Family holiday review: Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, Algarve, Portugal

Holiday: 4-night family holiday to Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, Algarve, Portugal

In a nutshell: Easy family break in a stunning setting with everything you need on-site

Why it's family friendly:

The flight to southern Portugal is around two-and-a-half hours from London, making it a great place to travel with young children. It also means there won’t be too many squeaks of “Are we there yet?” Although the transfer to the resort from Faro airport takes just over an hour, the journey is smooth and the beautiful views make the route along the coast a pleasure.

Close to the historic town of Sagres, in a stunning position overlooking Martinhal Beach and set within a protected natural park, the resort is a beautiful, unspoilt destination.

The hotel looks impressive, although with its contemporary design we wondered if sticky-fingered children would be out of place. We needn't have worried - the staff made our sons very welcome, introducing them to a host of child friendly facilities.

As well as the spacious rooms in the 5 star hotel, some of which have interconnecting doors, you can also go self catering. There are a variety of luxury Village Houses and Villas from 1 to 5-bedrooms, with or without pools, which are all fitted with washing machines, dishwashers and dryers. Our room was perfect for our short trip, just a short walk from the main hotel, restaurants and the beach.

Swimming pools and beach

We were most excited about how close our room was to the beach and the swimming pool. The pool has fantastic views across the bay and is perfectly located close to the restaurant for a quick bite to eat at lunchtime. The private stretch of beach is just a few minutes walk from the pool and has soft sand which slopes gently into the sea – perfect for paddling and for introducing little ones to the water for the first time.

Restaurants

The on-site restaurants offer a wide range of fresh and well-presented food (we recommend trying the dessert made with carob in the O Terraço restaurant). There are special baby menus and a good selection of children’s food on offer. There is a trampoline in sight of As Dunas so you can finish your meal while your little ones jump up and down. The O Terraço restaurant has a dedicated activity area, and the staff are fantastic at keeping children entertained. The Italian restaurant also whips up take-away pizzas - a useful option if you are staying in the self-catered villas and fancy a night off from cooking.

Supermarket

The resort also has a village store, which is stocked with essentials including nappies, lotions and baby food. Plus, if you are self-catering, you can pick up one of the hot and cold takeaway dishes. Martinhal also offers a baby concierge service, where you can pre-book anything you need for your baby before you arrive so you can travel light – this is a great idea if it’s your first holiday away with your new baby.

Kids Club

Make the most of the brilliant children's facilities available at Martinhal. The Raposinhos Creche and Kids Clubs are supervised by a team of experienced childminders, catering for children and babies from 6 months and are open even day. In the summer months the kids clubs arrange outdoors activities and if your children are a little older there are also family sports tournaments to get involved with.

Final thoughts

An easy, relaxing holiday with everything to hand on site - from a family-friendly beach to a wide choice of food.

For more info

• Tots Too family travel company
• Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel