There are over 100 miles of fantastic beaches on the Algarve, needless to say, it's harder to find a poor one than a good one. One of the best known (pictured above) is Falesia Beach. 15 minutes or so from your apartment it is truely beautiful.

There is also a beach cafe serving a wide range of food. It goes without saying that fresh fish is a must. They cater for children as well as more basic meals like burgers, omlettes and chips.

They even have toilets and changing rooms. The beach itself always wins a Blue Flag Award for cleanliness, in fact, it is the only beach on the Algarve that actually give you an ashtray (shaped like an ice cream cone with a lid) to take onto the beach with you, and simply leave it in a stand when you leave, someone will clean it out after the sun sets.

Plenty of sunbeds and sunshades available at a reasonable price or join the Portuguese and just lay your towel on the sand enjoying the rays.