11 best hotels for a beach vacation in Portugal
If you're looking to have a beach vacation at some point in the future, look no further than Portugal.
The country boasts more than 500 miles of Atlantic coastline covered with sandy beaches and looming cliffs. And let's not forget about Portuguese islands like the Azores and Madeira, where you can find black (and golden) sand beaches, rocky cliffs and endless natural wonders.
TPG has pulled together a list of the country's best beach hotels for when you're looking to have a little fun in the Portuguese sun. The good news is that islands like Madeira see year-round sunshine and warm temperatures, making them ideal for a beach vacation at any time.
Pine Cliffs Resort Algarve, The Luxury Collection
Algarve is one of the most popular spots for a Portuguese beach vacation, and Pine Cliffs is the ideal hotel choice for luxury travelers. The hotel, which sits amid wooded pines, is home to six pools and has a unique glass lift that carries guests down to the golden sands of Falésia Beach. As a bonus, it's just an hour's drive from Faro Airport (FAO).
Room rates for this Marriott Category 6 property start at 40,000 points per night on off-peak dates. It'll cost you 50,000 points per night on standard dates, while on peak dates, the nightly rate rises to 60,000 points. However, remember that Marriott Bonvoy will transition to dynamic award pricing in March 2022 and remove its award charts with set redemption rates. That means hotels will be able to change their award pricing night by night.
Related: Why families will love Marriott's Pine Cliffs Resort in Portugal's Algarve region
Martinhal Sagres
Families should head to Martinhal Sagres, a resort located within a national park overlooking the beautiful Martinhal Beach. The hotel is geared toward the needs of families, with a kids club, sport training classes, a baby concierge and family/teen hangout rooms equipped with PlayStations, snooker, table tennis, air hockey and more.
Room rates start at $216 per night for May 2022 dates.
Companhia das Culturas
Companhia das Culturas is a boutique, sustainable hotel set upon a pine, carob and cork tree farm a quick drive away from the Spanish border and Verde Beach on the Algarve coast. The hotel has unique, whitewashed buildings with wood accents, complete with a Hamman (steam bath), swimming pool and yoga classes for the ultimate relaxing escape.
Room rates start at $148 per night.
Vila Foz Hotel & Spa
North of Porto and just steps away from Molhe Beach, Vila Foz looks more like a regal mansion than a hotel. The sea inspires the rooms at this Design Hotel and the spa offers unique herbology treatments. The hotel also provides free bikes to use and complimentary shuttles to and from Porto.
Room rates start at $279 per night for April 2022 dates.
Related: 13 of the most beautiful villages in Portugal
InterContinental Cascais — Estoril
Just a 30-minute drive from Lisbon, the InterContinental Cascais-Estoril features guest rooms with sea views (some with balconies) and a relaxing outdoor pool surrounded by verdant landscaping. You have your choice of beaches too, as the hotel is located between Tamariz Beach and Rata Beach.
Room rates start at $157 or 37,500 IHG Rewards points per night.
Quinta do Comporta
Part of Hyatt's Small Luxury Hotel program, this boutique wellness resort is near the tranquil beach town of Comporta. With the beach on one side and rice farms on the other, you'll get your fill of nature — the resort's combination of rural-chic meets sustainable luxury makes for a genuinely rejuvenating escape. Don't forget to try one of the hotel's signature rice treatments at the spa.
Room rates start at $259 per night for April dates or 30,000 World of Hyatt points per night. Keep in mind that Hyatt is preparing to launch a points pricing system where each category of hotels has three redemption levels: standard, peak and off-peak.
Conrad Algarve
Conrad Algarve has it all: five restaurants (one with a Michelin star), three pools, beach access and a spa with amenities like an ice fountain and oxygen inhalation treatments. You can also partake in the Conrad Algarve's wellness programs such as yoga immersion or essential detox and weight loss regimes.
Room rates start at $260 per night for April 2022 dates or 74,000 Hilton Honors points per night. Keep in mind that this property is closed from Dec. 13, 2021, to Feb. 7, 2022.
Belmond Reid's Place
One of the most coveted hotel properties on the island of Madeira, Belmond Reid's Palace, is located on a cliff in Funchal. The hotel's rooms are luminous and airy, with balconies and patios to enjoy the breeze. The pools are extra dreamy — one is enormous, and the other juts out on rocks balanced above the sea.
Room rates start at $339 per night for March 2022 dates.
Related: 7 reasons why your next vacation should be in Portugal
Vilalara Thalassa
This stunning wellness resort on the Algarve coast is home to a private beach, five swimming pools, a world-renowned Thalassotherapy center and the Longevity Medical Spa. Medical and wellness programs include water rejuvenation and anti-smoking help. Vilalara has both suites and spacious private apartments, some with pool views and some with sea views.
Room rates start at $304 per night for May 2022 dates.
Praia D' El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort
Just a short distance away from the medieval village of Obidos and the famed surf spots of Peniche and Baleal, the Praia D'El Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort has 177 renovated guest rooms, each with a balcony or terrace. Enjoy both the indoor and outdoor pool, the Kalyan Spa or play a round at the 18-hole golf course.
Room rates at this Category 5 Marriott property start at $129 for April 2022 dates or 30,000 points per night on off-peak dates. On standard dates, it's 35,000 points per night, and on peak nights, it'll cost you 40,000 points per night.
Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort
This sustainable resort in the Azores is located on a black sand beach on São Miguel island, a unique lodging alternative to the more golden sands the Iberian peninsula offers. Enjoy Santa Barbara's farm-to-table cuisine, the saltwater pool or the spa and fitness center, which are located in a hilltop greenhouse.
Room rates start at $203 per night for April 2022 dates.
Bottom line
Portugal offers many different destinations for a beach vacation — near the wineries of Port, the southern, sunny shores of the Algarve, the surfing beaches near Lisbon and, of course, the black sands of the Azores and the year-round spring temperatures and warm rays of Madeira. Whichever you choose, there's a beach hotel to fit your tastes, travel style and budget.