SEA YA THERE!
I visited Europe’s best family resort in Portugal – with an incredible kids club, spa & 8 pools
I’M lying in a darkened room, unable to move or open my eyes – it’s pure bliss.
My body has been scrubbed with hand-harvested sea salt and sand from a local beach, smothered in chocolate-like carob, then wrapped like a sweet in shiny plastic and doused in orange oil.
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I smell good enough to eat.
Lucia, my spa therapist, tucks me in with a towel. “Now you’re in your cocoon,” she whispers while massaging my brow. “Soon, you will emerge as a butterfly.”
She’s not far off. I may not have grown wings, but I feel beautifully bright and new as I flit out of the Serenity Spa at Pine Cliffs Resort in the Algarve.
My transformation from wiped out to chilled out is thanks to an 80-minute Senses Of The Algarve treatment.
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It uses traditional ingredients from this sun-soaked region in southern Portugal to relax and revive you — right down to the post-treatment herbal tea, made of lemongrass grown in the hotel grounds.
And what grounds they are. Some 72 hectares of manicured lawns, scattered with blossoming flowers, fruit trees, eight swimming pools and a golf course.
There is lush grass underfoot, pine trees swaying overhead and — the star of the show — burnt-orange cliffs leading down to the golden sands of Falésia beach (where part of that spa scrub came from).
Sweeping sea views
This sublime shoreline is where I find myself later that afternoon, gazing at the glittering Atlantic while my two-year-olds make sandcastles beneath a sun brolly.
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My husband, meanwhile, has rented a surfboard and is catching waves — his turn for some child-free time.
I’m on a week-long holiday in the Algarve with my husband, Chris, and our twins, Bruce and Iris.
Keen for a destination with a short flight and easy transfer, we hit upon Pine Cliffs Resort near the fishing port of Albufeira.
Not only is it less than an hour’s drive from Faro Airport, but it was also crowned Europe’s Best Family Resort at the 2020 World Luxury Hotel Awards.
And no wonder. Accommodation-wise, you’re spoilt for choice with hotel rooms, plus luxurious suites, apartments and private villas for self-catering.
Our elegant two-bedroom Ocean Suite has ample room for all four of us, with a garden-view balcony, two ensuite bathrooms and a separate lounge and kitchen diner.
Not that you need to cook. There are 11 restaurants and bars on-site, including a steakhouse, a cooking school and Zest, which serves protein-packed salads and “immunity boost” juices in a pretty courtyard.
Maré is a relaxed beachside restaurant where staff theatrically debone your fish — and entertain grouchy toddlers with colouring books.
After a morning of spa, sandcastles and surfing, the fresh sea bream and Portuguese rosé hit the spot.
Another winner with our family is the excellent Porto Pirata children’s club, where Bruce and Iris let loose on the supersized pirate ship, bouncy castle and playground.
We cool off in the kids’ club pool — it’s shallow and completely fenced in, perfect for our pair of pint-sized escapees.
You can book little ones into daily supervised group sessions or organise a babysitter for £13 (15 euros) per hour. With Bruce and Iris in a babysitter’s capable hands, Chris and I are free to enjoy a romantic hour together . . . learning how to play the world’s fastest-growing sport.
A cross between tennis and squash, padel is played on a compact, enclosed court in a doubles format, giving it a reputation for being a highly sociable game.
With an underhand serve and simpler technique, it’s also easier than tennis — or so I’m told by our coach, Amedish. Although guests that would like to perfect their tennis swings can head to the Annabel Croft Tennis Academy located on site.
It’s easy to see why celebs like David Beckham and Elle Macpherson are big fans of padel.
Amedish teaches us how to hold the solid padel (like a hammer), then tells us to forget the tennis skills I’ve spent years trying to master, such as topspin.
“Hit the ball like you’re punching in a straight line,” he says, serving us practice shots. “No follow-through. And not too hard.”
After an hour, we have grasped the basics and are keen for more — but our adults-only time is up.
We’ve also got a road trip ahead for the second stint of our break. We’re heading an hour’s drive along the coast to Memmo Baleeira, a 4H hotel in Sagres.
The 144-room resort has sweeping sea views, minimalist style and — to our delight — a large lawn for kids to let off steam.
In the western corner of the Algarve, Sagres has a wilder feel, drawing history buffs to its 15th-century fort — and surfers to its year-round waves. To see what all the fuss is about, I book a lesson with Freeride Surf School, which is handily located beside the hotel.
My group of six gets sized up for wetsuits, then we jump into a van loaded with boards and head to Zavial beach, where there are waves to suit all levels.
After practising “popping up” on to our boards on dry land, we launch ourselves into the frothing ocean.
Honey-coloured beaches
While the beginners catch their first waves in the white water, I paddle out with our instructor Felipe and the intermediate surfers to hunt unbroken “green” waves.
Felipe pushes the back of my board for some extra oomph, and soon I’m up on my feet, whooping with delight as I fly along the waves.
I paddle back out and repeat. Two hours later, I’m exhausted — but exhilarated.
Back at the hotel, there are numerous ways to revitalise yourself.
You could head to the sauna, or have a dip in the indoor and outdoor pools, which both allow children.
To refuel, the hotel’s glass-fronted restaurant serves delicious wood-fired pizzas, which can be delivered to your room for a sunset dinner on your balcony.
You can also stroll to local restaurants like Armazem, where fresh fish sizzles on the grill and a beer only costs a couple of quid (€2.70).
The following morning, I ease my aching surfing muscles with a yoga lesson while Chris and the twins enjoy some pool time.
The class takes place in the hotel’s top-floor studio, which overlooks the harbour and fishing boats.
Our yoga teacher, Julia, leads us through a flowing sequence with stretchy lunges that feel blissful after yesterday’s action on the board.
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She ends with some relaxing breathwork and a meditation, telling us to visualise our favourite place in nature.
With the memory of the honey-coloured beaches from the last few days fresh in my mind, right now that couldn’t be easier.
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GO: ALGARVE
GETTING THERE: Wizz Air flies from Gatwick to Faro from £25.98 return. See .
STAYING THERE: Pine Cliffs has two-bedroom Ocean Suites (sleeping two adults and two children) from £275 per night. Pine Cliffs Hotel rooms (sleeping two adults) are from £165 per night. See .
Memmo Baleeira has one-bedroom Sea View Suites (sleeping two adults and two children) from £149 per night. See .
For more information, see .
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