We've got a few secrets that anyone looking for bargain family holidays will love. The Algarve, southern-most region of Portugal, is a great place to book beautiful family holidays abroad. Inland it’s hilly with rich, beautiful valleys and it boasts about 200km of glorious coastlines peppered with picturesque fishing villages, islets, caves and grottos.

Why the Algarve?

Praia da Rocha beach is a perennial favourite and Praia da Marinha is revered for the beauty of its cliffs. But in the Algarve pretty, historic towns such as Faro or Lagos merit your devotion as much as the beaches. It's a brilliant and unintimidating place to relax, with a wold-renowned cuisine and plenty of interesting attractions to keep the enquiring minds among you entertained.

Top family attractions in the Algarve

• Just 20mins drive east from Faro is the Ria Formosa lagoon, a nature reserve where you and the family can bird watch or explore the barrier islands that make up this bewitching beauty-spot.
• Portimao is a great base for a number of activities: Take a boat around the coastline’s rock formations, like Algar Seco near the sleepy fishing village of Carvoiero. Get paddling with a guided canoe trip on the Ria de Alvor lagoon. Alternatively, dive into the action at the Slide & Splash Water Park, only a 15 minute drive away.
• Soak up the sun on Lagos’ Dona Ana and Meia Praia beaches, offering thick white sands and a calm, wide bay. But with sunny squares and a moated fort don’t forget the charming walled-town itself.
• From dolphin shows to performances by wild birds of prey, Zoomarine (10km north-west of Albufeira) has it all if you’re animal lovers. You can even arrange to swim with the dolphins!

Best places to stay

• The stunning Sheraton Algarve and Pine Cliffs Resort have something to offer everyone, with extensive sporting facilities and exquisite dining, and a huge range of activities for the kids. You can also save up to 30% when you book online this summer.

• Beautiful apartments are offered by Villa Mar Azul Hotel at reasonable prices.

Best time to go

The Algarve has a warm Mediterranean climate with hundreds of days of sunshine. Tourists are attracted all year round, but the summer months bring the big numbers.

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