Porches holidays deliver library-level peace and quiet, with a couple of noisier neighbours a short hop away.
Sleepy setting
Porches keeps its head down, so it's reserved for in-the-know summer holidaymakers. Beaches cling to its coastline like limpets, with sands that meet the Algarve’s usual sky-high standards. The clifftop up above’s studded with a Medieval fort – the Nossa Senhora da Rocha – where the panoramas slip into pinch-yourself territory. Turn on your heel and look inland, and a picture of traditional Portugal comes into focus. Think villa-spotted countryside and secluded vineyards.
Arty past
Tradition still hogs the limelight in the village of Porches. One of the major pastimes is pottery, with how-to workshops a popular pick for the more intrepid tourist. Artists like Patrick Swift and Lima de Freitas fine-tuned the skill in the 1960s, and their brainchild – Porches Pottery – is still run by their descendants today. And when local hands aren’t shaping ceramics, they’re busy plucking guitars to accompany Portuguese fado singers.