For most holidaymakers, Portugal’s Algarve conjures up images of long days spent swimming and sunbathing along miles and miles of pristine sandy beaches. That’s something I still enjoy, but on my latest visit to the region I’m also hoping to experience some alternative activities and delve a bit deeper into the Algarve’s culture and gastronomy – and maybe even get to play chef for a day…
I’m staying at Anantara Vilamoura Resort, just 10 minutes from that stunning coastline, and one of the brand’s 49 properties around the world. The hotel became part of the Anantara portfolio in 2017, marking the brand’s debut in Europe, and the concept is one designed to suit many kinds of clients. Aiming to bring the best of both worlds together, one side is reserved exclusively for adults (with 110 suites and rooms), while the other is family-orientated, with 146 spacious accommodations.
Each section has its own dedicated pool, and there are age-appropriate bars and restaurants along with kids’ and teen clubs. Major renovations in May 2023 included the addition of 30 new swim-up family rooms and suites featuring a 30m pool, plus 20 adults-only signature suites with views of the adjacent golf course or pool.
The lobby of the hotel is engagingly quirky, with its gleaming circular bar and lounge with comfy sofas and intricate wicker stools, plus an installation by Portuguese artist Gabriela Albergaria – a huge tree reconstructed from felled pine and acacia that stretches up to the balconies of the first floor.
The piece is just one of 269 works of art by seven Portuguese artists on display in various parts of the hotel – pop-up art exhibitions are also planned to promote and support the work of local Algarve artists.
I’m staying in the adults-only wing of the hotel, in a spacious Palms Suite with twin bedroom, separate living room and twin balconies. The clever design of the suite’s two bathrooms sees a sliding door either connect or separate them, depending on guest preference. It’s also good to see the growing trend away from wasteful single-use mini plastic bottles is followed here, with reusable press-pumps containing toiletries from venerable Portuguese brand Claus Porto.
Authentic experiences
As you’d expect, the hotel ticks all the boxes when it comes to comfort and facilities, but when it also possesses its own “experience guru” – with a dedicated desk in the lobby – you know this is an area the brand takes seriously. And during my stay, I see that in action, discovering there’s plenty to keep me busy both inside and outside of the resort.
First up, a visit to adults-only Botanic bar, where mixologist Edgar is waiting to reveal his secrets in an hour-long Gin Masterclass (€40pp). He takes me on a fascinating journey showcasing regional, artisanal varieties of gin used in conjunction with herbs and garnishes grown in the hotel’s garden. Another nice eco-friendly touch here is the use of lemongrass as a straw instead of paper or plastic.
Four generous cocktails later, and I stroll down to flagship seafood restaurant Ria, where fresh local produce is on the menu. I sample a selection of delicious starters including octopus salad with tomatoes, peppers and coriander, oysters and grilled tiger prawns, while melt-in-the-mouth sole follows as a main which is expertly filleted tableside by the friendly waiter.
But the best way to get under the skin of a destination is by meeting the locals and enjoying what they eat and drink, so Anantara Vilamoura has really dialled in to this demand. The next morning and it’s another adventure, one that will prove to be the highlight of my stay.
Taste of the Algarve
As part of the Spice Spoons signature experience (€370, minimum two people), resort chefs Joao and Rui meet me in the lobby and escort us to a waiting car that whisks us to the nearby town of Loulé.
As we weave through the tiny streets, we follow the growing throng of people to the central market, with mosque-like minarets and domes located on each corner of a huge, imposing building.
The streets around the market are a colourful patchwork of fruit and veg vendors but it’s only when stepping inside that the true scale of the market is revealed, as rows and rows of stalls selling everything from wine, olives, cheese, bread, cured meat and honey to fine pottery spread out before us.
It’s a vibrant, noisy environment you could easily spend a day exploring but our time is limited, and Joao and Rui lead us through the crowds to the far end of the building to pick up some vital ingredients for the lunch I’m going to help prepare back at the hotel. After some good-natured haggling at one of the dozens of fish stalls selling every variety of seafood imaginable, we head back to Anantara Vilamoura with a bag of fresh clams and a thick, steak-like cut of croaker, a relative of the swordfish.
Back at the hotel, we head downstairs to the cooking stations at Victoria Restaurant (the hotel’s breakfast and evening buffet venue) where we’ll be using our ingredients to prepare a three-course lunch. I’m put to work steaming some of our market clams in white wine for a starter, then in a special pan that looks a bit like a brass wok with a hinged lid, I add chunks of the croaker fish and more clams to chorizo, prawns and various chopped vegetables to create a traditional Algarvian cataplana stew.
Ingredients added, the pan is put on a low heat and I install myself on an outside table with a glass of chilled white wine where I dig into the steamed clams and bread while I wait to enjoy the fruit, or rather stew, of my labour. Half an hour later, the smell of the sizzling cataplana reaches me before the pan does, and I’m wowed by the depth of flavour, colour and freshness of this regional dish, mindful to leave enough room for the third course of my decadent lunch, a sweet rice dessert topped with cinnamon.
It’s been an amazing experience, one that’s a must for clients to get, literally, a taste of the cuisine, people and culture of the Algarve. Be sure to make sure clients book in advance, though, as this experience only happens four or five times a month.
Active itineraries
Beyond the resort’s three outdoor pools, leisurely pursuits can include a pampering visit to the Anantara Spa with its six treatment rooms, indoor pool, steam room and sauna; a workout in the fitness centre; or a game of tennis on the all-weather synthetic court.
However, the next activity on my list is one for which the Algarve has long been a top destination in Europe – golf. The hotel can book tee times and transfers for guests to dozens of renowned courses in the region, and during my stay, I’m lucky enough to play two of the best – the Old Course Vilamoura and Vale do Lobo.
The former is the grande dame of the Algarve’s courses, with a traditional clubhouse and tight, tree-lined layout that rewards straight-hitting but punishes stray shots. The latter is high-quality track where the majority of holes are lined by multimillion-pound villas apart from the signature 16th – a picturesque par three on which amateur golfers face the peril of a 200-yard tee shot across two coastal cliffs to reach the green.
Spoilt for choice
As I return to restaurant Ria for the last time on my action-packed stay, I feel a little frustrated I haven’t had the chance to sign up for some of the many other experiences on offer – hot air ballooning perhaps, or an olive oil tasting tour.
I could have also signed up for personal training and yoga, or a craftwork course making objects from local palm and cane. Even bird watching at Ria Formosa natural park. But after polishing off ceviche with lime and ginger, tempura vegetables and tender grilled lamb chops at Ria, the memory of my standout experience comes flooding back as I swing by the open kitchen on my way out to discover none other than chef Rui, one of my gastronomic mentors, has been the man behind the menu on my final night.
How to book it
Inspiring Travel offers three nights at Anantara Vilamoura in a deluxe room from £1,035pp, including breakfast, flights from Gatwick and private transfers (price based on two sharing and valid for travel from 11-31 October 2024).
