Family fun in Portugal

Suzie Hennessy 11 June 2019
The little village that stole our hearts!

Family holidays are so important to us, as I’m sure like all other families we live a very busy lifestyle and it’s the only down time we really get as a family. We have a family of all ages so it can be a task to keep everyone happy when we plan a family holiday!

Recently we travelled to Alvor, Portugal from Cork Airport. The flight was only 2 hours and 15 minutes, and the transfer time was 45 minutes. The short flight was so important to us as a family this time round, as we were travelling for 5 nights with a new baby.

We went all-inclusive for the first time 3 years ago, and it completely changed our holidays for the better. At the time, I was nervous about booking an all-inclusive option, what about if we don’t like the food? Is it worth paying that little bit extra? It was by far the best decision we made. It took the pressure off. No rushing out looking for a restaurant in the evening that would suit us all, and then try and make it back to the complex for the evening entertainment! We didn’t have the stress of the kids not liking what they ordered, because they could take a little of everything and then go back for more if they wished. The mealtimes were very flexible and outside of mealtimes you had the snack bar, so you were never without food.

This trip we stayed in the Alvor Baia Hotel 4* and this hotel was outstanding in every aspect. The staff were so friendly. We arrived at the hotel after 9pm although I taught the food would be finished serving, the receptionist offered to keep our bags and advised us that we could eat in the ‘Adult Only’ restaurant as the other restaurant for families closes at 9.30pm. This was a huge relief! They checked us in very quickly, minded our luggage until we were finished our meal. The food was outstanding that late in the evening and I knew we were in for a good holiday. We had so much to choose from each mealtime, and it also had a great selection for the children, we even had a BBQ one of the nights.

The rooms were spotless clean and so spacious! We had two rooms with a kitchenette and the cleaners were around every day. The pool area was spectacular. The Alvor Baia has the largest swimming pool in Europe, a great little kiddies pool area and play park. The entertainment around the pool was good and they also had a kid’s club that ran until 6pm.The hotel was about a 15-minute walk to the stunning little village of Alvor. Alvor consists of two long streets of gorgeous bars and up market restaurants and shops! The hotel runs a free shuttle bus to and from the beach. I think if you are doing an all-inclusive option holiday, you should always book a high standard hotel! You spend a lot of time in the complex and I know from our family experiences, we would find it hard to go back to the self-catering. The all-inclusive option means you’re not worrying about over spending or saying ‘no’ for most of the trip.

If you have never experienced an all-inclusive holiday, why not give me a call and I can help you plan your next dream holiday.