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This gourmet retreat is set amidst splendid sea-front gardens and is home to Portugal’s only two-star Michelin restaurant (open to non-residents). Rooms and suites are individually decorated but are only available on a half-board basis (breakfast and evening meal).

Commanding views over precipitous cliffs, this hotel is within easy walking distance of Carvoeiro town centre. The interior is Moorish in influence and rooms have spectacular ocean vistas. The health club has a Jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish bath, and there is a diving school near the bay.

Converted from former fishermen’s houses, the hotel has a chapel and museum incorporated into its structure. Most rooms have views of Ria Formosa. Courtesy boat transport is offered to nearby Tavira island.

This granite, mountain inn is set in terraced gardens bursting with a fine collection of camellias. The views are spectacular, especially from the side of the pool.

A charming example of an early 20th-century Algarve guest house, Bela Vista’s interior glows with beautiful azulejos panels. Situated right on Praia da Rocha, this is a wonderful alternative to the modern aparthotels and villas.

The yellow shutters of this hotel sparkle over the quiet town of São Brás de Alportel. Most rooms overlook a hinterland of olive and cork trees, while the pool, tennis facilities and regional cuisine completes the picture.

Unrivalled as the best hotel along the Guadiana, guests here wake up to a view of the river and rural Spain beyond. An ideal place to relax and unwind.

Near the old town, this smart hotel is a series of buildings linked around a swimming pool. Guests also have the use of an exclusive beach club down on the seafront.

Very comfortable and conveniently situated right on Faro’s marina, the panorama from the rooftop swimming pool is outstanding and takes in the Ria Formosa and the surrounding lagoons. The city’s historic old quarter is a five-minute walk away.

Jacqueline Kennedy was a guest here in the days when this immaculately kept inn was a private villa. Located near the fort and dating from the 19th century, the period detail is exquisite. Light floods the verandah in late afternoon, and tea on the terrace comes with a fabulous sea view.