Move Over Madeira! This Golden Beach Town Is Portugal’s Best Kept Secret

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All of us at Travel Off Path know the dreadful feeling of visiting a hyped-up resort town that turns out to be nothing short of a tourist trap.

What you envisioned in your mind as a serene slice of paradise ended up being a sore spot in your mind’s eye, even a year after visiting.

Well, that’s the case for me…

Last year, I had the great pleasure of visiting Portugal for the first time — it’s truly a stunning country culturally, visually, and let’s just say I could never go hungry here…

The town that was most recommended to me was Albufeira. After an hour being pestered by vendors while roaming the scenic streets and trying to take in sweeping coastal views from very overpriced rooftop restaurants, I was beyond ready to head back to what became one of my favorite beach towns, not only in Portugal, but all of Europe.

Home to virtually no crowds, insanely affordable 5-star resorts, and sensational cuisine that I have yet to replicate back home, the whitewashed hideaway of Quarteira should be high on your wishlist if you’re seeking winter sun ‘across the pond’ this winter.

Enjoy Spotless Golden Beaches

You don’t need Al Roker to tell you the Algarve is one of Europe’s sunniest winter destinations. Therefore, a trip here without ample beach days in your plans is a downright sin.

Another reason I felt Albufeira was overhyped was the amount of crowds pouring into their beaches.

Was it a beautiful beach? Of course — it’s Portugal! But even in late fall/early winter, you don’t quite expect the level of crowds we did for a town that’s certainly not a household name.

Fortunately, we made our base in Quarteira, lying off the traditional tourist path, even though its resorts are top-notch.

While fun bars and breezy restaurants horseshoe the vibrant marina, you shouldn’t confuse its calm waters and glorious sunsets as your go-to for its best waterfront.

Quarteira’s true beaches are where you’ll discover pure paradise — the kind we were hoping for in Albufeira.

Boasting sprawling golden beaches that feel untouched, with footprint-free sand and authentic hole-in-the-walls serving up Portuguese fare, Quarteira delivers the laid-back coastal escape most travelers don’t even realize they’re missing.

I can’t recommend these 3 beaches enough:

• Praia do Almargem
• Praia da Falesia
• Praia Alegre (my favorite!)

You’ll always find an open barstool or table at numerous wine and tapas bars to choose from, including a place that’s never left my mind anytime I’ve had tapas over the past year — Teixiera.

Name-Brand Resorts At Bargain Bin Prices

Listen, we all deserve to treat ourselves every now and then, especially with our 9-to-5 workloads and newfound normalcy of having multiple sources of income.

While it’s much more feasible to make a quick trip to Mexico to a posh all-inclusive resort, if you found these rates south of the border, there would never be an available room.

My girlfriend and I stayed at Hilton Vilamoura Golf & Spa Resort, a flawless oasis with numerous pools, tranquil waterfalls, and attentive staff to make you feel like royalty.

It was awesome then, and fair to say even better now, as we timed our trip just right before an extensive makeover took place.

Now open again with a fresh glow-up, this resort is better than ever, but the best news for you is that their prices don’t reflect it.

Rates hover in the low $100s throughout winter. Keep in mind, it’s not all-inclusive, but who would pass up a sangria pitcher poolside?

Yeah, you’ll be here a while…

When you do leave, the resort offers a free shuttle to the marina for cheaper food and drinks.

Hilton is not alone in Quarteira’s affordable resort scene in ritzy Vilamoura. Check these out too:

• 4-star hotels:
• Browns Sports Resort
• Aquashow Park Hotel

• 5-star hotels:
• Pestana Vila Sol
• Anantare Vilamoura Algarve
• Domes Lake Algarve, Autograph Collection

Quarteira’s Food Is Fire! (Literally)

Newsflash: Spain is not the undisputed champ of wine and tapas.

As much as I loved pigging out in Mallorca, I gotta say Quarteira was next level.

Wine was as low as $3 per glass, and the menu pages were quite possibly longer than the Cheesecake Factory offered an array of tapas that I probably would’ve needed to be wheeled out if my girlfriend didn’t make me stop eating.

Social quickly became one of my favorite restaurants out of all my European jaunts — and I’ve been to some amazing foodie cities.

Let the expert staff work their magic with perfect pairings like Flamed Black Pork Chorizo that literally made me go on strike from eating whatever Mexico characterizes as chorizo for months — it was that good.

You really can’t go wrong picking any restaurant here except for the touristy Irish pubs. Definitely opt for more traditional Mom ‘n Pop tavernas and you’ll thank me later.

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 36 countries and written over 1000 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.