For those seeking an active as well as a relaxing holiday, the resort has several sports facilities available, and also offers an extensive activity programme called Pick and Choose, with categories such as Fitness, Yoga, Water, Nature and Family Fun. There are water sports available on the beach and the Algarve region is justly famous not only for its many excellent golf courses, but also for tennis and other sports. Here you and the kids can learn to scuba dive, windsurf or body-board (to name just three), or just simply relax and enjoy the beach and swimming pools. The best of both worlds!

Martinhal is planned around the perfect blend of activity and relaxation. In particular the resort helps kids to be active, while the adults relax close by. Nowhere is this enlightened thinking more obvious than in the placement and layout of the resort's five swimming pool areas. In the Village Square you will find two beautiful heated pools, one of which is a large indoor and outdoor pool combined, and the smaller of which is designed for toddlers. There are loungers and umbrellas, plus poolside snacks and juices are available from the poolside bar.

Situated close to the beach is the aptly named Beach Club Pool, again this pool is heated and has its own bar, toddler's pool and plenty of loungers to relax in. There is a Scandinavian feel to this pool as it is surrounded by wooden decking; another material link between Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel and the rugged landscape which surrounds it.

Club 98 is Martinhal's sports centre, and here again you will find both a heated main pool and a toddler's pool. Drinks, snacks and ice creams are available at the poolside bar, as well as loungers and umbrellas. Enjoy a relaxing swim after your vigorous game of padel tennis!

In the centre of the Garden Houses area is the Oasis pool. Walled, and with a free-flowing shape, this pool invites exploration and adventure and is popular with younger children and their families. An advantage of staying in one of the Garden Houses is that the terrace of every home faces the beautifully landscaped central garden and the pool.

Finally there is a clubhouse, adult and baby pool open during the summer months exclusively for guests of the privately owned Villas Mimosa houses near the entrance of the resort.

Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel is blessed with three main restaurants, each with its own character, cuisine and charm. In addition there are the various pool-side bars which offer drinks and snacks. Everywhere, attention is paid to the tastes and needs of younger diners, with kid's menus are comprised of the freshest and tastiest meals for little people. Play spaces are carefully planned out to be adjacent to the dining areas in two cases, and there are also special children's supervised dining areas.

O Terraco

Stunning views and simple Portuguese food prepared with international flair are what await you at O Terraco. Situated inside the Martinhal hotel, this restaurant is where you will find the resort's excellent breakfast buffet every morning. Here you can sit on the terrace during the day with a coffee and newspaper, or enjoy a more formal romantic dinner in the evening. In addition, there's a fantastic kid's eating area, supervised by Kids Club staff and perfect for bringing that much needed drop of peace in your day.

As Dunas

Fresh locally-caught fish and shellfish are the order of the day at As Dunas; that and the beautiful views across the nearby Martinhal beach to the Atlantic Ocean. Serving starts here with a full lunch menu, followed by snacks in the afternoon, and then dinner in the evening. Adjacent to the restaurant is a wonderful kid's playing area with a climbing frame, sand and trampoline. Everything the little people need to work up an appetite! Plus, the kids menu is genuinely extensive, catering for different age groups from babies onwards, and is designed to balance freshness with the preferences of young taste-buds. In the evening, you can relax with a candle-lit al-fresco dinner on the shaded terrace and enjoy the view. Divine!

Os Gambozinos

This justly popular family-centric Italian restaurant is in the very epicenter of the resort in the Village Square. Children can play in the square's adjacent play area, or share in the delicious kid's menu with the family. Open in the high season for lunch and dinner, the menu encompasses all the classic Italian dishes, from pasta to pizza, with salads and hot and cold starters, plus delicious specials and deserts. As in the rest of the resort, the staff at Os Gambozinos are genuinely family-friendly and concerned to make your meal a wonderful experience for everyone. You can also take away food from here to eat in hour luxury accommodation. The perfect combination.

In addition to the restaurants at Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel, there are several cafe-bars, including various poolside bars.

M Bar

A fun surf-themed bar with a real VW bus used as part of the seating area! You can get everything here from breakfast, through a light lunch to an evening's relaxing cocktail. The decor is fun and there's a kids bar, games area and nearby play area.

Beach Club Pool Bar

Relax at the Beach Club Pool bar and you are never far away from a delicious range of drinks, juices, and ice cream. Staff will bring your order directly to your lounger, so there's no need to move a muscle. Pure bliss!

Club 98 Bar

Another poolside bar, this time located next to the Club 98 sports facility, this bar serves drinks, snacks and ice creams. Perfect for that after-tennis top-up.

Juice Bar

Found next to the partially covered Village Square pool, this is the place to come for fresh juices and smoothies. You will also find a delicious range of sandwiches and other savouries to delight your taste-buds. There's ice cream here too. Just thought we would mention that!

For those looking to self-cater, the resort's convenience store, Mercado, offers a wide variety of take-away breakfast options plus all the usual supermarket treats like deli items, delicious Portuguese wine, beer, fruit, vegetables, bread, pastries, chocolates and some gifts and souvenirs.

Mercado also stocks delicious chilled take-away food during the day, perfect for eating at home or on a picnic. There are several alternative places to eat in the delightful nearby fishing village of Sagres, where you can also find local produce and supermarket food. All of your options are covered.

The secluded and naturally decorated Finisterra Spa provides a luxury welcome you won't forget in a hurry. With a name which means The End of the Earth, reflecting the resort's location at Europe's most South-Westerly point, the treatments here are certainly capable of transporting you into another world of relaxation!

Indeed, it was from the area of the nearby village of Sagres that the Portuguese first set sail to take their part in the discovery of the New World in the 15th Century. In honour of this proud maritime heritage, the six signature treatments at the Finisterra Spa are each named after a famous sailor of the high seas, and we can highly recommend them.

When you book a massage or other treatment at the Spa, you can be assured that only 100% Organic ingredients are used. Essential oils and other heavenly scents will delight your senses, or you can relax in the steam bath or sauna. Staff here are well-trained and offer the level of care and attention to detail you would anticipate from such a delightful and beautiful place. Truly, a visit to the spa during your stay at Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel is a not-to-be-missed opportunity!

Since family friendliness is at the heart of what Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel is all about, it should come as no surprise that the kids clubs, creche and other family facilities are very well thought through. There are in fact no fewer than five different levels of kids clubs here in the school holidays. They are justifiably very popular, so be sure to book well in advance.

Activities in these clubs are graded by age group, and each is staffed by experienced, genuinely friendly, lively and motivating staff. There simply is no better place in Portugal to take the kids and also anticipate getting some relaxation and quiet time yourself than Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel. Here are the details of what's on offer:

Babies and toddlers

The Raposinhos Kid's Club has a creche which will look after the littlest people in your life, from 6 - 23 months of age. In addition, the resort offers what it calls a Baby Concierge service, where you can book ahead for all kinds of baby paraphernalia, from the smallest things like thermometers, right up to safety gates and pushchairs. This remarkable service means that you can travel far lighter on your journey and still have everything you need!

Young children 2-4 years

The other age group catered for at Raposinhos are the 2-4's. For this age group there is an extensive range of toys, games and things to learn and explore. Here you will find giant bean bags for the occasional nap and a wonderful soft play surface to roam around on. Everything a young child needs! Parents with kids up to 6 years old will also likely find the resort's babysitting service very welcome. Book well in advance as this service gets popular, especially in the high season.

Children 5-8 years

While Raposinhos means 'little fox', your older foxes will have their own special range of activities during the school holidays, at the resort's Fox Club. There are many fun things for older kids to do here, from face painting to cooking, treasure hunts to t-shirt printing. In fact you might have trouble getting them to leave! Staff also regularly organise picnics for this age group so that the adults can eat their meals in a little peace. This age range is also where Matinhal's Sports Academy starts to come into its own, with single sports training or organized group activities (see below).

Tweens 9-12 years

The Explorers Club is the place for your tweenagers. The emphasis here is much more on exciting outdoor activities such as junior lifeguard courses, bike trips, windsurfing and dolphin watching, among many others. Kids will come back from their time here full of wonderful stories of their discoveries and achievements. Plus they'll be nicely tired out for bedtime!

Teenagers 13-18

When they graduate into teenagers, young people move up from the Explorers Club to the Adventure Club. Activities here are in a similar vein as for the Explorers, but will be more advanced in delivery and scope.

For all the above, we highly recommend booking ahead, especially in the high season. Special discount packages are available for all the kid's activities, or you can simply book single sessions.

The Blue Room

This is the place to hangout for teenagers and all kids aged 8 and above. Teenagers especially will love the games consoles, table tennis, pool table and table football. There are also computers, board games, and loads of comfy sofas to lounge in.

If you and the kids like an active holiday, or you want to keep topping up your fitness while you're away, then Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel is for you.

Throughout the resort there are awesome play areas for kids, and pools for adults or children. Not to mention the water sports centre on the beach. Then there are the two children's sports academies catering to different age ranges, helping your kids learn and improve on activities such as tennis and football. The resort also has a fully-featured gym and a regular activities program, some of which is only for grown-ups, some of which the whole family can enjoy.

Club 98 is the hub of tennis and field sporting activities at Martinhal, such as football and organised games. There are two artificial tennis courts here and two padel courts for the exciting new tennis variant where you also play off the glass walls. Lessons and academy-style teaching can be booked in advance, and there are regular team games and competitions in the sports field nearby. You can also book swimming lessons for yourself or your children in the club's pool, or learn to scuba dive.

The Water Sports Centre on Martinhal beach makes good use of the excellent waves and offshore breezes found here to teach or hire out gear for surfing, body boarding, kite surfing, windsurfing, stand up paddling, and kayaking, among other activities. There are also regular boat trips available to go dolphin watching or for fishing. Ask at reception for details.

Activity Programme

The weekly Pick and Choose programme features activities which range from group glasses such as yoga, aqua-fit and Zumba, to walking tours in the natural landscape and family activities such as beach games and the Swedish game of strategy and skill, Kubb. There's also horse riding and five golf courses within easy driving distance of the resort.

Bike Station

The rugged and varied landscape of the Western Algarve around Martinhal just seems to be made for two wheels, especially for mountain biking, but also road riding and touring too. At the Martinhal Bike Station you will be able to hire an excellent range of high quality bikes, suitable for all the family. Knowledgeable staff can point you in the right direction as to the local tracks, trails, roads and byways, so you will make the most of your time. The weather in the area holds up to an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, which makes for some excellent riding possibilities year round.

The accommodation we offer at Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel is all in the form of stunning self-contained villas and houses. With interiors designed by Micheal Sodeau in association with the Conran Group, the Houses make maximum use of the amazing views to the outside, and organic materials inside, to produce the perfect blend of natural materials and luxurious living. In keeping with the family-friendly ethos of Martinhal, all of the houses also work with the comfort of kids in mind. In addition to the resort houses, the individually owned Villas we offer provide the most spacious and exclusive accommodation to be found in the resort.

In summary, we have properties of five different types on our books here at Sunbound Villas. These are: Garden Houses, Ocean Houses, Bay Houses, Pinewood Houses and Luxury Villas. The list below gives a brief introduction to each of these. You can find out more about each location by clicking on the pages for some of the individual houses.

Garden Houses

The Garden Houses are well-proportioned semi-detached properties collectively set in their own secluded and walled garden, hence the name. In the centre of the garden is a heated swimming pool, which in combination with the beautiful landscaping and secure nature of the area, makes the Garden Houses particularly suited to families with younger children.

Ocean Houses

As their name suggests, the Ocean Houses are closer to the Atlantic, and take advantage of their elevation on the hillside overlooking the sea to provide breathtaking partial or full views of the Atlantic. In fact, these views are built into the very ethos of the Ocean Houses, ensuring that you wake, spend your day and fall asleep to the ever-changing colours and moods of the ocean. Breathtaking and memorable, there is nothing like this.

Bay Houses

While the Bay Houses might not be as close to the Ocean, they have another secret which makes them special. Built in an east-west direction, these houses offer you spectacular views of the Algarve sunrise and the sunset each day, and all from the comfort of your own accommodation. Again, these houses are arranged to maximise the views, and are some of the larger and more secluded properties in the Martinhal Village area of the resort.

Pinewood Houses

There are just ten Pinewood Houses at Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel. Each is detached from the others and has its own pool. These residences offer a degree more seclusion than some of the more central properties, but still remain close to the resort's facilities. Here you will find beautiful organic materials and clean lines in the interior, plus views of the ocean, the bay, or the nearby pine forest. Exclusive, reserved and beautiful, these houses exude relaxation and calm.

Villas

The Villas are the pinnacle of the accommodation to be found at Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel in more ways than one. Not only are these individually-owned properties completely detached and very generously proportioned, they are also situated at a privileged and elevated location in the resort and therefore offer stunning panoramas towards the ocean or across the bay. Each has its own swimming pool and the fullest range of facilities that you would expect to find in a thoroughly modern, luxurious and beautiful home.

Click on the images for each of our properties to find out more about them and the areas within the resort that they are situated in.