Enjoying Pine Cliffs Resort In The Off Season In Portugal

Much To Enjoy At Pine Cliffs Resort In The Off Season In Portugal

We found much to enjoy on a stay at Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season in Portugal. After our Tauck Seine River cruise, we flew from Paris to Lisbon. And then took the train south from Lisbon to the Algarve.

Our first visit to the Pine Cliffs Resort was in May. It was at the beginning of the summer season and the resort was in full swing. This time we wanted to see what this part of Portugal was like in the dead of winter. So we returned to a wonderful resort we knew well.

Travelling To The Algarve From Paris

We flew with TAPAir from Paris to Lisbon. We left Paris one day before a historic snowfall and were glad we got out when we did.

For one night in Paris we stayed at the Moxy Lisbon. We were sure we booked the Moxy hotel beside the Oriente train station to make our departure the next day easy. But sometimes we don’t double check our reservations closely enough. The Moxy Lisbon we booked was in downtown Lisbon. It was in a fun location and our upgraded suite on the top floor had amazing patio views. But it did mean a little extra time the next day for an Uber to the train station.

We chose to take the train rather than drive on this visit. We wanted a lazy break and did not plan to tour around the Algarve. Our research found us several train options each day with one high speed train. The high speed train from Lisbon to the Algarve took a few hours. But we enjoyed the view along the route.

Exiting the train in Albufeira it was an easy Uber ride for our stay at Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season in Portugal.  

Why We Visited The Algarve In Off Season

Many things drove us to consider a longer stay in the Algarve in Portugal during the winter off season. When we visited Europe for a cruise vacation, we often added on a few weeks before or after the trip. Portugal is one of our favourite countries to visit. And we wanted to see what Portugal was like in off season. 

At one point, we considered moving to Portugal. We knew that for much of the year, the weather was wonderful and there was much to see all around the beautiful country of Portugal. The winter temperatures in the Southern region were much better than much of Canada. Although after our move to the West Coast in British Columbia our winter weather was much milder. But we had not experienced the winter weather in the Algarve.

With the increasing popularity of Portugal, we knew that visiting in peak times meant large crowds and families. We generally travelled to avoid peak season. But we learned that off-season travel offered other challenges. Restaurants closed for off season, places were closed several days a week and tourist destinations, if they were open, operated on reduced hours.

We often kept a very busy pace when we travelled. So after a busy trip, we needed downtime. After our very busy holiday Seine River cruise with Tauck we definitely needed a break. So two weeks in Portugal in January sounded perfect.

All of these thoughts combined and we booked a stay at Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season in the Algarve in Portugal.

Returning To A Seaside Resort That Was Lovely In The Winter

On our first visit, we stayed at the Pine Cliffs Resort for 2 weeks in May. The resort was fully operational and the weather was perfect. We had great memories of the resort located on the stunning red cliffs overlooking the sea. The great views enticed us day and night. And the long beach at the water edge was a constant draw.

On this visit, we booked larger accommodations in the Ocean Suites area of the resort. This gave us lots of room to spread out. And we had cooking facilities too if we did not want to dine out. If restaurant availability ever became an issue, we knew food was available at the the supermarket at the gates of the resort for us to cook for ourselves.

We enjoyed long walks along the paths around the property. Most days the weather was sunny and around 15°C (about 60°F). We even got a rainbow after a brief afternoon shower. Flowers still bloomed and lemons filled the trees. A sweater was all we needed for cooler early mornings. And a few rainy days didn’t bother us at all. We now knew that Portugal in the winter provided weather that ensured lots of outdoor time.

With no crowds and good weather, we found a lovely spot to return to at Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season in Portugal.

Resort Dining Options Were Plentiful In Off Season

The Pine Cliffs Resort included both a hotel and 2 properties that had suite owners. The hotel was popular all year round for individual guests and for larger tour groups. The suite owners wanted to visit their units all year round. And wanted to recover some of their investment through suite rentals. So all 3 parts of the Pine Cliffs Resort remained open all year.

The resort had many different restaurant facilities. We understood that in off season, it was not financially viable to have all restaurants open every day. 

We got daily breakfast as part of our Marriott Bonvoy Elite benefits. The great buffet breakfast in the Jardim Colonial restaurant provided a tasty breakfast selection. And the vast space was generally empty when we arrived early.

A variety of on-site restaurants opened when we visited in off season (Golf Course Clubhouse, Cafe Cordo and Zest). And we ate at the specialty restaurant when it was open for great seafood treats (O Pescador). We even found food available in the Maré Restaurant on the beach with a small selection food.

If we walked just off the property, we also found other restaurant options open. We enjoyed pizza and pasta from Pizzeria S Martino one night. And had a seafood feast another day at Restaurante O Pinhal.

While some restaurants were closed in off-season, we found lots of food options on the resort. And the room service menu provided a broad set of choices. Eating and drinking well was not a concern when we stayed at Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season in Portugal.

Resort Facilities At Pine Cliffs Resort In The Off Season

We found lots to do around the resort when we visited in off season. The golf course was open and every day we saw golfers out. Tennis courts were not full but were in use every day. While there were few children on the resort during our stay, the children’s area was open to entertain the young visitors.

We found all of the pools around the resort were clean and open. But the outdoor pools were a little cold even for us Canadians! But an indoor pool was a good option.

The Portulano Bar off the main hotel lobby was open for drinks late in the evening. But we got a special treat one night. We learned that the lovely hostess we met at breakfast every day was also an amazing singer. And the resort featured Louisa in the Portulano Bar on Saturday nights. While many other guests missed this treat, we were happy to spend a few hours privately serenaded by Louisa.

Visiting Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season still offered lots to do on the resort.

A Relaxing Break In The Spa

Our stay at the Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season in Portugal provided the break we desperately needed. We finished our busy holiday Seine River cruise and wanted a short break in a busy travel year. And we knew that off season crowds meant lots of quiet time on a resort.

We were delighted when we learned that our booking at the Pine Cliffs Resort included unlimited access to the Thermal Spa area in the Ocean Suites building. 

The Thermal Spa area had a nice variety of hot and cold facilities that we wanted to explore. We enjoyed our first Nordic Spa experiences on a visit to the Scandinave Nordic Spa when we stayed in Blue Mountain on a weekend escape from Toronto. So when we escaped to Quebec City for a weekend, we made sure to book another Nordic Spa experience at the Strom Nordic Spa. A spa vacation in British Columbia at Sparkling Hill Resort and Spa provided yet another experience. And we even cruised with Viking Cruises for another Nordic Spa treat. 

Several times we put on our robes and headed down to the Serenity Thermal Spa for a few hours. We started in the hot tub outside but did not pay the fee for the cold plunge tub. We turned the jets on high in the indoor pool and tried all the different shower experiences. The wet sauna and two different dry saunas dried us off in between. And we were delighted when we found the Kniepp experience walking alternately between very hot and very cold water baths.  

We happily relaxed in the adults-only Serenity Thermal Spa area on quiet days enjoying Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season in Portugal. While we planned to book a spa massage or other session, we did not get anything scheduled on this visit.  

Even A Birthday Treat For David

We often travelled over David’s birthday. And this generally meant more than one celebration! David got his first early birthday treat on our holiday Seine River cruise.  

But his actual birthday fell when we visited Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season. I booked an appointment with the resort Operations Manager to distract David for an hour while David’s birthday treat was set up. We had a fascinating discussion with Rui Brito about the challenges with off season operations. When we returned to the room, David was surprised when the wonderful concierge team delivered another chocolate cake with bubbles and balloons to wish him a Happy Birthday.

A birthday celebration was always fun when we travelled. It was extra special on our stay at Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season in Portugal.

A Great Stay At Pine Cliffs Resort In The Off Season In Portugal

We wondered about a visit to Portugal in the dead of winter. On previous visits to the Algarve, we explored all along the Southern coast of Portugal. We saw amazing cliff and caves. And visited many charming small towns. Uber ride sharing was easily available for short trips. And there was a car rental facility on the resort. But for this visit we chose to just stay put and relax.

Our stay at Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season was perfect. We found the quiet, relaxing environment we wanted. And we found no issues with finding restaurants or facilities open. We will definitely plan a return trip in the quiet months in Portugal.

Have you enjoyed a stay at the Pine Cliffs Resort in the off season in Portugal? Was it the quiet retreat you wanted?

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