Special Portugal: 5 star hotels in the Algarve

Do you like any of these things?  Watching the sun set into the Ocean,  luxury hotels,  first class service,  organic food,  golf in the sun, then you have come to the right place……

Continuing our series on the Algarve and for research purposes of course, we recently had the good fortune to check out some fabulous 5* resorts in the area and here is what we found….

Let´s start 50 minutes west of Faro airport in the beautiful, lively town of Lagos.  Well actually we are starting with the Cascade Wellness Resort and Spa which is a 30 minute amble along the cliff tops or a less than 10 minute drive out of town. There was a wedding ceremony taking place when we arrived and wow they must have got some amazing footage of their special day from this gorgeous resort on the clifftops, especially as they had a drone, which the seagulls were not too keen on but can you blame them?

The hotel covers a large area and has many facilities including 2 outdoor swimming pools (one of them sand bottomed), a beautiful spa with all the amenities you would expect, 2 tennis courts, 2 football pitches, a HUGE and very well equipped gym, golf academy complete with driving range and several golf courses within 20 minutes. There are 2 restaurants a lounge bar and a gastropub.  However it is an easy 15 minute walk downhill to the beach, Praia de Porto Mós where you can find 2 excellent beach restaurants.  We had a great evening at CampiMar and would definitely go back for the  location, the very friendly service and the fabulous cheesecake!

In addition to a hotel room or suite, you can also opt for a one or two bedroom  apartment or a four bedroom villa with private swimming pool.  The rooms have décor which is inspired by different continents and are very spacious, ranging from 45 – 57sqm.  Top tip for families is to stay in an apartment located right next to the gorgeous and very family friendly, zero entry sandy bottom pool. 

There are some fantastic walks directly from the hotel along a very extensive boardwalk.  Another fun option is to rent bikes from the hotel gym and take a tour along the many trails that run along the cliffs.  A guided tour would definitely be the way to go to ensure a safe ride as the cliff edge could obviously be a little precarious if you don’t know the area!

We took a route down to the closest beach, Praia do Canavial, which is not recommended by the hotel for reasons which are quickly apparent!  If you are not afraid of heights, have an open mind and fairly sure footed then it is a fun little “adventure”. It is a STUNNING beach which is cut off when the tide is in, otherwise you can walk along to this beach from Praia de Porto Mós at low tide. Be advised that there can be nudist bathers on this stretch of beach.

We would definitely return to this beautiful resort for the incredible location, possibilities for exploration nearby, high quality service and amenities and the super comfortable bed!

Moving further East, between Alvor and Albufeira, in a little town called Porches you will find the incredible Vila Vita Parc Resort and Spa…

To be honest, it is hard to know where to start here. I have 2 friends who both love to stay in not too shabby places and, along with many others, both say that this is their favourite hotel.  As one of the Leading Hotels of the World, it  is easy to see why it is advertised as “Portugal’s most exclusive resort”.  There are an incredible array of facilities including 7 swimming pools (yes 7!) 1 which is adult only and 3 for children. They have there own secluded sandy beach with direct access from the resort providing SCUBA diving, snorkelling, SUP and cave trips opportunities. If you prefer land sports you can try your hand (s or feet!) at volleyball, football, badminton, table tennis, handball, basketball, tennis or cycling.

There is a beach club outside the resort with a free transfer service, providing further water sport options such as sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, waterskiing, banana boats and pedal boats.  It that all sounds not quite your style, then why not take advantage of the much more elegant 72 foot resort yacht for a private sailing trip along the Algarve’s beautiful coast of sandy coves and enchanted caves and grottos. Now that’s more like it!

Vila Vita Parc Resort & Spa – credit Kate Parkyn

Of course there is everything you would expect from such a high class resort, including a fabulous spa, by Sisley, 10 seasonal restaurants (including the ‘Ocean” which is the signature fine dining restaurant with 2 Michelin stars and incredible ocean views!) and 6 bars. What you might not have expected though is the possibility to eat at the Vila Vita Biergarten, an authentic Bavarian beer garden serving traditional German specialties and beer, with all the meat prepared in Vila Vita Parc’s own butchers. 

In addition to this, there is more I hear you ask?!! If you are at all interested in food and wine then a visit to the hotel’s own farm, Herdade Dos Grous, located approx 1h 15min in land will prove a great day out. Here you will find 2718 acres of vineyards, olive and orange groves where you can learn about organic farming, the cultivation of the award-winning wines and the origin of much of the food served at the hotel. You can definitely while away several hours here and enjoy a gourmet meal before or after your tour on foot or on horseback while learning about the horse and cattle breeding programs. 

I could go on and on about this resort, about the range of rooms, suites and private villas, the impeccable service, choice of activities, the stunning and spacious grounds and many chill spaces, the gorgeous little alley of shops, the facilities for families from babysitting to activities for teens (including a teen wellness program!), and  everything in between you could wish for at a hotel for any age child. But my main take away was the feel of the place, it felt like somewhere you could SO easily relax and have the holiday of a lifetime in glorious surroundings with discreet and friendly service. If you ever get the chance to visit, don’t hesitate.

Finally moving East again and ever closer and even more convenient to Faro Airport, we stayed at the fabulous Dona Filipa Hotel….

Located a short stroll away from an incredible beach, the bustling praça with its choice of restaurants and frequent live music evenings, the Dona Filipa is perfect for families.  Also famed for its wonderful San Lorenzo golf course, the hotel is extremely popular with golfers as they are literally spoilt for choice with the quality and choice of courses in the area.  You can get fantastic packages at the hotel, including free golf at San Lorenzo and Pinherios Altos. Non golfers may prefer to take the option of free passes for the Royal Spa in Val Do Lobo. 

I got distracted talking about golf there and will now get back to our experience of the hotel. We were allocated a refurbished room and my advice would be to definitely ask for this when you book as the non re furbished rooms are completely different and are a quite old fashioned Portuguese style.  Our room was spacious with a fabulous view over the 17th hole of the Royal Course and the Ocean.  The bed was enormous and very comfortable, the bathroom modern with a perfect shower, although a little on the dark side. Breakfast was fantastic and it was such a great start to the day to be sitting in the shade on the terrace, poolside, with views out to the Atlantic while trying not to devour too many of the warm pastel de nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts) that are served fresh daily!  Another highlight were the almond croissants… they sure  know how to do pastries at the Dona Filipa! 

We did not get chance to eat dinner in the restaurant as there are so many fantastic choices in the area to walk to or which are a short taxi ride away.  Highly recommended is a walk along the beach to Marias, which is an extremely popular and beautiful beach restaurant which has been recently extended to include rooftop dining.  A stunning setting especially for sunset, however it is advisable to phone ahead to reserve for lunch or dinner in Summer.

Possibly my favourite thing about the Dona Filipa, apart from the location and the pastries was without doubt the friendly and helpful staff. Without exception they went out of their way to provide excellent service.  All in all this is a great choice for golfers and for anyone who would like to be located smack bang in the middle of Val do Lobo. 

Lastly I can wholeheartedly state that everywhere we visited on the Algarve, without exception, was taking COVID precautions very seriously. There is no pretence here, just a commitment to keeping their visitors as safe as possible which is very reassuring in these unprecedented times.  We felt safer here than anywhere else we have visited and would happily go back at any time.

Featured image: Vila Vita Parc Resort & Spa – credit photo Kate Parkyn

 

• 5 star hotels
• Algarve
• Algarve hotels
• beach
• Cascade Wellness Resort and Spa
• Dona Filipa Hotel
• golf courses
• luxury hotels
• Portugal
• San Lorenzo and Pinherios Altos
• Vila Vita Parc Resort