The beautiful beach of Praia da Dona Ana is blessed with crystal clear waters and during the summertime you can take a beach bus here from Lagos every hour. A walk to Praia da Dona Ana will take about half-an-hour from Lagos’ centre. The beach is 200 m long and accessible via a stairway. Outside the tourist season, Praia Dona Ana is a real gem among the beaches of Algarve – the summer months and influx of tourists does not allow this beautiful beach to be witnessed at its best.

In Tavira Praia da Ilha de Tavira (often locally referred to as Praia das Cascas) is a magnet for watersports enthusiasts. A short boat trip (taking 10 minutes) from Tavira, departing from the jetty at Quatro Aguas -just by the old market in the centre of Tavira, this elongated sandbar beach is a popular attraction and has a reserved section for naturists.

In Albufeira, Praia dos Barcos is a very popular beach renowned for the array of fishermen’s colourful boats that line the one end of this rock-protected beach. The beach is reached through a tunnel next to the tourist information office.

Carrapateira is home to Praia do Armado beach – one of Portugal’s premier surfing venues and its surf school enjoys international patronage. This west coast beach is also popular with families whose children are attracted to the many rock pools that become visible at low tide.

Travel to Portimao to experience Praia da Rocha (Rock Beach). Known internationally as one of the most impressive beaches in the Algarve, the sweeping bay of golden sand can get extremely busy in the summer months due to its excellent conditions for water sports and boat-rides. A tunnel at the western end gives access to narrower stretches of sand.

Back in Albufeira you can find the family-friendly shallow waters and soft white sand on Praia da Sao Rafael. With beautiful sandy beaches and clear blue seas, this pretty bay is ideal for snorkelling or investigating the surrounding caves.

One of the Algarve’s best kept secrets, Praia de Odeceixe is a crescent-shaped beach is just a short distance from the quaint village of Odeceixe. This excellent beach is sheltered by high cliffs and in a perfect location in northern Algarve. It tends to be one of the less crowded beaches and for that reason alone, it is well worth a visit.

Surrounded by honey coloured cliffs and accessed by steep steps down the sides of the cliff, the golden sands of Praia da Marinha in Benagil has two wonderfully secluded beaches. The turquoise sea is a favourite with snorkellers, and the secluded beaches are popular with families and those seeking the privacy to relax in beautiful surroundings.

Popular with youngsters and windsurfers, Praia de Figueria, Salema is one of the Algarve’s less well known beaches, and as such there are no facilities of any kind here. Lying right in front of the village of Salema, you will need to arrive early to find parking space.

And last, but by no means least the list of top ten beaches in the Algarve would not be complete without mentioning the Meia Praia in Lagos. A 4km curve of sand stretching two miles in length, it is the longest beach in the Algarve. Popular with watersports enthusiasts, jet-skiiers and surfers the contrasting side offers peace and tranquility for those wishing to unwind and watch the world go by. In the Autumn, a walk along this stretch of beach is a recommended experience.

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The Algarve meaning ‘the west’ is the sunny, warm coastal region along the south of Portugal. In the years since the 1960’s tourism has overtaken agriculture and fishing as the main industry and a lot of the Algarve’s charm has gone with the bleak apartment blocks and sprawling villa complexes. Even so, with a little knowledge there are certain areas that remain wild, untouched and oozing with culture and history.

Although most tourists head to the central Algarve to destinations like Albufeira it is in fact the east and the west of the Algarve where you will find the most beautiful and untouched beaches. In the back country only miles from the tourist destinations many villages and towns remain untouched with little known rural walks in the spring flowers and shady woods.

Most notable in the eastern Algarve is the historic city of Tavira with it’s multitude of churches and a central castle. This area is close to the Ria Formosa natural park offering miles of lagoons and barrier islands where flamingos and numerous aquatic birds live and bread. The island of Tavira is easily reached by boat from the centre of town or after a 15 minute walk by the side of the salt pans. This stretch of sand is very popular with the Portuguese but continues for miles allowing for solitude even in the busy summer season.

In the west the city of Lagos is a popular destination and with good reason. The city has an important history as it is was from here that the Portuguese began their expeditions along the coast of Africa in the age of discovery. Lagos now has a completely pedestrianised centre within the old town that is surrounded by the castle walls. There are many shops, excellent restaurants serving fish and in the night Lagos is notorious for its bar scene. On Saturday mornings a trip to the vegetable market is highly recommended to purchase local produce for the kitchen. Walk along the cliffs out to the Ponta da Piedade (Mercy Point) with it’s lighthouse or go swimming on the little known nudist beach at Praia do Carnavial.

The mountains of Monchique are easily reached by car from anywhere in the western Algarve. The Caldes de Monchique are therapeutic thermal baths and the area is ideal for a stroll in the wooded hills or down by the bubbleing stream. Drive out to the village of Marmallate or climb to the top of the mountain where you can take in views of the whole of the Algarve coastline and enjoy the refreshing cool mountain air. Many local shops offer locally produced hams and varieties of ‘Medronho’ (a brandy made from the Arbutus fruit that symbolises frienship) as well as hand made craft items. Restaurants either side of the main road offer up freshly grilled chicken, Piri Piri style.

After Lagos the Algarve coastline continues west towards Sages and the region once called “the end of the world” as little was known of what lay beyond the waves. Resort towns such as Praia da Luz with it’s arced bay and black rock headland give way to the natural park of Costa Vincentina where many more secret beaches can be discovered especially along dirt tracks west of Vila do Bispo. Atlantic rollers meet a wild landscape of immense natural beauty. Popular with surfers the beaches at low tide have waves that collapse on themselves again and again and sitting on the beach on a sunny afternoon undisturbed by the modern world listening to the roar in the background while looking out into the abyss one can see how sailors were captivated to venture forth to discover what lay beyond.

Hi, i’m starting early on planning an anniversary trip to Spain (mostly the south) and Portugal. Do you have any recommendation for travel books, preferrably one that has both countries in one?

My husband and I are going to Spain, Morocco and Portugal in December. Help please!

Portugal is often regarded as one of the best golf destinations in the world. For such a small country, it has a huge variety of high-quality golf courses, mainly on the Lisbon Coast and in sunny southern Algarve. Choosing the top 10 is always difficult, however the courses listed here all provide a variety of challenges and are set in magnificent surrounds.

Great greens in sunny Algarve
Central Algarve’s premier golfing destination, the Quinta do Lago Estate has two of its four excellent 18-hole courses listed among Europe’s top 25 golf courses. These are bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Ria Formosa nature reserve, there are 72 holes of challenging golf with immaculate greens. Quinta do Lago South, the original championship course, is still regarded as the best.

Just 20 minutes’ drive from Faro International Airport, the par 73, 18-hole Vilamoura Old Course has a great variety of holes that include some some steep grades. The course, lined with pines and cork trees, deserves its reputation as one of the best in Europe. Facilities include a driving range and putting green.

Vale do Lobo, Portugal’s biggest luxury golf and beach resort, has three courses. The Royal and the Ocean, both par 72, have stunning views of the coast, and its 5 km-long sandy beach. The ultimate Algarve course is San Lorenzo rated in the top ten in Europe, it is difficult to get a tee time unless you stay in the 5 star Dona Filipa hotel which owns the course.

One of the best courses in the Algarve, the par 72, 18-hole Vale da Pinta, was designed to retain natural valleys and undulations. Free of green fees for those lucky enough to be staying at the Pestana Carlton, the course, with large, deep greens and bunkers, follows hills and valleys through old olive, almond and fig orchards.

The pick of the Lisbon Coast
Oitavos Golf Club at Quinta da Marinha, is the home of the Portuguese Open. Kept in pristine natural condition, coastal scenery combines with holes lined with umbrella pines, shrubs and dunes. It is Europe’s first Audubon Gold Signature Sanctuary. The two consecutive par 5s on the front side, and two par 3s on the back are part of one of Europe’s toughest 18-hole courses.

The Ritz-Carlton’s Penha Longa course features 27 holes in a stunning natural setting that runs to 6,890 yards from the championship tees. A nine-hole option, The Monastery, includes a section of old ruins.

Estoril opened in 1936, is short (less than 6,000 yards) but tight and difficult, and the longer holes require accurate wedge and iron play. Guests of the Palacio Estoril Hotel are given preference to play here, although the course is included in some golf packages.

Aroeira I, opened in 1973, is renown for its stunning natural beauty. The 18-hole, par 72, championship course is one of the best in Europe, and has hosted the Portuguese Open.

One of the most challenging courses in the Lisbon area, Quinta do Peru, is in the Costa Azul region, between the castle towns of Sesimbra and Setubal. The par 4, 12th has a lake running the length of the fairway and the par 3,16th, all of 200 metres, has a lake guarding the green.

In the North of Portugal, an hour from Lisbon, lies the challenging, par 72 Praia Dél Rey course with its mixture of links-type fairways and forests and dunes. Many of the holes have ocean views, but the walk between some greens is long and hilly, so a cart is recommended.

The Madeira Islands’ best course
The Madeira Islands have three major golf courses, and the par 72, 18-hole Palheiro, on the main island, is recommended for its challenging greens. Built on volcanic hills, the course traverses peaks and valleys, and is set among a pine forest and other natural vegetation.

I am moving to Portugal soon and I am in between St. Julian’s and Carlucci. I will be going into IB and I want a good school, preferrably one where Physical Education classes/ Gym is not a requirement for students in their last two years of school. If you have any information on either of these schools please let me know. Thanks.

Boasting some of the best beaches in Europe, Portugal has long been a favourite destination for British sun-seekers taking advantage of cheap flights to the country, as well as the Mediterranean climate and lower cost of living it has to offer. But with more and more Britons longing for property abroad, the country is turning more heads as the new hot location for property investment in the buy-to-let market, as a place to retire or for those fortunate enough to purchase a second home.

Spain and France have long topped the list of countries where people buy second homes or investment property, but for those who more often opt for the path less traveled, or less developed in this case, Portugal is becoming more appealing. Travelers from Britain are increasingly looking for holidays in culturally rich places rather than the typical cookie-cutter “sun, sand and beach” resorts that have become a mainstay of the holiday market. Portugal’s tough controls on planning and development have preserved much of its countryside and towns, along with the typical Portuguese charm that has piqued the interest of those wishing to invest there.

Property investors such as Mark and Kerry Woodhouse of Maidenhead have taken notice and bought property north of Lisbon, in an area known as the Silver Coast. Away from the places of higher development in the south, they invested in a two bedroom flat near Obidos on a golf development which they plan to let.

“People are crying out for a more cultural type of holiday where you experience what the country is like, rather than going to a place saturated with new developments” Ms Woodhouse told the Telegraph.

They believe that this turn in the market will give them a good return on their investment and many others are tuning into this shift as well.

With interest rates on the rise there has never been a better time to get on the overseas property ladder. According to Conti Financial Services, a specialist advisor on arranging foreign mortgages, borrowers can get a loan in euros for as low as 3.4 percent. Of course there is a lot to take into account when making any investment such as the down payment, which can be much more in Portugal than other countries abroad, and the fluctuations in currency conversion also effect loan repayments.

There are plenty of lenders in the UK including Halifax, Lloyds, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland and some building societies employing experts ready to assist those wishing to buy abroad and also offer loans internationally. Finding that perfect place in the sun has never been easier with so many agencies advertising online property in Portugal and estate agents displaying Portuguese properties in their windows.