Casa Barreto

More on Armacao De Pera, Algarve

This is mega beach holiday territory. This buzzing resort is a treasure box for beach lovers and families craving soft sands, calm seas and sunny days. Whilst the hamlet of old Pêra scrambles up the hillsides above, Armação has morphed from being the village’s tiny harbour into a popular resort. Along the waterfront, restaurants and cafés tussle for your attention, offering everything from fresh shellfish to international cuisine. And in the centre, more bars and shops cater for those between-beach bouts of souvenir-hunting and café-pitstops. No trip here though would be complete without some serious sunbathing on Armação’s beach. Stretching almost as far as the eye can see, this expanse of pale sands is one of the longest in Portugal - so there’s always bags of space. Better still, the beach is perfect for children’s construction work. With its gently sloping sands and clear seas, it’s great for paddling and building sandcastles. When you’re ready for refreshments, beach bars provide tingly-cold ice creams and drinks. And there’s plenty of watersports on offer for cobweb-blowing seaborne pursuits. Fringing the beach, you’ll also find beautiful rocky coves and cliff-framed bays to mix things up a bit. Why not join a boat trip to plant yourself in a peaceful cove or visit some of the pretty cliff grottoes? At sundown, expect vibrant nights of waterfront drinks and dinner followed by time spent chatting and dancing in Armação’s extrovert music bars and clubs. Or for something romantic, head for Pêra’s cobbled streets for an intimate supper under the stars.