Afitos
from £ 220 pp
View All DealsPorches holidays deliver library-level peace and quiet, with a couple of noisier neighbours a short hop away.
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.
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.
This place has a postcode that lends itself to days here, there and everywhere. Sketch a route west, and the pretty town of Carvoeiro comes into view after 10 minutes on the road. The sands here are only slightly busier than in Porches, but the real hotspot to scribble on your map’s Praia da Rocha. It’s around half an hour’s drive away, and rolls out one of the Algarve’s most photogenic strips of sand. Plus, the ribbon of grill and seafood restaurants over its shoulder is enough to make you cut your tanning sesh short.
Our top deals tailored to you, straight to your inbox Sign up for offers
Holiday Types
Mid/Long haul
Short Haul
Popular Destinations
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and National Travel Health Network and Centre have up-to-date advice on staying safe and healthy abroad.
See gov.uk/travelaware and follow @FCDOtravelGovUK on Twitter and Facebook.com/FCDOtravel - for the latest general FCDO travel advice, including coronavirus travel guidance, security and local laws, and passport and visa information.
See gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice - for FCDO travel advice about individual destinations.
Sign up for FCDO travel advice email alerts, so you automatically receive the latest travel advice updates and travel requirements for the destinations you want to know about.
See Travel Aware page - for travel advice from First Choice.
See travelhealthpro.org.uk - for current travel health news.
The advice can change so check regularly for updates.
All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Some of the flights on this website are also financially protected by the ATOL scheme, but ATOL protection does not apply to all flights. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each flight before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk. ATOL protection does not apply to the other holiday and travel services listed on this website..