When Keith McGhie and his wife Saipin and son Michael, from Bradford in West Yorkshire, decided to spend a ‘different’ Christmas last year, they just happened to hit the worst weather Iberia has suffered for decades. But thanks to the excellent facilities at Seasons Algarve resort and some fabulous countryside, they had a terrific time anyway. Why don’t you try it? The weather has got to be better next year!


'It was about as bad as it gets yet, oddly enough, it was still pretty damn good!

No-one goes away anywhere on this side of mainland Europe during the week spanning the winter solstice and expects to be plastering on the Factor 30 in order to ward off the roasting sun. Yet hoping for a little more brightness and warmth than is the norm for Huddersfield or Halifax over the festive period is not unreasonable.

Portugal is renowned for getting its fair share of sunny days, even in the winter so, when Seasons Holidays opened up their newest resort at Mar da Luz, near Lagos, along the western coast of the Algarve, it seemed the ideal destination to savour something different at Christmas.

It WAS different. As Britain froze and prepared itself for its coldest and whitest winter for decades, we packed (no Factor 30 mind) and felt sure the roughest weather we would encounter would be negotiating our way up a snow-bound A1 to Newcastle Airport, en route to Faro, for our winter break. Not the case. Signs were ominous when we stepped off the plane to a distinct chill and were met at the arrivals hall by our car hire representative who assured us that, despite it being bright and sunny at that moment, these were unusually low temperatures for this time of year.

By the time we had navigated the hour long journey along the A22 to Mar da Luz, the sun had succumbed to enormous black clouds and subsequent heavy rain – not making finding our recently finished destination, in the now rapidly fading light, any easier. When it’s chucking it down like stair-rods outside, the locals stay safely indoors and, being a Sunday to Sunday destination, virtually everything is closed at that time of year anyway, so help is as rare as hen’s teeth! That said, in the cold (or actually and thankfully warmer) light of day, the complex where Seasons latest collection of luxury two bedroom apartments are situated is really simple to find, about a mile to the west of the town of Praia da Luz.

For anyone with children, this stretch of coastline, with it’s non-stop stream of silver sand beaches and coves, is heaven, albeit care must be taken as the frequent winds and subsequent waves can be variable and difficult to gauge. This part of the Algarve is a windsurfer or kite flyer’s heaven, as gusts of varying strengths are virtually guaranteed – a factor that is generally appreciated in the baking heat of July and August… but we must have also chosen the fiercest winds of the year. Coupled with the rain, which occurred in the form of VERY heavy showers on six days out of seven, it made our stay and photographs anything but that as depicted by the Portuguese Tourist Board and postcards… but we still had a memorable week with a nice blend of relaxation and exhilaration.

Everything about the accommodation is naturally brand spanking new, generously fitted with all mod cons, including well-stocked and a fully-equipped kitchen, satellite TV, DVD player, hairdryer, ironing facilities and dish-washer (which allowed my wife’s personal one – me – a week off!). In addition, each of the ground floor apartments has its own private splash-pool beside a sizeable external eating/lazing area, although as with the pleasant outdoor pool, only the very brave would make use of either at this time of year.

Conversely, it’s difficult to prise yourself from the comfort of the internal bathing facilities, from the vast and hugely satisfying ‘power showers’ contained within the beautifully tiled bathrooms (each bedroom has its own en-suite) to the indoor swimming pool (small but very warm) and the Jacuzzi, which is almost hot enough to boil and egg in and certainly worth luxuriating within for a few minutes, even if that or the adjacent sauna and Turkish bath are not your usual cup of tea. Speaking of cups of tea. one small but incalculably nice touch is the ‘welcome pack’ found in the kitchen on arrival including the aforementioned tea and coffee making facilities, bread, butter and jam, etc – very handy considering most people arrive late on Sunday and some without their own transport.

As advertised, a hired car is a huge boon at a location which is fairly remote despite the resort’s close proximity to the town of Luz and its two smallish but reasonably equipped supermarkets (which are open until quite late even on Sundays). It’s by no means impossible to walk – indeed in summer the path along the cliff-top into town makes a superb stroll – but the main road (pretty compulsory when it rains hard) is less alluring. Private transport though gives much added freedom, although there is a reasonable local bus service (even train from Lagos, just five miles away) and one the Seasons reps (incongruously nicknamed ‘Blakey’) does run a small mini-bus service on demand and various local restaurants, such as the recommendable Valverde, offer free courtesy buses to their establishment, even out of season.

When the sun shines, the coast is continuously glorious and highly spectacular, with a fabulous array of eye-catching sand-stone features like rock stacks and caves surrounding the many coves or backing the beaches. When it’s hurricane season, stand back and hold on but don’t forget the camera as I’ve never, in the flesh, seen incoming waves as high or exploding bomb-like into a sea of salty mist as they crashed against the cliff faces. The headland at Cape St Vincent is magnificent and was once thought to be ‘the end of the world’, as it is the southwesterly-most tip of mainland Europe.

We chose it as the destination for our Christmas morning walk and by the time we had arrived (just 30 minutes drive from Mar da Luz) it was more like the beginning of hell – black as night, gale-force winds that realistically could have swept a human from the cliff top and, you’ve guessed it, chucking it down en-route to creating the wettest winter and biggest floods the southern Iberian territories have seen in half a century!

At this stage it has to be pointed out that, apart from the opening afternoon, once the rain started the weather also warmed up and never was more than a light cardigan needed, even at night. In between the Ark-like downpours, the sun was really pleasant and made for ideal walking and exploring conditions. And there is no shortage of wonderful walks, from cliff top extravaganzas to inland strolls around lakes and reservoirs or through idyllic Portuguese villages, seemingly unaffected by the passage of time.

The locals are invariably friendly and helpful, although away from the coastal towns, English is at a premium and, unless you speak more Portuguese than ‘bom dia’ (good day), an extensive vocabulary of sign language and varied collection of amiable smiles is a ‘must’.

A great diversion from the sea and sand and sangria (although that is available inland too) is the man-made lake and dam at Bravura (Barragem da Bravura), which again is little more than 30 minutes drive from Mar da Luz and was originally built in 1958 – partially as an aid to irrigation for local farmers – to create a tree-shaped lake of several kilometres in length which offers numerous charted walks around its banks and through the surrounding forests. Printed maps are available from the quaint Hanzel and Gretel café just above the dam, run by a very knowledgeable Austrian couple who stoke a blazing real fire when the temperatures do dip in winter, as well as providing a delightful eatery and watering hole. Anything you might require which is not available in Luz is almost certainly obtainable at the bigger ‘Intermarché’ supermarket on the outskirts of Lagos, an intriguing walled town with a fine marina, historic harbour and the statutory excellent (if windy) beach.

An even more unspoilt fishing harbour, along with typically cobbled streets, can be found further east along the coast at Alvor, near Portimao which is bigger and more bustling and seems to have the largest retail park in the area (handy diversion if it happens to rain!). Much of the Algarve is closed or just ticking over in mid-winter, which in itself makes for a more relaxed atmosphere, infinitely easier driving and parking and the ability to gain a better impression of what the region was like before the tourist juggernaut thundered into town.

However, there is still no shortage of, albeit quieter, nightlife, cosy bars and day-time attractions (you can have the zoo near Lagos to yourselves in December), if you care to find them. Most holidays are what you make of them but Mar da Luz, as a base, provides all the facilities needed to make a superb one, whatever time of year you visit… and whatever the weather!’