Family Holidays: Algarve family holidays and breaks

Take the Family holiday rating 4½ stars out of 5

Why

The Algarve has everything you'll look for in a family holiday. It's weather means it isn't too hot for the little ones, and the wealth of sporting options means that teenagers will never get bored. There is also a wide range of accommodation available in several reasonably quiet resorts along the coast. Alvor is one of the best. It's a smallish resort, with a selection of restaurants and accommodation available. Tavira at the Eastern end of the Algarve is a better bet if you want somewhere quieter and less commercialised. Preparations for the 2004 European football championships have resulted in a number of infrastructure improvements including a brand new motorway.

Above left: Port and Town
Above middle: Boats on beach
Above right: Chimney pots

When

The Algarve is largely popular because it has excellent weather throughout the year. Because it is on the Atlantic, it stays a little cooler than some of the Mediterranean destinations, even at the top of the high season. Even so, you'd expect to have sunbathing weather from late May – early October. It's also worth considering a visit at Easter, as the climate is very dry, and it's an excellent time of year to brush up on your tennis / golfing skills.

How

There are flights to Faro from just about any UK airport you can name, so it's simple to get to. Check deals with British Airways and Expedia Flights. You are generally reliant on charter flights, but there are scheduled options from London and Manchester as well. The flight is around 2½ hours from London, or 3 hours from Glasgow. Excel Airways is our preferred airline, with whom you can save an exclusive £5 off flights and accomodation, and flys to Faro from Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, London Gatwick, London Stanstead, Manchester and Newcastle.

Stay

There are hundreds of accommodation options within an hour's drive of Faro, ranging from budget apartments and hotels to gorgeous villas and five star hotels. Although by no means inexpensive the Vila Vita Parc and the Sheraton Pine Cliffs are highly rated by families, in particular for their childcare programmes. More luxury can be found at the 5 star Grande Real Santa Eulalia Resort & Spa.

For self catering hoildays, we recommend partners Meon Villas' retreat Casa Periquita in the Monchique Mountains, but they have tons to choose, from rural countryside to bustling marinas. See Meon Villas' Algarve villa collection, partners James Villas Algarve portfolio and don't forget Four Winds holidays Martinhal town houses and villas.

Check family package holiday deals to the Algarve with partners, Expedia and Thomson.

Do

Golf – the Algarve has some of the best courses anywhere in Europe, so if you want to learn with your kids, it’s a great place to do so.

Tennis – many hotels in the region have courts, and coaching is often available.

Beaches – natural white sand beaches stretch all the way from Spain to the Atlantic, so its never too hard to find a deserted stretch. Albufeira offers great sheltered family beaches, whilst Vilamoura and Quarteira also offer a host of family holiday entertainment and bustling family beaches with a choice of boat trips and excursions from Vilamoura Marina. For families with very young children consider all inclusive self contained Algarve resorts of Albufeira, Vilamoura and Monte Gordo, whilst if you've older children, consider basing yourself around Tavira or Faro.

Inland mountains – it’s not all beach. Head inland slightly, and you'll find green rolling hills, and pretty country villages.

Watersports – windsurfing, kitesurfing and far more are available, particularly at the Western end of the Algarve. Surfing is also possible if you head a little further north. Rock-pooling is also great fun, for example at Albufeira's Gale Beach.

Tavira is one of the Algarve’s most beautiful villages, with many shops, and 37 churches to visit!

Local attractions well worth a visit include, Castelo de Silves, home to the July carnival, adjacent Igreja Misericoridia Cathedral, Ria Formosa Nature Reserve in Faro and further east the Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim Natural Park- both a haven for birds with stunning remote blue flag beaches. ZooMarine is a oceanographic theme park in Guia focusing on education and awareness of the preservation of marine life with shows and more dolphin experiences. For more water themed fun visit Aqualand waterpark, where you might have to drag your teenagers away from or worse, join them on the 36m drop, and aptly named Kamikaze.

Click here for an up to date family friendly events guide to the Algarve.

Eat

The food on the Algarve is very international. As it is a popular destination for other Europeans, you'll find all sorts of food available. Portugese food is based around fish, and is very tasty.