Portugal’s south coast is awash in the most fabulous beaches, and the eastern side of it is the country’s best-kept secret. Right in the thick of all this bliss sits the 77-room Ozadi Tavira Hotel, which was built in the 1970s and renovated to the nines in 2014. It manages to maintain the original character of that swingin’ decade, blending on-trend colours, cork design details and local traditional homewares into its hyper-mod space.

Vibe: The crowd is a leisurely one, primarily special-occasion celebrants, wee families, retirees and honeymooners. Everyone seems to fit in here and everyone has come specifically to relax and enjoy the scenery.

Rooms: A modern mix of local craftwork and retro embellishments dress up the public areas and the rooms. Finishing touches like cork end tables, colourful ceramic light fixtures and headboard artwork add a local link, fusing the hotel with the surrounding region. Rooms come equipped with a mini bar, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a room safe, plus natural, marine-based bathroom amenities. Furnished balconies with views of the gardens, the hotel pool or the countryside amp up the luxe factor.

F&B: Two restaurants here: The Ozadi Terrace, serving buffets with a view of the sea, and the Orangea Bistro overlooking the pool. Both offer Mediterranean and regional cuisine heavy on the seafood (naturally) and both have outdoor patios that are open at different times of the day. A third-floor cocktail bar and a pool bar are often home to live music and sunset get-togethers.

THINGS TO DO: IN THE EASTERN ALGARVE

Extras: The Ozadi’s wellness offerings are considerable considering the hotel’s smallish size, with massages and facials, detox and weight-loss programmes, and personal trainers. A Padel court come with equipment and classes. The pool is superb—beautifully designed, quiet yet glamorous—like you’re an extra in a spicy European movie. Shaded areas, grassy expanses and the restaurant patio are all steps away.

Off-Site: The Ozadi is mere minutes from the region’s iconic beaches, world-class year-round golf and quaint seaside villages. Tavira itself dates back to 2000 BC, so there’s plenty of history to sink your teeth into, including 37 churches. Cacela Velha, a small fishing village overlooking the Ria Formosa, is a great spot to wander through before or after a nice, three-hour lunch. Medieval castle ruins at Castro Marim date from 5000 BC. Visitors also take advantage of loads of nature tourism, horseback riding, cultural tours, kitesurfing and windsurfing.

Rate: $$
Book Now

The post Portugal: Ozadi Tavira appeared first on TravelRight.Today.

The Eastern Algarve is where the smarter Europeans are buying (and renting out) their summer properties, and where hip expats are opening boutique hotels and hot restaurants. The sleepiness of the tiny towns and empty beaches weeds out the people who can’t sit in a chair for more than 10 minutes. The common denominator here, for both locals and tourists, is an innate ability to appreciate life. It’s easy to see why. Secluded beaches can stretch for many kilometres with no one in sight. Centuries-old towns—with their winding narrow walkways, whitewashed markets and village square cafés—are beyond quaint. Exquisite mosaic tile work is everywhere you look.

Fly to Faro. This hub city separates the Eastern and Western Algarve. There’s a lot of history here, and a visit to the Arco da Vila Interpretation Centre, built within one of the city’s oldest Moorish gates dating from the 11th century, provides visitors with the basics. From there, you can pop into nearby Faro Cathedral, but perhaps more intriguing is the Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, noted for the 1,000 monk skulls that line the rear chapel.

Hit the suburbs. The town of Olhão, just a 20-minute drive east, is the hip part of the region. This busy fishing port has slowly been adopted by artists and creative people over the years, drawn to its no-nonsense grittiness, tumbledown chic, and to the mix of old and new. Boutique hotel developments mingle with mom-and-pop restaurants on tiled pedestrian streets.

WHERE TO STAY: IN THE ALGARVE

Eat ice cream. Clearly, these people know how to live: It seems like there’s a gelato shop every 10 metres. Tastes to try include traditional salt-cod fritters, octopus salad, seafood rice and the freshest bread, all plentiful, tasty and inexpensive. Each bakery has its own unique recipe for the ubiquitous pastel de nata, or egg tart, which makes repeat taste-tests essential. And the wine is not only sublime, it can be had for €2 a glass.

Go to the beach. The beaches from Olhao all the way to the Spanish border will spoil you for life. You can do a different one every day. Barril Beach on Tavira Island is a former tuna fishermen’s camp, reached by walking from the mainland across a pontoon bridge, then hopping on a little train that wends its way through the sand dunes to the Atlantic. The ancient Moorish fishing village of Cacela Velha has a favourite local beach where you can walk or wade out to the sand bars, keeping an eye on the tide, then have fresh oysters for lunch.

Shop for trinkets. The border town of Vila Real de Santo Antonio is filled with tranquil cafés and craft-filled markets. Stock up on local crafts like cork home furnishings, ceramic bowls and tiles, terra cotta cookware, wool rugs and fine-milled soaps.

Have lunch in Spain. When you tire of Vila Real de Santo Antonio, get on the short ferry to Ayamonte, Spain, for a tapas lunch and a jug of sangria. (Note that there is a one-hour time difference.)

Go with golf. Tee off at Monte Rei Golf and Country Club just north of Vila Real, ranked by Golf Digest magazine as the No. 1 course in the country. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, it blends into the landscape, with views of the Serra do Caldeirao mountains to the north and the ocean to the south.

Wallow. Near the tiny town of Castro Marim, home to 12th-century castle ruins, you can pop into Spa Salino, an open-air mud bath set amongst the surrounding salt pans. Nothing like saline clay scrub to reveal the real you.

VISITPORTUGAL.COM

The post Portugal: Eastern Algarve appeared first on TravelRight.Today.

Lush and green despite being made up of 1,766 volcanoes, The Azores is an autonomous region within the Portuguese state that has made great gains since the 1970s, when it was still a relatively low-key fishing outpost.

Island life in the Azores teems with opportunities for visitors to sail, dive, go deep-sea fishing and explore more than 120 geotourism sites—everything from volcanic caves and ravines to hot springs. This is one of the main reasons the destination is on so many ecotourism-friendly lists. Surfing, yachting, paragliding, too.

The whale-watching is phenomenal, as the Azores is one of the world’s largest whale sanctuaries, boasting visits from 20 different kinds of whales. April to October is the time for this, depending on what kind of whales you want to see. (Like, any old whale would certainly do me.)

THINGS TO DO: IN THE ALGARVE

The best time to go is really August and September when the rain is down, and both the air and ocean temperatures are high. We realize these are busy months at home and at our cottages, but maybe it’s time you broke with tradition just this once. These people could use a little tourism right now.

VISITAZORES.COM
VISITPORTUGAL.COM
SATA.PT

The post Portugal: The Azores appeared first on TravelRight.Today.