From the new Faro routes to New York and Marrakesh to the latest accommodation options in the Algarve and Portugal

From Faro to New York on a flat bed 

It may not be quite the same level of comfort as the 1-2-1 layout of a modern business class product on a wide-bodied jet, but this is the refitted Polaris Business Class Cabin of a United Airlines Boeing 757-200, as will be seen on the new Faro-Newark route starting from May 24th with four flights a week.

The business class cabin features 16 seats in a 2-2 layout with flights leaving Faro on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11.45am arriving at 3.05pm local time and returning from Newark for an overnight flight departing Newark at 9.50pm and arriving in Faro at 10am the next day. 

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Nature and luxury  

When you cannot choose between the beach and the countryside, the best thing to do is to stay close to both, and for this there is nothing better than the Alentejo coast.

Located in São Teotónio, Craveiral Farmhouse stands out for its combination of traditional nature and modern life.

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Here, you can choose to book an independent residence, of the 38 available, from studios to two-bedroom houses, and bring your pet.

There are three swimming pools, one of which is indoor, a restaurant serving organic produce, a nature interpretation centre and you can also socialise with the farm animals. 

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From Faro to exotic Marrakesh 

An unusual route it may be but for anyone who fancies an exotic break flying direct from Faro, low-cost airline Ryanair has the answer.

The first flights are scheduled for March 31, with flights on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The final flight of the season is scheduled for October.

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For a luxury break, Marrakesh has iconic hotels such as the La Mamounia and the Royal Mansour along with the likes of Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Nobu and Oberoi. The city even has an Aman resort named Amanjena.

But there are hotels for all budgets including charming Riad properties on the narrow streets of the souks.  

Pestana paints Alvor Blue 

The iconic Delfim hotel is getting a complete makeover. Towering above Alvor Beach, the large hotel is being transformed by the Pestana Group into an all-inclusive family resort.

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Located just a few steps from the large sandy beach that gives it its name, the Pestana Blue Alvor Beach is scheduled to open in May and will feature renovated rooms with incredible sea views, three outdoor swimming pools (one exclusively for children, another just for adults and a third for the whole family) three restaurants and two bars, kids club, a padel and multipurpose court, a gym and direct access to the beach and its 6km boardwalk. 

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Hilton continues to expand in Portugal 

Just a few years ago we had only three Hilton Group properties in Portugal: the Hilton Vilamoura opened in 2007, followed by the Conrad Algarve in 2012, and the DoubleTree Lisbon, inaugurated in 2014.

But a flurry of new openings over the last four years now brings the total of Hilton Group properties in the country up to nine.

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Up north we saw the Boeira Garden open in Porto (Gaia) in 2019 under the Curio Collection brand, followed by the Emerald House Lisbon in 2020.

More recently, two more hotels in Porto have opened under the Tapestry Collection brand; the Arts Hotel and the Sé Catedral Hotel, and a hotel under the main Hilton brand in Gaia.

In the Alentejo, Évora now has a Hilton Garden Inn, opened last year, and there are two new hotels under construction, one in Cascais and another in the Azores.

The Algarve is also expected to see two other Hilton group properties in the near future, so watch this space. 

New Vilamoura Marina 

Construction of a new Vilamoura Marina has begun and is set to be completed before the end of 2024.

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The €23 million project by the resort’s developer Vilamoura World, which will involve expanding the current marina to welcome larger boats, features three new pontoons with 68 mooring berths, all equipped with the latest technology and sustainable practices.

The new marina for larger boats will be located at the entrance of the navigation channel, closer to the sea, while the existing marina, boasting over 800 berths for smaller-sized vessels, will remain at its current location.

The goal is to create an infrastructure capable of competing with other marinas worldwide, from Monaco to Dubai. 

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