With its rugged coastline, uncrowded beaches and all year-round sunshine, the Algarve is the perfect spot for a family holiday. A three-hour flight from the UK, Portugal's enviable Mediterranean climate makes it a magnet for British holidaymakers in search of relaxation and fun activities.
Perched on a clifftop, about a 40-minute drive from Faro airport, Pine Cliffs is a family-friendly luxury resort with magnificent sea views, a range of sport and wellness facilities, great food and a 7,000-square metre children’s village to keep little ones entertained.
© Serhiy StakhnykWith its eight swimming pools, variety of restaurants, nine-hole golf course, tennis and padel courts, gym, spa and and gorgeous sandy beach - accessed via a lift - it's easy to see how the sprawling family resort, which can be booked as a package through British Airways Holidays, was recently voted Europe's best luxury family resort in the World Luxury Hotel Awards and is a six-time winner of best family resort in Portugal in the World Travel Awards.
Our long weekend began on a rainy Friday morning in London and within a few hours we were tucking into a delicious seafood lunch before enjoying a cooling dip in the ocean.
© Horacio RodriguesAccommodation
Spread across the resort, places to stay range from hotel rooms and suites to apartments with private gardens overlooking the golf course and villas with private swimming pools. Our spacious junior suite, situated in the main hotel building, had a comfy king-size bed and lounge room with sofa, TV, coffee machine and balcony.
Things to do
© Horácio RodriguesWhether you like an active holiday or prefer to stay horizontal, every option is catered for here. You can book a round of golf or, like me, a lesson at the Annabel Croft Tennis Academy, where my instructor Brunno showed me what I have been doing wrong and how to add a bit of topspin to my rallies.
There are lessons for guests of all ages, as well as family packages, and more accomplished players can take part in a tournament, which culminates in a winners' final towards the end of the year, with a free stay at Pine Cliffs up for grabs as the prize.
© Horácio RodriguesI also enjoyed a private morning yoga class at the Active Studio, next to the golf course, and there is a timetable for group yoga, pilates and cycling classes on offer during the week. Personal training sessions are available in the state-of-the-art gym, and there are bikes for hire if you want to explore the area.
But if you simply want to switch off and get lost in a book, there is no need to battle for a sunbed. There are loungers dotted around the shady spots in the manicured grounds, and free sunbeds and umbrellas down at the beach. On 2 August, Pine Cliffs hosts its ticket-only annual Summer Gala, where 2024’s headline act is Welsh superstar Tom Jones. Previous acts have included Leona Lewis, UB40 and Heather Small.
© roger2For the kids
The children's village Porto Pirata has two life-size pirate ships, a dedicated swimming pool, bouncy castle, basketball court, toy car racetrack and mini-golf, as well as supervised activities including football, archery, arts and crafts, cricket and aqua-gym. Guests can either enjoy the facilities for free, or parents can book children in for supervised, paid-for sessions.
Elsewhere, there's a games room and during July and August there's a junior golf camp, while family activities include paddleboarding and kayaking beneath the resort on Praia da Falésia beach.
© Andre Pires SantosEating and drinking
We began the day with the breakfast buffet, then tried out a different lunch spot each day. Corda Café offers salads, poke bowls, burgers and burritos, while Zest is a healthy option for breakfast and lunch with its selection of detox juices, smoothies, protein rich salads and fresh sandwiches. My personal favourite was Mare, a seafood restaurant right on the beach, where we ate tuna ceviche, prawn caesar salad and grilled octopus.
Another highlight was dinner at O Pescator, where we had oysters and freshly caught red snapper, while for carnivores, there's the Piri Piri steakhouse. This season, the resort also has Indian pop-up restaurants Rohini and Portofino by MIMO for pizza and pasta. Bed and breakfast packages are available but other meals are pay-as-you-go, so If you want to venture off-site, O Golfinho is another beachside seafood spot, while Adiga Ti Costa, within walking distance, serves traditional Portuguese cuisine.
Pine Cliffs is a great spot to watch the sun go down, so after dinner we headed to Mirador Champagne Bar on the cliff edge for a nightcap.
© Pine CliffsHow to relax
The Thermal Oasis is a peaceful pampering spot dedicated to calm and wellbeing, where we hopped between the steam room and herbal sauna to the ice fountain, hydrotherapy pool and outdoor jacuzzi before chilling out in the relaxation area.
Meanwhile, the award-winning Serenity spa offers a range of facials, massages and beauty treatments. I opted for an 80-minute Senses of the Algarve treatment, which began with a sand body scrub, after which I was smothered in moisturising carob and wrapped in cling film, before rising off and finishing with a relaxing massage.
© Shaun FisherOut and About
The lively resort of Albufeira, with its strip of bars and restaurants and quaint cobbled Old Town, is just a 15-minute drive or taxi ride away. Slide and Splash, with its huge water slides, designated kids' area and green spaces, is a fun family day out, as is Krazy World interactive petting farm and zoo, with its turtles, lemurs, alligators and Europe’s biggest snake.
TRIP DETAILS: British Airways Holidays offers seven nights, at the 5* Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites, Luxury Collection Resort, from £989pp, travelling on selected dates between 1 August - 31 August 2024 inclusive, or from from £759pp, travelling on selected dates between 1 October - 31 October 2024 inclusive. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Gatwick Airport, 1 checked bag at 23kg per person and accommodation.
