Quinta do Caracol

On Tavira's outskirts, 1km southwest of the waterfront, this unpretentious, old-fashioned 17th-century farmhouse is buffered from the neighbouring suburban development by a lovely garden with hidden nooks, a stream, a brick barbecue, grass tennis court and a small, circular pool. Rooms are kitted out with traditional Algarve furnishings, rustic artwork and kitchenettes; family-sized apartments accommodate six.