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This beautiful and diverse nature reserve is home to a stunning variety of wildlife: Bonelli’s eagle, Egyptian vulture, genet and the Iberian midwife toad are some of the residents.

Perched above some of the Algarve’s best beaches, special features include a childrens’ entertainment village and a 9-hole golf course. All rooms have sun terraces, and guests have access to a private beach club.

A spectacular clifftop layout, this 9-hole course is set against an ocean backdrop. The course hides under a canopy of umbrella pine, with narrow fairways demanding a steady swing. The final hole requires a shot from the clifftop tee that will carry a deep ravine to hit the green.

One of the Algarve’s great landmark features, Silves Castle dates back to Moorish times, but may have been built on Roman fortifications. Its formidable red sandstone battlements and massive polygonal towers enclose a vast compound.

Once the grandiose capital of the Moorish province of al-Gharb, Silves today is dominated by the ochre ramparts of its huge castle. Lush orange groves blanket the countryside. See Silves.

Overlooking a fertile valley of lemon and orange groves, cork and almond trees and swathes of scented meadows is Silves. Once the grandiose capital of Moorish Algarve, the town’s main draw is its castle. As well as taking the inspiring walk around its red sandstone battlements, visitors should look out for the fabulous vaulted Moorish cistern and Traitor’s gate – the battle-scarred doorway through which Dom Paio Peres Correira stormed to recapture the stronghold for Christian forces in 1242. Outside the castle walls is the 13th-century cathedral, which was the seat of the Algarve see until 1580. See Silves.

Corkscrew, Black Hole and Crazy River are some of the best water chutes. The adrenaline rush starts working overtime when you’re halfway down the Kamikaze water slide.