Move over Madeira! This golden seaside resort is Portugal’s best kept secret

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We at Travel Off Path all know the awful feeling of visiting a hyped up seaside resort that turns out to be nothing short of a tourist trap.

What you pictured in your head as a serene slice of paradise ended up being a sore spot in your mind’s eye, even a year after your visit.

Well, that’s the case with me…

Last year I had the great pleasure of visiting Portugal for the first time. It really is a beautiful country, both culturally and visually, and let’s just say I could never go hungry here…

The city that was most recommended to me was Albufeira. After an hour of being hassled by vendors as I wandered the quaint streets and tried to enjoy the breathtaking views of the coast from overpriced rooftop restaurants, I was no longer ready to return to what became one of my favorite beach towns, not just in Portugal, but in all of Europe.

Home to virtually no crowds, insanely affordable five-star resorts and sensational cuisine that I have yet to replicate at home, the whitewashed hideaway of Quarteira should be high on your list if you’re looking for some winter sun ‘across the pond’ this winter.

Enjoy flawless golden beaches

You don’t need Al Roker to tell you that the Algarve is one of the sunniest winter destinations in Europe. That’s why a trip here without enough beach days in your plans is a real sin.

Another reason I felt like Albufeira was overhyped was the amount of people flocking to their beaches.

Was it a beautiful beach? Of course: it’s Portugal! But even in late autumn/early winter you don’t expect as many crowds as we did for a city that is certainly not a household name.

Luckily we’ve made our base in Quarteira, off the traditional tourist track, even though the resorts are top class.

While fun bars and airy restaurants surround the lively marina, don’t mistake the calm waters and beautiful sunsets for the best waterfront.

On the real beaches of Quarteira you will discover pure paradise – the kind we were hoping for in Albufeira.

With stretches of golden beaches that feel untouched, with footprint-free sand and authentic hole-in-the-walls serving up Portuguese cuisine, Quarteira offers the laid-back coastal escape that most travelers don’t even realize they’re missing.

I can’t recommend these 3 beaches enough:

• Praia do Allegerm
• Praia da Falesia
• Praia Alegre (my favorite!)

You’ll always find an open bar stool or table at numerous wine and tapas bars to choose from, including one spot that’s never left my mind when I’ve had tapas this past year — Teixiera.

Name brand resorts at bargain prices

Listen, we all deserve to treat ourselves every now and then, especially with our 9-to-5 workloads and the new normality of having multiple sources of income.

While it’s much more feasible to make a quick trip to Mexico to a fancy all-inclusive resort, there would never be a room available if you found these rates south of the border.

My girlfriend and I stayed Hilton Vilamoura Golf & Spa Resortan immaculate oasis with countless pools, tranquil waterfalls and attentive staff that will make you feel like royalty.

It was great then, and honestly even better now, because we timed our trip just right before an extensive makeover took place.

This resort has now reopened with a fresh glow and is better than ever, but the best news for you is that their prices don’t reflect this.

The rates float in the low $100 during the winter. Keep in mind that it’s not all-inclusive, but who would leave a sangria pitcher by the pool?

Yes, you’ll be here for a while…

When you do leave, the resort offers a free shuttle service to the marina for cheaper food and drinks.

Hilton isn’t alone in Quarteira’s affordable resort scene in chic Vilamoura. Also check these out:

• 4-star hotels:
• Browns Sports Resort
• Aquashow Park Hotel

• 5-star hotels:
• Pestana Vila Sol
• Anantare Vilamoura Algarve
• Domes Lake Algarve, signature collection

Quarteira’s food is fire! (Literal)

Newsflash: Spain is not the undisputed champion of wine and tapas.

As much as I loved riding around Mallorca, I have to say Quarteira was next level.

Wine was only $3 a glass, and the menu pages were possibly longer than the Cheesecake Factory offering an array of tapas that I probably would have had to drive out if my girlfriend didn’t make me stop eating.

Social quickly became one of my favorite restaurants from all my European trips – and I’ve been to some fantastic foodie cities.

Let the expert staff work their magic with perfect combinations like Flamed black pork chorizo that literally caused me to go on strike for months from eating anything Mexico characterizes as chorizo ​​– it was That Good.

You really can’t go wrong here if you choose a restaurant, other than the touristy Irish pubs. Definitely opt for the more traditional Mom ‘n Pop taverns and you’ll thank me later.

Sam Sears

Sam, our lead writer and San Diego-based journalist, has visited 36 countries and written more than 1,000 articles with an emphasis on sharing his own travel experiences and highlighting lesser-known gems.