The Pine Cliffs Resort is the Algarve’s hidden jewel (and it’s home to Europe’s best wellness spa, too!)

Three decades ago, a Kuwaiti family fell in love with an untouched plot of land surrounded by the rusty red cliffs of Praia da Falésia. In 1992, a vision for an award-winning luxury resort was set in motion and now, 30 years later, The Pine Cliffs Resort is home to exquisite hospitality and frequently referred to as ‘the Algarve’s hidden jewel and transient escape from the day-to-day.’

Only 40 minutes from Laos Airport, this seaside resort is set on 178 acres of land, made up of the Pine Cliff Hotel, Ocean Suites, Apartments and Villas. It has classic Portuguese touches with a nod to Arabic influences architecturally throughout. Unique to Pine Cliffs location the resort is just above the Falésia, the longest stretch of sand in the Algarve, running almost four miles along the edge of the Atlantic. The beach is one of the best we’ve experienced.

Pine Cliffs is part of the Marriot’s luxury collection. Although the typically coastal aesthetic is a nod to the resort’s environment, it is the traditional Portuguese accents, such as the yellow, blue and white patterned tiles, that create such an authentic vibe within the hotel. In the bedrooms, terracotta tiled floors and fresh white walls enhance the sense of space, a tiled headboard sits above a large, very comfortable, king size bed which overlooks a spacious balcony with panoramic ocean views.