking out on day trips. This is definitely an area where you’ll need a rental car, and once you have one here’s how to make the most of a visit to the Algarve.
Stay: at the W Algarve
Opened in 2022, the W Algarve is perhaps the hippest and funnest hotel in the Algarve right now. Mixing the brand’s trademark flair with design that reflects the region’s relationship with the sea and the influence of Moorish culture, the hotel looks in places like a vast sculpture.
The white-wave porte-cochère creates quite the first impression at the W entrance.
Pull up to its entrance and underfoot you’ll find an homage to the Calçada Portuguesa, the iconic mosaic pavements spread across the country. The entry itself is a porte-cochère sculpted into a huge white wave that shades arriving guests from the relentless sun. Inside, the lobby blends into the Moorish-styled W Lounge and on to the sun deck overlooking extensive grounds gurgling with fountains and mandatory swimming pool.
Open ended walls double up as space dividers and artworks. They teem with nods to local culture and community—one is covered in colorful embroidered ceramic plates from local artisans Vista Alegre; another is home to strange shaped voids, liminal spaces that speak to the Moura Encantada, supernatural beings from Portuguese folklore. It’s a beguiling, stylish introduction.
Chic bedrooms are dominated by expansive headboards shaped like regional buildings.
The W’s 134 west-facing rooms and WOW suites are no less stylish, though definitely more serene in design. Each has a large, shaded balcony (the WOW suites have rooftop terraces), great for private sundowners with a sea view. As the sun sets, subtle tiling on the walls shimmers like the scales of the fish swimming meters away in the Gulf of Cadiz.
Inside, a wash of pastel colors keeps rooms light and fresh. Details set things apart – the giant sardine pillow on the beds in celebration of local festivals like the Festival da Sardinha in nearby Portimão; the backlit headboards shaped like the houses, churches and hermitages of the region; lights that project lace patterns on the floor to acknowledge the work women traditionally did while the men went to sea. Amenities are, of course, top notch.
Seen from above the W's huge grounds and two-level zebra-striped pool, complete with bar.
In the huge courtyard walled in on both sides by rooms and the W permanent residences, large gardens play host to a two-tier pool where wealthy guests pout and preen while wild kids scream and splash. Between excursions into the Algarve’s natural wonders, there are few better ways to spend a day. SIP @ WET, the poolside beach bar serves well-prepared staples, Asian and Portuguese delicacies, and gallons of beer and champagne.
Beyond, a winding path leads down to the secluded but rocky Praia da Balbina. For something more refined, Away Spa is an ode to tuna fishermen in its design but smells far better! Patterns and textures collide in surprising tranquility, aided in no small part by the strong hands of a resident masseur.
W hotels always pride themselves on their good eating, and this Algarve outpost is no different. Relaxed and airy Market Kitchen is the main affair, home to sprawling breakfasts (surely the highlight of any hotel stay) and lingering dinners, inside or preferably al fresco with views of the Santa Fonte, the hotel’s playful fountain, music and light shows representing some of Portugal’s most important festivals. Regional classics with a focus on seafood dominate the menu—don’t miss the traditional and delicious Algarvian Cataplana.
With plenty of loungers, there's always room by the pool for some al fresco dining and lazing.
On the rooftop, an outpost of the popular Milanese Paper Moon restaurant serves up Italian classics with awesome views from its expansive terrace. For something a little more intimate, book a private dining at Vino By Paper Moon, where the excellent in-house sommelier will ply you with exclusive wines paired perfectly to the seasonal raw menu. Luckily, you won’t have far to walk home.
Rooms at the W Algarve start from £186 a night for Marriott Bonvoy members.
Do: rent a car and explore the Algarve coast
With Albufeira as your launchpoint, the whole of the Algarve is your proverbial oyster. And while there are enough golf courses to keep your inner Tiger Woods happy for several lifetimes, there are plenty more interesting attractions to keep you busy.
Outrageous beaches litter the Algarve coast. The only question is which to pick.
First up are the beaches. To be honest, you could close your eyes, point to the map and you’ll likely end up on a paradisiacal slice of golden sand fringed with azure blue waters—the trouble is, there might be a million other visitors with the same idea. Close to the hotel you’ll find Praia de São Rafael with its crystal clear waters and towering rock outcroppings. My choice however is the extraordinary Praia do Ninho das Andorinhas, a tiny strip of sand hidden away down a rock stairway, where a low-slung cave opens out onto the ocean. Stunning, it’s the kind of beach you see adorning travel websites, in itself enough to attract visitors to the region.
For a little action, take a haphazard, hectic but fun kayak tour along the coast to explore the strange Benagil caves and rock formations. If surfing’s your bag and the waves are up, Praia da Arrifana just under 50 miles west of Albufeira on the Atlantic is one of my favorite and the most versatile waves in Portugal. Along the way, stop off in villages that catch your eye–all will have a patisserie serving delicious galãos and pasteis de nata.
Take a kayak tour into extraordinary Benagil Cave, though you'll be lucky to find it this empty.
For man made water thrills, the Algarve is a hotspot of hilarious water parks. My pick of the big ones is Slide & Splash for its massive selection of slides and rides, pools and clever water walkways to keep your feet from burning on the sun-cooked ground. One visit is definitely enough, and be prepared to queue, but flying down the psychedelic disco river will make it all worthwhile.
Eat: all the seafood
Sardines are a big deal in the Algarve, both as a cultural reference point and as a delicious lunch or dinner—or both! There’s no shortage of wonderful bars and restaurants serving up fresh-caught local seafood and piles of fried and salted sardines, perfect washed down with a crisp local white wine.
Grilled sardines, cold Sagres and an empty beach. What more do you need?
To the east of Albufeira, close to Faro airport is the Ilha do Farol, Faro Island, and its ramshackle collection of atmospheric beach bars. The highlight is O Paquete with its simple Algarvian menu of blisteringly fresh seafood and superb risotto. In Faro itself, you’ll find among the best Algarvian food anywhere at historic Adega Dois Irmãos under the watchful eye of master chef Anthony Dias.
Closer to home in Albufeira, A Sardinha is a stone’s throw from the W, overlooking Praia dos Arrifes. A beautiful beachside restaurant with a focus on sardines, it’s as renowned for its excellent service as its delicious food.
