16 of the best places to stay in Portugal this year

Since it was announced to be on the UK’s green list for travel, Portugal has become the the top long-awaited holiday choice for Brits this summer. So, to make that booking process just a little bit easier, here’s our pick of the best Portuguese getaways with availability for the coming year, from cheap and chic surf shacks to luxurious spa resorts and private villas. Sign us up.

1 Quinta da Comporta

An infinity pool overlooking rice fields, spa in a converted barn, organic restaurant, thatch roof cabanas, painted shutters, a beach close by and rattan and wood furnishings – believe us when we say Quinta da Comporta is a ravishing, rustic retreat you’ll never want to leave.

From £202pn.

2 Outpost Casa das Arribas

It’s all about location, location, location at Outpost, a former private house perched on top of a cliff with incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean. Just a 40-minute drive from Lisbon, it’s now available as six beautifully furnished holiday apartments, with a communal pool, tennis court and gardens.

From €165pn (£142.18), based on two sharing.

3 Vale do Lobo

Iconic, oceanfront resort in the Algarve, with an emphasis on healthy outdoor activities like tennis, running, walking and cycling. Suites and apartments lie in a stunning landscape of native pine trees, two kilometres of golden sand beach and a neighbouring nature reserve.

Seven nights from £747pp including flights.

4 Villa Pego 1

Seeking somewhere incred to book with friends? White-washed Villa Pego 1 sleeps up to 12 in six bedrooms, has a massive pool, roof terrace with views of the Douro River, loads of character and is just a 15-minute walk from the beach. It also has major Love Island vibes, so make sure to shout “I’ve got a text” from time to time.

From £6,100 per week (that’s £508pp based on 12 sharing).

5 The Blue Cabin, Portugal

There’s by the beach and then there’s on the beach and this cute cabin is literally on the sand in Costa da Caparica. Sign up at one of the local surf if you fancy it, if not, just nod off in a hammock to the sound of waves. Food-wise, fisherman sell their catch on the beach (if you haven’t grilled sardines, have you really holidayed in Portugal?), though Lisbon’s actually only a 15-minute Uber away and has an endless choice of restaurants. It’s available for hire in winter too, if you’re keen to escape the turkey and tinsel brigade back home. “Stunning sunsets” feature heavily in its excellent airbnb reviews.

From £189pn.

6 Sao Rafael Suites

Steps from the beach, São Rafael Suites is a glitzy all-inclusive five-star hotel in the Algarve. Dotted around the lush gardens you’ll find three outdoor pools, a spa and several bars and restaurants, including a beach-side diner. Suites all have private balconies, minibars and air-con.

From €165pn (141.82).

7 Adriana Beach Club Hotel Resort

8 Moxy Lisbon City

Portugal’s famous for its beach holidays, but Lisbon makes a brilliant city break and recently-opened Moxy is the base from which we want to explore it. Interiors blend traditional Portuguese touches with modern-day street art, and the rooftop features a 15-metre pool and Insta-worthy views across the city’s terracotta roofs. Expect all the usual Moxy extras, including check-in at the bar and welcome cocktails.

Rates from £62 per room, per night.

9 W Algarve

Ready to make a splash on the iconic Algarve coast when it opens in August, W has access to three beaches and sea views from every room. We want to drink cocktails at the Sea Sky rooftop bar when the sun sets, dance by the pool at a Wet Deck party and then get up for sun rise yoga (ok the last one might be hard with a hangover, but we’d try). Money to burn? Book the Extreme WOW suite which has a plunge pool and hot tub.

Rates from £200pn.

10 Contiki City & Surf Tour

Don’t want to go solo? Laidback 18-35 tour company Contiki’s new offering is a Portuguese group trip combo of exciting city life with chilled beach vibes, taking in Lisbon, Porto, Santa Cruz and the Algarve. You’ll get to try surfing, paddleboarding, skating and yoga at Noah’s Surf House, as well as climbing the Arrábida Bridge across the Douro River, riding an E-bike ride in Porto, learning to make pastel de nata and going on a street art tour of Cascais.

Nine-day Portugal City and Surf from £1,187pp including flights.

11 Vila Vita Parc

A luxurious, clifftop-hugging resort in the Algarve with landscaped gardens, villas, suites, pools and TEN restaurants ranging from casual beachside dining to rustic Portuguese to one-of-a-kind gastro-creations at two-Michelin-starred restaurant Ocean. Basically you’ll too full to leave this place all week.

From £167pn.

12 Blue & Green Vilalara Thalassa Resort

Another cliff-top resort overlooking the Atlantic, but this one’s unique selling point is that it has an amazing, award-winning spa, where you can treat yourself to heavenly hot stone massages and a marine bubble baths, which involves being pummelled by jets of warm sea water in a futuristic looking tub for 30 minutes in the dark (more relaxing than it sounds). When you’re not being pampered there were plenty of other activities to enjoy, from lounging on the private sandy beach to taking a dip in one of five pools and coastal hikes. If you’re looking to detox, the resort’s link up with Longevity Medical Spa means there are plenty detox and anti-aging programs to try too.

Junior suite with garden view from £201pn.

13 Casa Mae, Portugal

A white-washed, tranquil getaway in the small coastal town of Lagos, where conscious consumers chomp away on guilt-free on dishes dictated by what’s available in the veg garden or sourced from local fishermen. There are also farm-to-table workshops in the hotel’s Orta restaurant – including veg and fish prep and cooking in the open kitchen – plus a chance to Cruise, Fish & Grill, where you head out in a boat to fish for your supper then learn how to whip the catch into a ceviche or bbq feast.

From £146pn.

14 Six Senses Douro Valley

Beautiful enough to make us weep, Six Senses is very posh and very beautiful. Perched high on a hill in Portugal’s enchanting wine country, it boasts a stunning outdoor pool, private river cruises, wine tasting and bedrooms with balconies with valley views and wooden bridges to secret gardens. Sigh.

From £282pn.

15 Villa Ruby

Villa Ruby’s in Carvoeiro, a resort with loads of shops, restaurants and bars, and just down the coast from Algar de Benagil, a secret sea cave you can swim to with a circular hole above and two spectacular arches. The cute villa-for-four comes with a large pool, two bedrooms and bathrooms and a pretty courtyard with outside barbecue and dining area.

Seven nights from £579.

16 Surfers Lodge Peniche

Created by John Malmqvist, a Swedish surf champion who’s surfed Nazare, the world’s biggest wave (45mins down the road!), this is such a cool place to hang out on holiday – surf memorabilia, boho-types chilling with flat whites, a cafe serving delicious bites like veggie tacos and sweet potato wedges. It’s basically sleep, eat, surf, repeat, though there are also yoga lessons, guest skateboards to play around on and the surrounding area of Baleal to explore, which includes a smattering of restaurants and sweeping beaches.

Five nights, including three surf lessons, from £645pp.

Amanda Statham Travel Editor Cosmo’s globetrotter (58 countries so far!), I’m as happy in a VW Camper in Cornwall as I am in a five-star in the Seychelles (though if you’re going to make me choose, I’ll take the Indian Ocean island option, ta).

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