Water changes the mood as you travel through the Algarve. Around Sagres and the western coast, Atlantic waves roll into wide beaches beneath open skies. Follow the coast east and golden limestone cliffs shelter coves and sea caves, before the landscape opens into the calm lagoons, salt marshes and sandy islands of the Ria Formosa.

Turn inland and another Algarve comes into view. Roads wind through rolling hills, citrus groves and farming villages, climbing towards the greener landscapes around Monchique. Walk or cycle through the countryside, stop at a local market or find a table for fresh fish and produce grown under the southern sun.

So much variety makes it easy to shift the energy of the day. Surf Atlantic waves, walk the cliffs, swim or paddle quieter waters, then retreat to one of the Algarve’s beautiful spas and wellness resorts. Some days call for movement, others for nothing more than a long stretch of sand and the sound of the sea.