Golden Sands & Sunsets

Flying in to Faro, you’ll pick up your hire car and make the half-hour drive to your first destination: the pleasant country town of Moncarapacho. You’ll spend three nights here at Vila Monte Farm House, a rustic-chic boutique hotel set on a country estate, which combines rural tranquillity with proximity to the famously beautiful coastline of the Algarve.

Vila Monte overlooks the beautiful Ria Formosa Natural Park, a coastal area of wetlands and lagoons. You can explore the region, and savour one of the world’s most romantic foods, with trips to working oyster farms, while dolphin and whale watching boat trips await further out to sea. For the ultimate romantic experience, you can also be taken out to a desert island, for sunbathing and a secluded picnic lunch. If you fancy yourselves as gourmands then get to know the secrets of Algarve cuisine with a tour of the market followed by a cooking class, or try out the finest wines from the Alentejo and Douro regions and beyond.

The second half of your stylish honeymoon adventure sees you taking to the road for an hour’s drive west along Portugal’s southern coast, arriving at the beautiful Praia de Rocha. This popular resort town is classic Algarve, with a beautiful sandy beach flanked by rugged coastline. Your hotel, though, is far from standard resort fare.

The Bela Vista Hotel & Spa is a beautiful heritage hotel, perched on the beach, which has been owned by the same family since the 19th century and has the traditionally elegant décor to match. If lazing on the beach sounds like your idea of paradise, then there’s golden sand lying on your doorstep; if you’re feeling more energetic, then kitesurfing, jet-skiing and sailing are among the water-based activities on offer.

Back on dry land, you can take to the golf course or browse the markets in traditional nearby towns like Loule. The rest of the time, simply relax: take in the beautiful vistas that give the hotel its name, enjoy romantic candlelit dinners at the Michelin-starred restaurant, and pamper yourselves with indulgent treatments in the hotel spa.

After four nights of pampering, dining, sun, sea and sand in Praia de Rocha, your honeymoon adventure comes to an end, and you’ll drive back to Faro for your flight home.