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Beyond imposing gates and a four-storey main building lie rolling subtropical gardens, with clusters of attractive, whitewashed, tile-roofed buildings among the palms. Scattered around are five tennis courts, mini-golf, two spas/gyms, two pools outdoors and one under cover and more. Steps lead to a lovely, sandy cove that is so inconvenient to access from elsewhere that it feels private. A shuttle also takes guests to the town beach at Armacão de Pera.

The 182 rooms offer everything from a double in the main building to a family suite in the two-storey Oasis Parc to a presidential suite in Vila Trevo. Décor is stylish, cheerful and practical, with a traditional feel – ours had cornflower-blue-painted furniture, crisp linen and cupboard doors latticed in local style. A banister and a tile/carpet contrast cleverly separated bed and sitting area.

Food

From Portuguese to grill to gourmet, in seven restaurants. Some are adults only, and the Aladin has the nicest terrace. Breakfast is a feast of tropical, Mediterranean and dried fruit, pastries, mueslis, meats, cheeses, fish and hot dishes.

We like

Despite its capacity of 500 and contrived villageyness, it feels intimate. We also liked the view from the clock-tower, the sunbathing options – beach, pool, lawns – and the polite notices asking guests not to reserve sunloungers.

Not so keen Amusingly, despite the notices, a spa-hand told me firmly that the lounger I’d picked was reserved. Also, it seems mean to charge for tennis – if you don’t bring gear, you’d pay £34 for an hour for two, including the court, renting rackets and buying balls.

The Algarve in winter

The stretch of seaside between touristy Albufeira and hectic Portimão harbours pockets of beauty that belie the acres of villas and the roadside sprawl along the N125, which runs parallel with Portugal’s south coast. Exploring locally will reward you with charming beaches where creamy, crumbly cliffs meet turquoise Atlantic water. The attractive hill towns of Silves, Loulé and Monchique, as well as the capital, Faro, and cosmopolitan Lagos, are accessible on easy day-trips, and in an hour you can be at Sagres, the windswept south-west brink of Europe. Nearby, too, are shopping centres, golf courses and water parks. Even in November it can be as warm as 71F, and midwinter is generally mild.

Getting there

The central Algarve is 45 minutes’ drive from Faro airport, which is well served by scheduled and charter airlines, including easyJet and British Airways. Flights take two hours and 30 minutes. Then hire a car: the A22 motorway runs all the way from the Spanish border to just outside Lagos, with the N125 parallel and the coast usually visible, making navigating easy.

Homepage: http://www.vilavitaparc.com

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk