Go to the Algarve – stay in a villa

Sunshine is more or less year round and the pace of life in the Algarve is relaxed rather than frantic. Much like the Spanish, the Portuguese love children so you will find that all restaurants and cafes will welcome the whole family with open arms.

Rather than braving the mayhem of holiday resorts this year, why not hire yourself a villa instead. With all the luxury of a top hotel but the freedom of your own home it sounds like a perfect solution. You can specify which facilities and amenities you would like from swimming pool to in house chef or nanny.

James Villas is probably the best known holiday company providing luxury villas but you could also try Algarve Villas and The Villas Agency. All villas are of a very high quality and vary in size sleeping from four to twenty people. The majority have pools, even if the beach is only a stone’s throw away and have been decorated and equipped to a very high standard.