Praia d’Oura Holidays

You'll find Praia d’Oura sitting pretty on Portugal’s Algarve coast. It’s a laidback place with quiet bars and elegant seafood restaurants along the waterfront, and reams of sand to stretch out on along the sandy beach. There’s an away-from-it-all feel, though it’s just a 20-minute walk to Albufeira. Here, you’ve got the famous Strip and a cobbled old town filled with shops and art galleries.

Praia d’Oura’s best feature is its beach – a long, wide number that’s lapped by azure waters. Around noon, the tide is low enough to walk the two kilometres to Praia dos Olhos d’Agua, where there’s a gently shelving shoreline and a duo of waterside restaurants. For another change of scene, try Fisherman’s Beach in Albufeira – it comes with colourful fishing boats and shallow waters.

The old town of Loule is a 30-minute drive east. The highlight here is a 13th-century castle that looks over the whole town and across to the Algarve countryside. It’s in good condition, with three of its imposing towers still standing – you can walk between them across stone bridges. Or you could be in Faro in 40 minutes. This famous Medieval city comes with a 13th-cathedral at its heart.