DESTINATIONS ALGARVE | EUROPE
where TO STAY ABOVE: Pine Cliffs and the Albufeira coastline
craggy sea arches, towering stacks and ochre-coloured rocks jutting out of the Atlantic, and it’s deserted but for a few hardy souls.
A series of wooden steps take you up and down the
cliffs through arid, bushy scrubland, with waymarked trails involving some clambering up slippery rocks. But the views more than make up for the effort, with lookout points across the likes of Benagil Beach, home to a famous, blacked-out cave etched into the limestone, and Carvalho, a peaceful cove sandwiched between champagne-coloured cliffs and cerulean waters.
OUT AT SEA
Later we head to Albufeira Marina and board a speedboat with local cruise company Dream Wave to view the coastline from another perspective, and it’s spectacular. We pass famous formations like the ‘yellow submarine’ rock, so-named for its apparent resemblance to a honey-coloured ship, and sail through the Carvoeiro Caves to marvel at marble-swirled rockfaces arching above a stretch of rippling blue. Afterwards, we speed out into the deep, lurching up and down on the waves in an attempt to spot dolphins swimming in the wild. We don’t manage to see any, but the feeling of being out on the open sea without a care in the world more than makes up for it. But later in the day, something unexpected happens. During an impromptu stop at Praia dos Pescadores, in
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Albufeira’s cobbled Old Town, we glimpse a dark shape arching out of the water – then another, and another, and another. Soon, there’s a pod of five glistening dolphins bobbing in and out of the water only a few metres from the shore. After seven months of staring out over the dolphin-less shores of my home town, Southend-on-Sea, it feels surreal, to say the least. That unexpected moment seemed to sum up the essence of my trip. The most memorable things proved to be the surprise, impromptu experiences I wasn’t expecting – a conversation in a local craft shop, an encounter with an unfamiliar type of fish at a busy market – and it left me wanting to dig deeper into a region I thought I already knew. It might have taken three tests, some extra expenses and
a bit of planning to get here, but it was well worth the effort. And I honestly couldn’t put a price tag on the feeling of finally jetting away after a year of on-and-off lockdowns, discovering new places within a firm old favourite and seeing sights I’ll never take for granted again.
TW BOOK IT
Jet2holidays offers a week at Pine Cliffs Hotel, a Luxury Collection Resort, from £1,239, including breakfast, transfers and flights from Leeds Bradford on June 26.
jet2holidays.com
3 JUNE 2021 37
Pine Cliffs, A Luxury Collection Resort, Albufeira This sprawling, family-friendly complex comprises luxury villas, apartments and a main hotel, with a nine-hole golf course, tennis academy, spa, kids’ club, three outdoor pools and a private, sandy beach among its facilities. There are 11 bars and restaurants, including an elegant champagne bar, but the real USP is its position, perched among reddish clifftops, with wooden steps leading down to the sea and views that made my jaw drop at every turn. A one-bedroom Garden Suite costs from €180 per night in low season (room-only).
pinecliffs.com
Hotel Faro & Beach Club, Faro Set in front of Faro’s marina and a five-minute stroll from the Old Town, the location is the biggest seller at this small, laid-back four-star, with a rooftop whirlpool, cocktail bar and restaurant overlooking the city. Rooms (pictured) are comfortable with idyllic views over the marina, and the hotel has its own beach club a four- mile drive away, with a shuttle bus on hand for those without a car. Nightly rates from €84, including breakfast.
hotelfaro.pt
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