Recharge in the ALGARVE

Restore body and soul with a break at Vale do Lobo resort in Portugal

- CHRIS MORLEY

A two-hour flight from the UK and a 30-minute taxi ride from Faro, and you can feel your shoulders drop as you arrive at the emerald-lawned entrance to Vale do Lobo, a high-end resort on the surf-tickled Atlantic coast. Famous for its championship golf courses and tennis academy, it's also a haven of natural beauty, set in 1,000 acres of gorgeous greenery and fringed by a ribbon of caramel sands.

Beach and beyond

The 2km, sugar-sand beach invites you to lounge, surf and stroll, or seek out a convivial bar for an aperitif or coffee. For a sunset spectacular, go in the evening and watch the ochrehued limestone cliffs blaze red in the dipping rays.