Vila Vita Parc review: a luxury Algarve hotel that families will love

Times

12-06-2025

Vila Vita Parc in Alporchinhos is set in extensive subtropical gardens that bloom with palm trees and twitter with birdlife as they run down to a secluded sandy beach at the foot of the cliffs. You could easily do nothing much at all here — summoning another glass of local wine to your daybed by the infinity pool while debating which of the 12 restaurants to visit for dinner, perhaps — although there is a full suite of sports facilities on site as well as a fabulous Sisley spa. This is a particularly good choice for families, with warm and friendly service, spacious accommodation, car-free grounds and children's menus that offer a cut above the usual beige fare in all the restaurants.
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Score 9/10Scattered around the lush gardens, the 203 rooms are set in low-slung whitewashed buildings and range from doubles with panoramic ocean views to family suites sleeping five. With a breezy blue and white colour scheme and glass doors out to either a balcony or terrace, there's a chic laid-back vibe and the attention to detail is top-notch, with plenty of cupboards and drawers just where you need them, coffee cups crafted by local potters and even teeny robes and slippers for children. Bathrooms are spacious too, with double sinks and walk-in showers. The seamless service really sets this hotel apart, balancing efficient logistics — luggage, cars and complimentary water appear and disappear at guests' will with glorious ease — with a warmth that extends to the youngest guests. Some rooms are several minutes' walk from the main buildings, but golf buggies can be summoned to zip you around the resort.
Score 9/10Vila Vita Parc has a whopping 12 restaurants, from family-friendly casual dining to two-Michelin-star gastronomy ideal for a grown-up date night (the hotel's babysitting service comes in handy here). Families can try traditional Portuguese fare at lakeside Adega — with standout seafood such as monkfish and squid — or Italian at Giardino, or teppanyaki at Mizu (over sixes only). The Michelin-starred Ocean has an incredible tasting menu (over 12s only). For lunch, Praia Dourada is the top pick, serving josper-grilled seafood, curries and salads at the hotel's beach club (reached via free shuttle). With such a firm focus on food, it's no surprise that breakfast is first class. Served at the brasserie-style Bela Vita or the ocean-view Atlântico there's everything you'd expect to find on the buffet (homemade granola, flaky pastries, tumbling piles of exotic fruits) as well as tempting à la carte dishes such as eggs benedict and huevos rancheros.
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Score 9/10One of the joys of a stay here is strolling through the subtropical gardens, encountering swans and ducks, watching the water fountains and gently debating whether this is a day for sandy-toed fun at the beach at the base of the cliffs or a snooze on the day beds beside the infinity pool (over 12s only). Fancy more activity? There's pitch and putt, tennis, pickleball and padel on site and the hotel can organise water sports such as kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, boat trips to local caves and dolphin watching too (all for an extra charge). With its sea cave-inspired decor of natural stone and soothing blues, the Sisley spa feels like a real retreat, despite being right behind the main building, and offers superb massages.
Score 7/10There's nowhere much you'll want to walk to from here, but the resort is in the centre of the Algarve, within easy driving distance of numerous sandy beaches and local attractions including the pretty resort town of Carvoeiro and the sea caves at Benagil. Faro airport is a 45-minute drive.
Price B&B doubles from £207Restaurant mains from £14Family-friendly YAccessible Y
Helen Ochyra was a guest of Vila Vita Parc (vilavitaparc.com)
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