5 Best Hotels in Albufeira, The Algarve

This resort's low-rise architecture beautifully blends into the landscape, which includes sand dunes and pretty gardens shaded by pine trees. There are six pools (including one indoor and one exclusively for kids), a fitness center, six restaurants, and a large, well-serviced spa where treatments can be enjoyed in the open air. Located in a prime spot overlooking Albufeira's Falésia Beach, the Epic Sana may not have the postal code of its Golden Triangle counterparts, but it certainly has the high quality to match them.

Grand in style, the cliff-top Santa Eulália occupies a privileged position just a short drive from the town center. It has large, modern rooms (ask for one facing the sea), and a host of facilities, including an impressive spa. Multiple restaurants on site satisfy appetites large and small; from a family-friendly buffet to a seasonal seafood restaurant overlooking the bay.

One of Albufeira's most popular lodgings is a 10-minute walk from the main square. Smart, well-equipped rooms have private balconies; ask for one with a sea view, or you may end up facing the busy main road. Reserve well in advance for summer stays here, as package-tour operators tend to book whole blocks of rooms.