Portugal has many strengths, but its beaches must be its standout draw. Not only for the dizzying choice and variety along its long coastline but also for their exceptional quality and cleanliness. Is it any wonder that the majority of Portuguese spend every minute of their free time at the praia, happy to lunch on the warm bola de Berlim doughnuts that boys bring, in boxes, weaving deftly through the crowds.
If you’d rather make forays to the beach than stay all day, here is a selection of the best beach hotels in Portugal, allowing you to dip in and out of the sands as well as the sea. And while these are in the Algarve, so blessed by its golden beaches, those who want to combine coast with culture should choose somewhere near Silves, the Moorish capital of what was then Al-Gharb (the west) from the 8th to the 13th century.