Standing on the sun-warmed sand, we watch swell lines rolling toward the shore. Surfers dot the water, eyes trained to the horizon, waiting for their next ride. My eight-year-old daughter glances up at the unrelenting blue sky. “Are you sure this is winter?” she asks.
We’ve just arrived in Praia da Luz, a small beach town and surf spot in the western Algarve, where our family of four is spending February half-term with friends. It’s 18°C (64°F), sunny, and windless. Locals are dressed in long trousers and light coats, while we have giddily stripped to our T-shirts, knowing that back home it will be months before we feel warmth like this.
Impressed by the quality and choice of available accommodation when we booked at the last minute, we’ve rented a villa just a 10-minute walk from the beach. It sleeps all nine of us (four adults and five kids), set in large grounds with an outdoor pool, tennis court, and a small orange grove, costing £200 a night.
On our first full day, we wake to sunshine. The children, who range in age from eight to 13, race off to pick fresh oranges for breakfast, returning with juices dripping down their chins, declaring them the “best oranges we’ve ever tasted.”
Later, we stroll down to the local beach, Praia da Luz, a long golden sandy beach backed by sea cliffs. As a family who surfs, we’ve brought our own boards, but there are also places to rent equipment and take lessons. One popular outfit is Salty Wave Surf School, which operates out of Lagos, offering board hire and coaching for all levels. Out of season, the beaches aren’t lifeguarded, so we remain vigilant as we watch for rips and currents, but from Easter, lifeguards will be on patrol. The youngest of the children play on the shoreline, while the rest of us take turns surfing in clean, shoulder-high waves. I enjoy the easy, forgiving beach break, while the more experienced surfers head to the eastern end of the bay to surf the reef.
After a long morning in the water, we are ready for lunch and choose Lazuli, a beachfront restaurant with outdoor seating. We order cheese and ham toasties for the children, and a jug of fresh white sangria for the adults, relaxing in the sun while listening to a young musician play guitar.
The next day, the wind turns onshore, the sky becomes hazy, and the surf is blown out. My son and I decide to hike along the cliff top to Lagos. We begin our walk along the cobbled beachfront of Luz, then cut up steeply along a red dirt trail toward the Rocha Negra headland. Reaching the top, we are rewarded with a postcard view of Luz, with its cluster of white houses gathered by the coast.
The two-hour hike hugs the cliff top all the way into the city of Lagos, offering sweeping views over the wild beaches below. We only see two other walkers, who we greet with a friendly “Boa tarde” (good afternoon), eager to use the bits of Portuguese we’ve been practicing.
When we reach Lagos, we reward ourselves with ice creams and then stroll along the edge of the fort, admiring a distant rainbow. In the height of summer, I’m told, the city is bustling with a party vibe, but in February, there’s only a gentle bustle. Wandering into the old town, we discover narrow, cobbled lanes and an array of attractive shops. I could happily while away an hour or two, but like most 10-year-olds, my son is a reluctant shopper.
For dinner, my son picks an Italian restaurant, Pepperino, where the chef spins pizza bases and slots them into the wood-fired oven. The staff is warm and attentive, the pizzas delicious, and we leave happy and well-fed.
It’s a joy to visit Portugal when the landscape is lush and fresh, with hillsides dotted with bright yellow wildflowers. The following day, we head to Burgau, a sleepy fishing village just a 10-minute drive west. A golden-sand cove is sheltered by high cliffs, and, in the right conditions, waves roll into the bay. After a morning surf, we dry off and wander barefoot into A Prateleira, a tiny, local-run café with views over the bay, where we indulge in the local delicacy—pastel de nata custard tarts.
The benefits of visiting the Algarve in low season include the lack of crowds, quiet beaches, affordable prices, and the ease of getting a table anywhere. The downside is that evenings are longer and cooler, so most nights we opt to cook at our villa. With an outdoor kitchen and barbecue, it’s a sociable way to spend the evening, listening to music and having a drink, while the children (and, on one occasion, the adults) swim in the floodlit pool.
