Why this Portuguese holiday resort visited by Cristiano Ronaldo is perfect for families

Independent

07-03-2025

Family holidays can be, all at once, the best and worst of times. Sharing new experiences and quality time with those closest to you, in a warm, sun-kissed seaside destination, can deliver some of life's finest moments, with memories to last. A lack of planning and preparation, different expectations (and budgets) and the friction of being with each other 24/7 has the potential to generate tension, however harmonious relations may be.
For the Barrett family, however, their trip to the Pine Cliffs Resort in Portugal exceeded expectations – from dining options to extracurricular activities (or lack thereof) – for all three generations. Here, father and daughter describe their experiences at the five-star resort that's a hit with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Frank Barrett
While the Spanish Costas carry a light whiff of danger – famously popular with crime bosses and disgraced autocrats who quit their besieged palaces in a hurry – the public face of the Algarve is Sir Cliff Richard, who turned his Summer Holiday into a more permanent Portuguese seaside home. By contrast, the edgiest thing the Bachelor Boy did on his Albufeira estate was to grow grapes and make his own wine: Cliff's Vida Nova ('rated five stars by Denmark's top newspaper, Berlingske!').
It's no surprise that Portugal remains a firm favourite with families. With a flight time of less than three hours from London, a soft sand coastline and options for all budgets, the country continues to be a hit with British travellers, year-on-year. Gently shelving sandy beaches – perfect for paddling – cooled by soft breezes blowing in from the Atlantic, help make even the hottest summer days more bearable.
The flight to Faro offers a typical cross-section of Algarve-bound tourists. On our easyJet flight from Bristol, half the plane was taken up by a party of Welsh men en route to a golf course (a potent year-round attraction for UK travellers). The balance was made up by a few hen-partying women, while the rest, like us, consisted of families. Our multi-generational party included my wife, our daughter, her husband and their two-year old son George (clutching for dear life to a mini-figure of Frozen' s Elsa which, suitably, he was very reluctant to let go).
The region's other ace for families is its fine range of top quality hotels aimed at the family market. Our troop was headed to Pine Cliffs near Albufeira.
Situated a 30-minute drive from Faro airport, we were barely off the plane before approaching the impressive entrance gate to the Pine Cliffs estate. The resort not only has a large hotel but also a Suites Residence, as well as townhouses which can be rented by the week. It's home to a selection of big family-friendly pools, as well providing a lift down to a beach that was recently rated as the best in the world by Tripadvisor. There is also a spa, a gym and more restaurants than you can shake a stick at.
As a premium resort, Pine Cliffs is not cheap – last year Cristiano Ronaldo and his Saudi Arabian football team came here for summer training. Affordable options can be found, however – and our family would agree that it's a place well worth splashing out on.
When it comes to holidays, my personal preference isn't self-catering, but this may be because I'm generally not given to making beds, hoovering or cooking. My wife and I were initially listed to stay in the hotel part of the property, but as the rest of our pack were in the Residences, it made sense to be next door to them (while I wasn't convinced a connecting door would be a good idea, I was proved wrong). Our accommodation was thoroughly five-star.
There are 15 different restaurants onsite featuring traditional Algarvian cuisine, Italian, Indian, Japanese fusion and even a steakhouse, making it easy to cater for all tastes. Our highlights included a sumptuously stocked breakfast buffet, and Maré – a top-of-the-range fish restaurant – which also had a mouthwatering choice of non-fishy things for vegetarians.
My holiday activities are reading and dozing (more dozing than reading these days) and while there may be better places to doze than next to the soporific Residences pool, I can't think of them.
More energetic holidaymakers can look forward to teeing off on the nine-hole golf course, whipping up some healthy competition on one of eight world-class tennis and Padel courts, visiting the professional football centre used by Ronaldo and company, or trying out a host of watersports.
If that's all feels like too much effort, head to the spa and simply indulge in a range of treatments, from massages to facials. Elsewhere, younger guests can burn off some energy on a tree-climbing circuit, on the mini-golf course, try kayaking or surfing, or head to the on-site kids' football academy.
Jessica Barrett (mother to two-year-old George and daughter of Frank)
Before the arrival of George in 2022, our holiday specifications were somewhere tropical and remote, with an infinity pool and cocktails on tap. Since becoming parents, these have been mournfully crossed off the menu. Now, our requirements include a short-haul destination with toddler pools, high-spec playgrounds, kids' menus and restaurants where you don't feel you need to apologise to everyone around you as Icky Sticky Bubblegum suddenly blares from your iPad.
Finding a balance between our old and new travel lives has been a learning curve, but Pine Cliffs feels like the perfect compromise. It has a cliff-top champagne bar where you can watch the sunset, but mere metres away sits a giant pirate ship-themed play area. There's a spa and a kids club, golf courses and a flashy arcade (toddler heaven, it turns out). Every member of your family feels acknowledged. Most importantly, it feels serene and luxurious without any suffocating sense of pressure to keep your children quiet – it's their holiday as much as yours, after all.
Our one-bedroom suite was one of the hotel's recently refurbished Ocean Suites, and it was so well-equipped and smart we could have stayed for two weeks. If only every hotel room came with its own washer dryer.
Dining with a two-year-old can be tricky; if you're not dealing with a fussy eater, you might well be dealing with a flight risk. We found some rare peaceful delight in our mealtimes at Pine Cliffs, thanks to smart kids' menus (George favoured the huge bowls of tomato pasta at O Pescador), tranquil sunset settings and capable staff who knew just when to swoop in with a bowl of vanilla ice cream. And if, like us, your child does like to bolt off from the table, there's plenty of outdoor space for them to work off a post-dinner sugar rush.
As a working mum who hasn't slept since 2021, my first port of call was the Serenity Spa – home to an array of blissful treatments, including a signature 'Senses of the Algarve' massage, celebrating the best ingredients the region has to offer. The gym was well equipped, although the peace of the sun loungers nestled underneath the pines and overlooking the sea, seemed to call my name louder than any treadmill could.
Family holidays tend to take place under the constant threat that events may suddenly escalate to Defcon One at a moment's notice. Family trips of yore, in the company of grandparents and parents, often ran the risk of turning nuclear. The joy of Pine Cliffs was that we holidayed together – but separately. Unlike a week in a villa, for example, where everyone is thrown together and skirmishes can erupt over the washing-up, a resort is a no-washing up zone. At any point, each family group could retire with dignity to their own quarters. The most compelling verdict is that we're already looking forward to our next multi-generational break.
Prices start from £255 per night based on two adults and two children (under 11-years-old) staying at Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites in a two-bedroom suite on a room only basis. Two adults at Pine Cliffs Hotel start from £170 per night in a deluxe room resort view. Price based on March 2025 travel. For more information, visit pinecliffs.com.