The Best Holiday Rentals in Vilamoura, Portugal

The balcony at this one-bedroom apartment overlooks the Vilamoura Marina and has two chairs and a table, making it a great place for couples to enjoy a drink and listen to the clink of sailboat masts. The bedroom is separate from the living space, with its L-shaped sofa, terracotta-coloured easy chairs and dining table. There are French door-style windows next to the bed, allowing you to wake up to marina views every morning.

A shared pool, complete with a grassy sunbathing area and a shaded seating pergola, is one of the highlights of this apartment, a short walk from the Vilamoura Marina; the balcony is another. It overlooks rows of red rooftops, the marina and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. The sea has inspired the decor, with sailing-themed artwork on the walls and splashes of blue everywhere, from the balcony furniture to the bed runners.

Backing onto a golf course and bird reserve, Laguna Resort is in a tranquil part of Vilamoura. At the heart of the property is the pool, long enough for laps and surrounded by loungers; there’s also the on-site Laguna Caffè where you can order cocktails and classic bar snacks such as burgers and chips. If you pay a little extra, you can tuck into a continental breakfast buffet every morning. Alternatively, you can walk to the marina cafes in 20 minutes.

With its apricot-coloured walls and dark-wood shuttered doors and windows, the three-bedroom Villa Ponderosa is classically Portuguese. Holidays here are all about lazing by the private pool in the day and firing up the barbecue at night – you can get supplies from the supermarket that’s a five-minute walk away. When you want to get out and about, the Old Village is just around the corner. Alternatively, it’s a five-minute drive to Vilamoura Marina and Praia de Falésia.

You could pop a cork from the terrace of this two-bedroom apartment and have it land in the water of Vilamoura Marina (don’t, though). There’s so much on the doorstep of this place – ice-cream shops, restaurants, supermarkets, bars and takeaways. Plus, the cotton-soft sands of Vilamoura Beach are a short walk away. With three single beds in the second bedroom, this place is a great choice for families.

There are eight bedrooms at this villa near the Pinhal Golf Course, and it has everything you need for a group getaway. There’s a large pool with two shallower sections for nippers, an al fresco dining terrace with a barbecue, and a game room with pool and foosball tables. The nearest restaurant, O Pirata, is less than a five-minute walk away and serves Portuguese classics such as sardines and cataplana (seafood stew). Alternatively, you can walk to the marina in 25 minutes.

This apartment, with its sailboat bed covers and wicker-and-wood furniture, is a few streets back from the marina, in an area with a tapas and wine bar, an Italian restaurant and a cocktail place. Its location means that you can go from bed to beach in about 10 minutes on foot. There are two bedrooms here; handily, there’s a bathroom for each one.

With balconies, kitchenettes and access to a lounger-ringed pool, Rio Apartments ticks all the summer holiday boxes. It’s in one of the quieter northern parts of Vilamoura, a half-hour walk from the marina and a 10-minute drive from the beach. For the days you just feel like flopping by the pool, there’s a bar and restaurant on-site. If you like your home comforts, it serves a mean English breakfast in the mornings.

With a white leather sofa, chandelier-style lighting and finishing touches such as the silver jaguar sculpture that tops the console table, VilamouraSun Aquamar 110 has a modern design. You might not spend that much time appreciating the interiors when you stay here, though. The two-bedroom apartment is fronted by a roomy balcony and comes with access to a shared swimming pool. Vilamoura Marina, meanwhile, is a three-minute walk away.