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Following on from my first Algarve beach post , today's featured location is another one of my favourite beaches. Cordoama is dramatic, stunning, and unspoilt. It's reached by going through the village of Vila do Bispo in the Western Algarve, around 25 minutes from Lagos. After driving through the town, you really can't miss it as it's signposted all the way. There are several stunning beaches around here, but this is one of the more accessible ones - the access road was improved a few years ago meaning a much less bumpy drive than before!  This beach is on the Algarve's wilder West coast and has beautiful clean water with rolling waves that are perfect for surfing. It's such a large expanse of sand that it's almost too far to walk from one end to the other - it just seems to go on for miles.  There is a small restaurant just beside the parking area, which serves fresh fish (they do superb grilled sardines when they are in season) and they also s...

This week, I've decided to feature two of my favourite beaches in Portugal. Today's offering is near Sagres, at the Western tip of the Algarve. There are a number of beaches in this area, but my favourite is Beliche. Getting to the beach is easy - it's well signposted from the town, and parking is plentiful. As you can see from the photo below, there are LOTS of stairs to get down to the beach, so take your time as some of them are quite steep. The bay itself is stunning wth soft golden sand and huge towering cliffs which give you shelter from the wind, which can sometimes be quite strong in this part of the Algarve. Out of season it can be really deserted, and even in the busy summer months, it would take a lot of people to make it busy! It's hard to sum up just how big this beach is, so take my advice and go and see it for yourself if you're in Portugal.

When you think of Majorca, what images do you conjure up in your head? Is it that 18-30 holiday in Magaluf that you can't believe you went on all those years ago?! Do you think of the bustling city and port of Palma? Or have you discovered the REAL Majorca like I did a couple of years ago? I stayed in Port de S ó ller, which is a lovely little village and port with some fabulous restaurants. However, that wasn't the real discovery on our holiday. That came when we we took a day trip to the stunningly picturesque village of Deiá . When you drive through the village, towards S ó ller, there is a little turning to the left just outside the village. You have to drive very carefully down the winding lane, and then park up and walk the last 600 feet or so, but this is your reward. Cala Deiá  is a very small cove on the steep northwest coast, which has fantastically clear water. Rocky cliffs curve around the bay, making it feel like a hidden paradise.  Now I'm not a huge f...