Travel | The other Algarve

Explore the quiet side of south-west Portugal with Inntravel

The Algarve’s more obvious attractions are well known: sun, sea and sandcastles, villas with pools and water parks galore. And while there’s nothing wrong with these, Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people, take a different approach to this beguiling corner of southwesternmost Europe. They get well off the beaten track, and use footpaths – and some wonderful places to stay – to help you discover some of Portugal’s lesser-spotted delights.

COAST OF MANY COLOURS

Inntravel are the UK’s leading provider of self-guided walking holidays. Their hotel-to-hotel route, A Coast of Many Colours, takes you across the Algarve - from its honeyed, southern coast through an agricultural heartland to the wilder, western shores - and is one of the most enticing in their entire collection.

A world away from the region’s busy resorts, you can discover for yourself the unspoiled landscapes of the Costa Vicentina Natural Park, characterised by dramatic cliffs, pristine coves and quiet, rolling pastures. The colours are many and varied: long stretches of golden sand give way to grey-and-red jagged rocks before softening to a paler orange and rose as the coastal edge turns northwards.

Inland, the green hills are home to drifts of winter blossom, plantations of quince and oranges, and flower meadows carpeted with citrus-yellow Bermuda buttercups. It all feels delightfully remote.

FROM RUINS TO RETREAT

When he first set eyes on the village of Aldeia da Pedralva, visionary developer António Ferreira saw past the deserted houses, decaying walls and neglected streets... “I discovered Aldeia da Pedralva when I was looking for a holiday house. I worked in advertising, which was very stressful. I felt tired and my health wasn’t brilliant, so I thought that renovating a holiday home would be a good project to distract me. A colleague told me to go and see Aldeia da Pedralva, an oldrural village in ruins, where he had already bought a house to rebuild.

“I went there with my wife and we instantly fell in love with the place, so much so that we actually bought three houses. It made me look at the village from a different perspective and made me realise that there must be other workaholic people like me who need to disconnect from the real world. Pedralva (pictured above) was the perfect place to make this happen – a tourist project based around nature, detoxing – and surfing. Pedralva lies in the ‘other’ Algarve, part of a Natural Park with amazing wildlife, landscapes and wild beaches. It’s a place where you really feel that time has stopped.”

Today, António’s dream has become a reality, though it remains fundamentally a traditional place at heart – the houses are simply furnished in keeping with the spirit of the original village. Thanks to the vision, passion and tireless work of one man, Aldeia da Pedralva is alive once more...

SEE FOR YOURSELF...

Choose Inntravel’s walking holiday, A Coast of Many Colours (including a night in Pedralva), to discover the Algarve’s ‘quiet side’. From £670pp, inc 7 nights’ B&B,

4 dinners, 3 picnics & detailed route notes. Until 31 May 2018. Visit inntravel.co.uk or call 01653 617000; visitalgarve.pt.

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View the sampler here.

More from the January issue:

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Win a holiday for four worth £2700!

Breathe in the fresh air and explore the mountains above Lake Lucerne, courtesy of Inntravel. 

The refreshingly laid-back village of Engelberg lies in William Tell country in the heart of Switzerland. With snow-capped, 3,000-metre-high peaks towering above sparkling lakes, gushing streams and green meadows filled with chirring grasshoppers, it’s the sort of place that fills you with a tingle of excitement. We have teamed up with Inntravel to offer you the chance to win a week away with your family exploring the mountains surrounding Engelberg. The winner will stay in the village at the friendly three-star Hotel Edelweiss, where families with children of all ages are made to feel instantly at home.

There’s so much to see and do. The village has an open-air swimming pool with amazing views as well as an indoor pool. There’s a traditional dairy where you can watch cheese being made and the nearby historic town of Lucerne has a superb transport museum to captivate all ages. But, with such stunning mountain scenery on your doorstep, this is a place to get back to nature and enjoy the great outdoors, be it walking along a wonderful botanical trail around a lake, mountain biking, kayaking or admiring the simply jaw-dropping views from the Titlis Glacier.

Let Inntravel’s expert guide notes show you the way. You won’t be disappointed.

HOW TO ENTER

Enter now!

The prize is for a family of up to four* and includes seven nights’ half-board accommodation and return P&O Ferries Dover-Calais crossing for car and passengers. 
Valid for dates between 17 June and 30 September. Closing date: 1 June 2017. 
Find full terms and conditions at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

* Prize is valid for no more than two adults and at least one child. Find full terms and conditions online.

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View the sampler here

Win! A week exploring Sweden's West Coast (ended 15 April 2016)

This month’s winner will travel along West Sweden’s sublime Bohuslän coast, courtesy of Inntravel

The Bohuslän coastline in West Sweden is an eye-pleasing confection of bright-blue sea and more than 8,000 granite islands, many of them dotted with traditional red wooden fishermen’s cottages. Inland, cocoa-coloured cliffs shelter mysterious Bronze Age rock carvings, while the ports of Fjällbacka and Fiskebäckskil are ideal jumping points for a number of exciting island-hopping adventures.

We have teamed up with Inntravel to offer one lucky reader and a companion the chance to explore this sublime coast by car, with opportunities to visit remote islands by boat, savour possibly the best seafood in Europe, enjoy memorable views, and learn about the region’s rich sea-faring past. You will stay in two atmospheric waterfront hotels, and in the city of Gothenburg.

You start with three nights in the pretty coastal town of Fjällbacka, from where you can discover the craggily beautiful Koster Islands on foot or by bike, or explore the Kosterhavet Marine National Park by sea kayak. Leaving Fjällbacka, you drive south to reach the bustling harbour of Fiskebäckskil for the next three nights. Here, you have time to relax on golden sands, perhaps, or to embark upon a seafood safari with local fishermen, before dining on succulent seafood at a waterfront restaurant. Your final two nights are spent in vibrant Gothenburg, where your 24-hour City Card entitles you to free use of local transport and entry into many museums. Discover the city’s thriving café culture, its historic treasures and its growing gastronomic reputation.

HOW TO ENTER

The prize is for two people and includes flights, car hire, eight nights B&B, six dinners and a 24-hour City Card in Gothenburg. Departures from 1 June to 30 September.

Enter now!

Closing date 15 April 2016. For full T&Cs, see icebergpress.co.uk/comprules

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From the March issue

More competitions!

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Read more in the March issue of The Simple Things, out 24 February.

Meanwhile, get hold of the February issue - buy, download or subscribe. 

Moments that matter

Watching locals take in the olive harvest under a clear blue Andalucian sky (Las Alpujarras, southern Spain).

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people

FREE! My City Guides

In each issue of The Simple Things we publish a local’s insider guide to some of the coolest, most interesting and simply favourite cities to visit. As the summer holiday begins, we’re releasing one online each week in association with our friends at Inntravel – The slow holiday people

This week it’s Helsinki. Download Lauren Memarian’s guide for free

This guide was first published in June 2013 - issue 10.

Did you miss Paris, Copenhagen, Florence, Amsterdam or Marrakech?  They’re still available to download.

Coming soon!

25 June – Berlin

2 July – Palma

We'll post on our Twitter and Facebook when they are published.

MY CITY is supported by INNTRAVEL, the Slow Holiday people, who have spent the last three decades exploring Europe’s most beautiful corners along the lesser-trodden path. When it comes to cities, their self-guided walking tours have been carefully researched using their own expert knowledge and insider tips from locals. These specially created routes take in the best-known sights, but also those hidden gems that others miss. Find out more by visiting http://www.inntravel.co.uk

Moments that matter

Taking a well-earned rest by the fountain in the village square (Cerdanya, Catalunya). 

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people

Moments that matter

Savouring lunch with a view – amid the clear mountain air of Switzerland’s Engadine Valley.

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people

FREE! My City guides

In each issue of The Simple Things we publish a local’s insider guide to some of the coolest, most interesting and simply favourite cities to visit. As the summer holiday season begins, we’re releasing one online each week in association with our friends at Inntravel – The slow holiday people 

This week it’s Amsterdam. Download John Bezold’s guide for free here.

Did you miss Copenhagen or Florence? 

This guide was first published in November 2012.

Coming soon!

4 June - Marrakech

11 June - Paris

18 June - Helsinki

25 June – Berlin

2 July – Palma

We'll post on our Twitter and Facebook when they are published.

MY CITY is supported by INNTRAVEL, the Slow Holiday people, who have spent the last three decades exploring Europe’s most beautiful corners along the lesser-trodden path. When it comes to cities, their self-guided walking tours have been carefully researched using their own expert knowledge and insider tips from locals. These specially created routes take in the best-known sights, but also those hidden gems that others miss. Find out more by visiting www.inntravel.co.uk

Moments that matter

Deliciously Danish: “Cycling along the Danish Riviera was wonderful, as were the mouthwatering open sandwiches – piled high with juicy prawns and creamy mayonnaise. One came from a simple café in Gilleleje harbour that has been in the same family for generations… absolut lækker!”

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people

Find out more on pages 74-75 of April's The Simple Things.

Moments that matter

Taking time out to admire the view - Eysturoy, Faroe Islands. “After an energetic jaunt up the steep clifftop path from the tiny village of Gjógv, views opened up over the aquamarine Atlantic all around. As I collapsed to the grass to gather my breath, a lone seagull hove into view and squawked its airy hello.”

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.

Moments that matter

Squeezing out every last drop of daylight on the final cross-country ski trail of the day.
Next stop: the cosy bar at the Fefor Hotel (Norwegian Highlands).

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.

Fancy heading to the snow? There's still time to enter our competition to win a week-long holiday in Norway. Enter now.

Competition: Win a winter holiday in Norway with Inntravel (closed)

This is your chance to try out cross-country skiing, courtesy of Inntravel and Norway - home of skiing.

The friendliness of fellow skiers, the feeling of being close to nature, and the chance to fully soak up the scenery make cross-country skiing highly enjoyable. And where better to learn than in Norway, where skiing is not so much a sport as a way of life.

We have teamed up with Inntravel to offer one lucky reader and their companion a holiday in Beitostolen in the Norwegian Highlands. As well as sampling a range of other snow-based activities (husky tours, snowmobile safaris and more), you will be able to try out cross-country skiing. Amiable instructor Tor Havard Kolbu and his team of friendly, English-speaking instructors will ensure you soon master the 'gliding stride', and once you get going you will be clocking up the kilometres in no time. 

The village of Beistolen has a wonderfully laid-back atmosphere, thanks to the Hovi family, who run most of it! Your base, the Bergo Hotel, is full of character, as are its restaurant and cosy bar; and you are bound to find yourselves in the lively Svingen pub at some stage. All in all, this is a fantastic holiday, and the connecting flight from Oslo to nearby Fagernes is the icing on the cake.

How to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What you could win

A week-long holiday for two at the Bergo Hotel in Beitostolen, including flights from London and transfers; dinner, breakfast and lunch pack every day; 6 days' ski hire, free use of cross-country trails and two 90-minute lessons. You can also use the excellent pool and spa facilities of the neighbouring Radisson hotel.

Try other activities (not included), such as husky tours, snowmobile safaris, downhill skiing or ice fishing. 

Departures from 1-29 March 2015 (Sundays to Fridays).

www.inntravel.co.uk

Full terms and conditions.