Adventures in the Algarve

The Algarve, on Portugal’s southernmost coast, is one of Europe’s most appealing — and least costly — beach and golf destinations. The region offers 150 miles of coastline and countless communities — from ancient Moorish fishing villages to dense, 1970s-era seaside high-rises, to glamorous golf resorts among more than 500 hotels for every taste and budget.

During my four-night visit, I stayed at a luxe 5-star golf and spa resort, Anantara Algarve Resort Vilamoura. For three days, I was a tourist discovering the diverse appeal of the Algarve by traveling the coastline by van, jeep, taxi, raft and tuk-tuk. On the fourth day, I headed to the spa and, later, to an authentic, local fish restaurant.

TAP Air Portugal offers a free, five-day stopover program, plus meals designed by Michelin-starred Portuguese chefs, one of whom I met in the Algarve when he headed restaurant Bon Bon. To maximize the visit to Lisbon, we took the last 30-minute TAP Air Portugal flight and arrived at Faro Airport after midnight for the 20-minute drive to the hotel. In morning light, the view from my balcony was of a large, yellow limestone block building surrounding the grand main pool (one of five), all adjacent to the Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole Victoria Golf Course, one of five nearby among the 40 courses in the region, plus six 9-hole courses.

The 280-room hotel, opened in April 2017,  is the first European outpost of Anantara, a prestigious Bangkok-based brand known for its “destination experience,” which focuses on what is local, indigenous and authentic. The interior design team redecorated the existing building adding Portuguese art and artifacts, including cork, tin and many handcrafted and hand-painted ceramic items for which the region is famous, with traditional olive tree motifs plus the iconic local design: chimneys, a symbol of the region. A “Tree” sculpture, in the lobby incorporates acacia and pine and is the centerpiece of a stage where a singer and guitarist perform a soulful Fado concert, each evening at 7 p.m. Fado is sad music and, as intriguing as I find it, youngsters might prefer the more joyful, active, outdoor activities.

Each day — after a bountiful breakfast buffet with local and fresh sliced oranges, diced watermelon, quartered kiwi, papaya, figs, fresh and jarred yogurts, smoked salmon, assorted cheeses and platters of sliced ham, including the famous Pata Negra, from pigs who eat chestnuts and almonds, and which is sliced by hand, because it is so delicate, plus á la carte dishes and smoothies — we toured the agricultural and fishing region, which attracts so many European tourists and which Americans have begun to discover.

Rocks of Ponta da Piedade near Lagos and Luz at the Algarve of Portugal in Europe. Photo: Presse750 – Dreamstime.com

We visited a lighthouse and the 16^th-century fortress in Sagres, situated 60 feet above sea level. At Ponta da Piedade, near Lagos, there are spectacular cliffs and rock formations, seen best from a cruising boat. On a safari tour in the back country, we went to Quinta do Freixo, where we bought honey and jams and olives from folks who have been farming their entire lives. In Albufeira, where Dream Wave offers jet skis, boat rentals and dolphin-watching tours, we fastened our life preservers and sped in a 10-seat boat, oh-so-close to the most amazing rock formations — some of them open to the sky — where we watched swimmers frolicking in clear turquoise waters. (We didn’t go to Zoomarine, where there’s an aquarium, dolphins and a wave beach, but many families do.)

We lunched in haute style on the ocean-front terrace at the Vista Restaurant, at Hotel Bela Vista and Spa, opened in 1918 as one of the first and most elegant hotels in the Algarve. The 38-room boutique hotel is perched on a cliff above the Praia (beach) da Rocha. And, we visited an art-filled winery, Quinta dos Vales, where the owner, Karl Heinz Stock, is responsible for the art as well as the red, white and rose wines. The Algarve is home to four wine regions — Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa and Tavira.

On my last morning, I lazed through a late breakfast and enjoyed a special, Asian-influenced spa treatment. The double treatment room had a private outdoor terrace equipped with a whirlpool and chaise lounges. The 90-minute Anantara Signature massage started with an almond milk foot bath and coffee scrub/exfoliation and incorporated local orange- and almond-infused oil. She started at the toes and worked up to my face and scalp, and, all too soon, she twinkled the bell: finito!

Later, the hotel provided golf-cart-like, tuk-tuk transportation to an authentic seafood restaurant in Quarteira, the nearby, seacoast village. At the entry to Jorge do Peixe, fresh fish posed on an ice-topped display; the owner greeted me, a waiter offered me a white cotton bib embroidered with the restaurant name and logo (and gifted me with a new one to take home!). With grilled sea bass or sardines, razor clams and octopus on the menu, I chose my favorite: a platter of pink prawns.

The Algarve deservedly promotes its 300 days of sunshine, temperate climate and cost: Green fees, meals, massages and rental options are priced lower in the Algarve than in many destinations. And, there’s an abundance of safe Blue Flag certified beaches (Foundation of Environmental Education) among the 150 named ones.

For me, what’s best about bringing the family to the region is introducing everyone to the authentic, small-town fishing villages, ancient historic sites and a centuries-old culture that endures.