Hot days and cool seas in Portugal’s sunny southmost

The leather of the car seats is already burning as we climb into the vehicle to continue our tour around the Vilamoura resort in Portugal’s sunny Algarve. Any attempts to alleviate the stifling heat in the car are thwarted by the dusty hot air rushing through the open windows.

It is with a collective sigh of relief from everyone piled into this small vehicle that we turn the corner back onto the marina that faces onto the Atlantic.

Our tour guide from the Tivoli Marina Hotel gestures towards the gleaming white yachts. He explains how the resort attracts seafaring clientele from across Europe, who migrate south in the summer months to avail of the region's golden beaches and almost permanently blue skies.

“Ronaldo comes here too,” adds our guide with a note of pride in his voice. “He’s even opened a nightclub in the town.”

We try to feign interest in these additional tidbits of local gossip, but our struggle with the midday sunshine blaring down from above is real. We know the beach is only three minutes away and we’ve already spotted the Purobeach collection of sun loungers by the waters edge.

As summer tunes from the nearby bars begin wafting through the marina, our guide thanks us for our time and suggests we try the beachside cocktails over lunch. No urging needed – those mojitos have my name on them.

Erasmus memories

I'm spending a weekend in the Purobeach Vilamoura resort, located in the heart of the Portuguese Algarve halfway between Albufeira and Faro. Any prior knowledge I have of the area dates back to a group Erasmus road trip through the Algarve , where we survived on a diet of grapes and bread due to tight budgetary restrictions.

Nearly a decade later, I’m lying on a white-cushioned sun lounger with a cocktail in one hand, a book in the other and the remnants of my lunchtime lobster salad on the bedside table. It’s a far cry from the cockroach-infested bathrooms and lumpy mattresses of my first trip to the Algarve.

Not accustomed to the perks of staying in a five-star hotel, I arrive with intrigue at the Tivoli Marina late on Friday night. I awake in my seventh floor bedroom the next morning to a view overlooking the hotel’s two outdoor pools, a white sand beach and a large dome-like structure, which I later learn is the Purobeach lakeside venue.

The Purobeach beach club group linked up with the Vilamoura's Tivoli Marina hotel in 2010 and has since developed a holiday resort within the hotel that encourages guests to try out the group's signature food menus, spa offers and resident DJ entertainment. Purobeach was established in 2004 and also has resorts in Palma, Barcelona, Marbella and even Dubai.

Following the Saturday morning tour of the local area, I set up shop on one of the Purobeach sun loungers, where I spend my afternoon alternating between dips in the surprisingly chilly waters and naps on the comfort of my beach bed.

On Saturday night I finally make it into the dome-like structure inside the resort. This multispace area features a restaurant, numerous cushioned sofas and live music from a saxophonist who provides two hours of musical entertainment alongside the DJ beats and tunes.

Massage on the water’s edge

On my second day I avail of one of the spa treatments and enjoy a full body massage by the water’s edge, working out those knots of weeks spent bending over my newsroom computer. The mad rush to meet a deadline, which was a reality less than two days before, floats away into a distant memory as I sink into the pleasure of my beachside spa treat.

Despite the tranquillity and total relaxation of the hotel, my more intrepid travel side, which is accustomed to hostel dormitories and 10-hour bus journeys, longs to explore beyond the confines of the resort area and discover what the Vilamoura town itself has to offer.

A quick walk around the surrounding area leads me to discover that Vilamoura is less an actual town and more a sprawl of holiday homes, with a few streets of restaurants and bars. I don't hear much Portuguese; English, German and a dash French seem to be the more common lingua franca.

On the upside, there are plenty of sea excursions available on the marina, with boat trips, diving and snorkelling on offer at a reasonable price.

While more than a few days in this town may begin to feel a little suffocating, the Vilamoura Purobeach experience has created the perfect spot for total relaxation as well as personal pampering at the Tivoli Hotel Resort. Plus it’s only half an hour by car from Faro airport.

This journalist returned to Dublin’s grey skies late that Sunday night feeling undeniably rejuvenated after two days at the hotel. Of course, the heavy dose of vitamin D definitely also played a role in lifting the spirits.

How to get there?
Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly daily from Dublin to Faro; flying time just under three hours.

How much?
Average prices at the five-star Tivoli Marina hotel start at €380 per night in July/August and €280 in September, including buffet breakfast.

The lakeside venue is open between June-August, while the Purobeach experience runs from April-October. Purobeach can also host events in its lakeside venue with capacity of up to 3,000 for cocktail parties and 480 for seated dinners.

info.vilamoura@purobeach.com