The Algarve lies neatly curled up at the bottom of Portugal like a contented cat in a strip of sunlight.

It is fed by the sparkling Atlantic to the south and west, and sheltered and watered by three mountain ranges to the north. The result, in a word, is abundant.

Farmers can get three crops a season from the purple-red soil. Rice, sugar cane and carob are grown here in great quantity. The winters are mild and the summers can be hot, but the ocean breeze cools the air to a bearable temperature.

It is as close to perfection as you can find yourself.

I was there on assignment as Metro’s resident cartoonist last October, during peak shoulder season — allow me to explain why you should do the same this year.

Off-season paradise

The smell of hot pine was still in the air, but although the sun shone, a cool breeze kept nighttime comfortable.

Instead of staying on the coast, we made for a hotel in the rugged inland, perched on a hill in what can only be described as a utopian community paradise.

Viceroy at Ombria is not so much a hotel, but a village-hotel fusion where you can rent a luxurious room, and even buy an apartment.

It is shaped like a village and, like a village, has a bell tower, main square, restaurants, and shops. Yet like a hotel, it has a reception, staff at all levels and doors that swing open with the swipe of a card. It has four bars and a wine house.

(I never discovered what a wine house was, but I think I’d like to live in one.)

Their mantra, ‘Respect, sustainability and elevated experience’ is on display with the hiking, spa, yoga and gastronomy, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find solar panels covering the car park that heat the swimming pools; pavements that drain rainwater through them; local shepherds and beekeepers at work.

The apartments are hugged by herb beds and pomegranate trees, heavy with fruit, that provide shade for the walkways.

We were here for a gastronomic tour of the region, visiting ancient vineyards, art galleries, sardine canning factories and restaurants that ranged from benches on a beach with cats to Michelin-star tasting menus, where we each had our own silent balletic waiter.

We got stuck in with Casa Velha. Here was the first, but not the last, time we heard the underlying motto of the Algarvios.

That is to eat seasonally, to eat sustainably, to be the guardians of the food supplied.

And, of course,  to pair it all with the excellent local wines and spirits, few of which you’ll find in the UK.

Over nine courses, we were challenged with local crevettes and clams, salt bass, lamb sous vide, cold rice pudding with cinnamon and rich local cheeses with, of course, port.

When I asked the waiter if it was all locally produced, he laughed. ‘Of course, it’s the Algarve! This is where everything starts from.’

With this in mind, we were taken to a fascinating farm that has been run with rewilding and sustainability at its core.

Steely farmers

The entire valley of Quinta do Freixo farm, flanked by copper-dusted hills and carob trees, has been left to nature.

Insofar as possible, farmer Luis has bravely allowed it to progress naturally, letting the tough black pigs graze one area and the cork and carob grow unweeded.

This is all about soil; let the animals do the weeding and grazing.

The grasses cool the soil and catch the morning dew, allowing moisture to remain and the animals to do the fertilizing.

Then the soil will flourish and the microbes will boost it. It’s a method for the steeliest of farmers, because there is little predictability.

One of the biggest problems, Luis told us, was persuading the other farm workers not to continue with their ingrained monoculture mindset, and to leave nature to act as it has done for millions of years.

Rather than use pesticides, when a pest arrives, it isn’t long before a natural predator steps in and deals with it.

It was this very diversity that became the backbone of the ecosystem’s resilience. I was struck by the way Luis talked of the land as if it were a member of the family, to be nurtured and cared for and passed down through the generations intact rather than plundered for short profit.

This idea of generational care was also prevalent in Culatra, a stunning treeless sand island off the coast of the fishing town of Olhão.

Here, a successful attempt at a genuine separate utopia was underway. Oyster and clam beds surround the coast and are a source of income as well as a sustainable filter for the water.

Colourfully painted houses lined the single high street, which has a tiny supermarket, a bar, restaurant and bakery where we ate delicious jesuita, a local pastry, while a ginger cat with a crumpled ear stalked us for crumbs.

There are no cars allowed on the island and, as a result, the mood was otherworldly.

The island, in part, is a sustainability project. Fishermen go out to fish, but also to collect sea plastic, particularly nets.

These are ground, mixed with oyster shells and made into bricks. A large area of the surrounding seabed is set aside for seahorses.

Solar-powered boats supply the island and soon the whole town will be run only on power from the sun’s rays. The only way one can live there is by inheriting a house, so there is no scrabble for real estate.

The mayor shucked 40 oysters while answering our questions, and it was only when she’d finished that it turned out only two of us were keen oyster eaters. Still, 20 oysters each before lunch doesn’t seem excessive if it’s to save other people’s embarrassment, so we valiantly gorged ourselves.

In the unfussy but excellent local restaurant, we ate weaver fish fried in batter, enormous anchovies interspersed with clam and prawn dishes with endless bottles of cool Murralhas Vinho Verde, all while hopeful local cats shared our benches.

Simplicity is something the Algarvios have perfected.

A lasting impression

Back in Olhão, we wandered around the sprawling fish market where the sheer scale of fresh abundance was on display.

I bought the delicacy Muxama de Atum, a block of salt-dried tuna shaved onto a simple bed of peppery rocket. Oiled and vinegared, it is one of the finest dishes known to man. If you ever see it on a menu, push people out of the way to get to it.

The Algarve leaves an impression on you.

It is easy, in a notorious beachside holiday destination, to lie on the surface of a place, on a beach towel with an airport book and laze away a holiday.

But dig around in the sand underneath you and you’ll find a kind, diligent and proud people whose enthusiasm for careful guardianship of their natural resources and culture is utterly inspiring, and their generosity and bonhomie, infectious to the point of embarrassment. I will return.

Guy Venables was a guest of Viceroy Ombria and Visit Algarve.

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Hens, stags and golfers in Ralph Lauren shirts make up most of the passengers on my Ryanair flight to Faro.

We’re about to land in the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region, famous for whitewashed fishing villages, sandy beaches and rugged cliffs. And of course, sprawling resorts and championship golf courses.

Albufeira, Portimao and Lagos are the reigning party hotspots — a trio ruled by Brits abandoning their inhibitions from June to September.

But I am not here to party, I am here to find out if a 30-second TikTok video of a deserted beach framed by sun-bleached dunes lives up to the hype. No hotels, shops, roads, cars – or people – were visible. I was sold.

I’ve flown 1,489 miles to Barreta Island to see if one of Portugal’s most remote destinations is indeed the secret paradise it promises to be.

Tom Hanks in Cast Away

Only a handful of people board the ferry to Barreta Island.

There’s an ornithologist armed with a pair of binoculars that cost more than my rent, a Portuguese couple with their son, and a woman clutching a waitress uniform, probably commuting for her shift at Estaminé, the only restaurant – and building – on the island.

It is only 10am, I tell myself, imagining that crowds of tourists are still sound asleep and will pour in later in the day. This is the Algarve, after all. I refuse to believe that any stretch is immune.

I watch the coast of Faro disappear behind us. The journey, which lasts 45 minutes, is the perfect opportunity to read about what to expect.

Barreta is one of the islands that form the Ria Formosa Natural Park, a 35-mile stretch of protected coastal lagoon in the Algarve. The park is one of the most ecologically important wetlands in Europe, acting as a vital shield between the Atlantic Ocean and mainland Portugal.

Fittingly, I learn that its other name is Deserta — Portuguese for ‘deserted.’ As soon as I step off the ferry, I agree that it lives up to its title.

A wooden walkway leads from the dock to a lighthouse at the start of the beach. There is no one to greet me, no one to rent a parasol from, no one to fight for a sun-lounger, no instructions for what to do or how to entertain yourself.

Only myself and my free will, and the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach. It’s a little disorientating.

For a brief moment, I feel like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, minus the bloodied volleyball.

Unclutching the buckles of my sandals to dig my feet into the warm sand, I notice that the only steps ahead of me belong to birds.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKhjavpIMic/?hl=en

The island is a sanctuary for birds and 200 species inhabit the five-mile strait. Meanwhile, the surrounding waters are home to Bottlenose and Striped dolphins.

Not knowing what to do with myself, I walk, collecting seashells scattered on the beach, an unlikely but welcome return to a childhood hobby.

I spend the next few hours in and out of the water. I even attempt to build a sandcastle. I notice that I only reach for my phone a few times, to photograph the serene landscape and check the timetable for the ferry.

For anyone seeking solitude, Barreta is one of the last spots in Portugal where blissful silence truly exists.

The crowds of tourists I imagined never arrive, and no one bothers me for the rest of my stay. The island is large enough that I only catch a glimpse of my fellow ferry passengers at the restaurant over a glass of refreshing wine.

The heart of Algarve culture

In the early hours of the evening, the ferry drops me off in Faro. The city is small enough that every charming restaurant and rooftop bar is well within reach.

One of the relatively new additions to the marina is Santa Maria Petiscaria, recommended to me by Christophe De Oliveira, co-owner of The Modernist, a bohemian apartment with 1970s vibe, where I am staying.

The architecture enthusiast who, alongside his wife Angélique, advocates for Faro’s modernist heritage, has a wealth of knowledge about what’s good in the city.

A crowd of Faro locals has gathered at Santa Maria to watch the Portugal-Germany football game on the TV in the corner. Even though I am not the biggest fan, I feel welcomed and not out of place.

Manager Ricardo Couto praises me for not stumbling into one of the many ‘touristy’ restaurants in the city centre.

‘Look out for Portuguese people dining at the restaurant you choose, this is important, and particularly on the weekends,’ he tells me.

‘The Portuguese usually have a late lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. If you are in the Algarve, the restaurant will always serve fresh seafood – fish, octopus, oysters… It has to come directly from our sea.’

Food is the only matter Ricardo will get serious about. Otherwise, his relaxed demeanor only exposes the stark differences in lifestyle between London and the Algarve.

‘In Faro, everything is closed after midnight’

In the last few weeks, parts of Portugal have been hit with demonstrations against mass tourism, alongside Spain and Italy.

But, in the Algarve, this is the industry that locals rely most on. Many are forced to take on multiple jobs outside of peak season.

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♬ Boundless Worship – Josué Novais Piano Worship

This is perhaps one of the reasons that Ricardo does not mind the tourists.

Speaking of the reputation that some visitors from the UK have, he says: ‘I do not mind, as long as they keep it within Albufeira. If you want to enjoy the party scene, that’s where you should go. It is gaining the reputation of Ibiza.

‘Faro, for example, is one of the quieter places. Everything is closed after midnight.’

Drinking under a 2,000-year-old olive tree

Eating good food and drinking good wine is at the heart of the Portuguese culture.

This is why I end my trip under the heavy branches of a 2,000-year-old olive tree in the 23-hectare vineyard of Morgado do Quintao.

The organic farm in the Algarve, about a 40-minute drive from Faro, hosts intimate dinners with wine tasting as the sun sets over the Monchique mountains.

Portugal has a long and rich winemaking tradition, so there are a number of vineyards that offer tours, all available on GetYourGuide. But this family estate is like something from a film.

Learning about the history of the region and what it has to offer in such a picturesque setting is a delight worth making the journey for.

Gergana Krasteva was a guest of Pine Cliffs Algarve, where prices start from £481 per night for two people, with breakfast included. At The Modernist, prices start from £132 per night. WizzAir, Ryanair, Jet2 and British Airways run direct flights from London to Faro during the summer.

For more information on things to do in the Algarve, head to Visit Algarve.

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My boyfriend Paul has been using a wheelchair ever since he was involved in a car accident at 21, which means making any sort of travel plans can be challenging.

From where we stay and what we do, to even getting to a destination in the first place, are all things that have to be meticulously researched and planned. 

Will a hotel room have doors wide enough for Paul’s chair? If the restaurant is on a different level, how do we get to it? Will the pool have a handrail? And what if we want to venture further than the pool – what activities will be available to us? 

Sounds exhausting already, doesn’t it? Which is why when we do find the right holiday hotspot it has to deliver.

We’re now in our 40s and while there’s no doubt that accessible travel has improved massively over the last two decades, it still takes a lot of organisation. 

We holiday about three times a year, mostly around the UK, but we chose to visit the Algarve recently for its sunny climb in winter and south Portugal’s 50-year-old Quinta Do Lago specifically for its luxury and flat, newly built landscape with wide roads and pathways. Plus, as it’s famous for golf there were a lot of accessible routes for golf buggies, which Paul was able to access using a mobility scooter arranged by the hotel through New Generation Tours.

It took about 5 months to find and we also considered the Canary Islands which are known accessible hotspots and Cascais, the Portuguese Rivera but the cobbled floors there may have been challenging for Paul’s chair. 

It’s a tourist hotspot, yes, but not as well-trodden as say Lanzarote or Barcelona.

The accommodation

Our choice of hotel was the expansive Wyndham Grand Algarve which has spacious, self-catering suites perfect for wheelchairs with their roomy, roll-in showers and (almost) level access patios. 

Our accessible transfers from the airport to the Wyndham were included in our stay and provided by MBA-Travel, who are fully-equipped for wheelchair passengers with sleek black vans that are fully air-conditioned.

We went half-board and took breakfast and three-course meals on a set menu at the XXL by Olivier restaurant in the evenings as the hotel was so accessible. This also took some of the planning and research for accessible restaurants out the equation and what we saved in time, we spent at the bar.

The breakfasts were also included at the downstairs Caravela restaurant, accessed by lift with lots of room to manoeuvre. Think continental cheeses and cooked platters and you get the picture with a few local cheeses and breads thrown in for good measure and satisfied bellies. 

The XXL by Olivier in the evening was also satisfying, more so on the last night with pork bites and frites fitting the bill nicely. 

Half-board worked out as cost effective, too – with the last servings of breakfast being at 10.30am and the XXL by Olivier opening at 6.30pm, we ate well at these times and skipped lunch. 

As the suites were self-catering we stocked up on waters and fizzy drinks at the local convenience store and we were able to pop these in our fridge for the day time. (It also made us giggle that a small, local shop was so well stocked with champagne bottles as well as affordable basics like bread, butter and milk!)

Drinks and meals on wheels

The Shack bar and restaurant is one for WAG and footy bingo as Coleen and Wayne Rooney have been spotted here having a tipple – so we were compelled to have a look for ourselves. Indeed it’s a not-so-well-kept secret that the Quinta resort is known for it’s British footballer fans. 

It isn’t cheap to eat and drink here, nor is it too expensive. On our second night we travelled to The Shack on foot and wheels from Wyndham in under 30 minutes for four tapas dishes and two cocktails each costing us 70 euros.

The entrance was accessible though the toilet was small and Paul had to leave his wheelchair outside when visiting the restroom, though it wasn’t too inconvenient.

The Jalapeno and cheese croquettes were worthy of a chef’s kiss and the portions were good and menu comprehensive.

But more importantly it’s set on stilts over a lake and provides stunning views of some of the multi-million pound villas that neighbour this bar and restaurant. 

We returned for an aperitif of Laurent Perrier on our last night (18 euros for a large glass) for me, whilPaul enjoyed a Dark Storm cocktail (12 euros) and took photos on his phone of the fish in the lake that were so close by.

Accessible activities

Based in the south of Quinta do Lago, we were near the protected coastal lagoon of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, home to a vast array of wildlife, migrating birds, fauna and flora.

Paul had checked this was accessible before we left and the only challenge was the gated entrance – most people can walk through but we had to speak with security in the nearby carpark to access a key to open the gate so we could get his mobility scooter through.

We were then able to access the wooden footpaths to the east and west of the bridge for long accessible scoots that immersed us in wildlife and allowed us an afternoon of bird and wildlife-spotting. 

We spied herons, shoals of fish and plenty of scuttling crabs here along the leeward coast where more than 300 bird species reside. We’re told chameleons, terrapins and otters are seen here too. 

At the end of our scoot we returned to the wooden bridge and took a short walk along the near-empty Gigi beach along a wooden path and then stopped off for a pint of local Sagres beer at Gigi restaurant and bar. 

There were steps to the bar and no ramp sadly, however we were made to feel welcome and were shown seats in the restaurant which didn’t have any stairs so we could still enjoy a pint.

Wheelie-friendly sunshine

Paul and I discovered plenty of sunshine in Quinta Do Lago, when we went last Autumn. Temperatures reached 26 degrees and we found the end of September and start of October perfect for sun and solitude as the children were all back to school.

In the New Year, it starts to warm again in February and March, so it’s also worth considering then.

After three-days it was hard to find fault with our holiday destionation as newly built tourist spots like this are usually more accessible than, say, a raid in Morrocco (where TUI do packages from Manchester) or somewhere hilly like the winding streets of Lisbon or Tuscany.

What would improve Quinta’s accessible offerings even more are more drop curbs on the pavements. As it is, Paul had to occasionally travel half way down a road, just to get to the drop curb to cross.

However, since we returned – though now skint – Paul has remembered our trip as ‘mint’ and ‘wheelchair-friendly’, and we’ve both brought home some lovely memories and good tans.

Prices for a single room with breakfast at the Wyndham Grand Algarve hotel start from £220.61 a night.

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