A garden pool, a shaded breakfast table and a whole afternoon without plans. Our Algarve collection includes small guesthouses, whitewashed country retreats and inviting stays in Tavira and Lagos. Some put you among quiet gardens; others make it easy to step out into town for coffee or dinner.

The coast gives you plenty of reasons to venture out, from boat rides to sandy islands in the east to coves beneath the cliffs further west. Inland, village cafés and long lunches offer another way to spend the day. Choose a hotel you’ll enjoy returning to, because a swim and an evening on the terrace can be just as tempting as another outing.