Your Perfect European Beach Getaway at Belmar Spa & Beach Resort

Looking for the perfect place to spend a family vacation with all the perks of a beach resort but the living space of an Airbnb? Belmar Spa and Beach Resort has everything you could possibly need for an amazing getaway. 

Our family spent three nights hosted at the Belmar Spa and Beach Resort and it was a prime location and set up for our family in every way.

Sleep: 

Possibly the most desirable for our family was the living space. We stayed in the two bedroom apartment: Three floors, full cooking kitchen, three patios, (including a walkout patio to a grass area and rooftop patio) three full bathrooms; the apartment had it all.  It was lovely to have so much space during our stay. 

Eat:

Breakfast is included in your stay with different packages offered by the hotel. The hotel offers a full breakfast buffet and, additionally, a menu with a number of items you can order which are included in the breakfast package.  Ordering breakfast by menu is soooo nice for moms who don’t want to make three extra meals going back and forth to a buffet. IYKYK. 🤪😉 

Every morning I ordered avocado toast with egg, the kids ordered pancakes with fruit and Nutella and Matt ordered the Irish breakfast and eggs Benedict (a 4 euros surcharge). The buffet included fresh fruit, cheeses and meats, pastries, cereal, etc. We left breakfast every morning with full bellies and ready for the day! 

Lunch and dinner is available to order at the hotel’s restaurant as well.  The kids loved the hotel’s pizza for a late night snack.  The hotel restaurant offers a number of additional options as well including salads, handhelds, and desserts! 

Play: 

Our days at Belmar Spa and Beach Resort consisted of three different sceneries for swimming and fun: the beach, outdoor pool, and indoor pool. 

The beach is an easy five minute walk from the hotel property and there are a couple of restaurants right there.  The sand is soft and the water refreshing and cold.  On either side of the bay are beautiful cliffs that makes for the perfect scenic spot for evening photos (see below).  Our kids enjoyed jumping in the waves and building sandcastles. 

Belmar Spa and Beach Resort has four outdoor pools (one which was under repair while we were there).  Our favorite outdoor pool overlooked the ocean and had a baby pool for toddlers to play in knee deep water. 

The indoor pool, connected to the Belmar Spa, had the warmest water and was very spacious for kids and their families to swim and play.  I highly recommend using the indoor pool during the heat of the day to get out of Portugal’s intense sun rays. I promise you, if you aren’t careful, you will get sunburned. 

Other activities:

Lagos City Center: A short drive from Belmar Spa and Beach Resort, Lagos City Center is the perfect spot to visit in the evening for shopping or dinner.  There is an adorable merry-go-round in the center and a bunch of mechanical riding toys for kids all around the city.  You will love to roam around the winding walkable streets while hearing musicians play in the town’s square. 

Ponta Da Piedade Rock Formations: The Ponta Da Piedade rock formations along the coast is a must see in Lagos, it is simply breathtaking.  Keep in mind that unlike America, drop offs aren’t fenced off and it’s really important to keep a close eye on your little ones. I highly recommend wearing your small toddlers in a carrier while visiting Ponta Da Piedade. The area is not stroller friendly and you will want to take the many steps down the side of the cliff for a photo in front of some picture-worthy rock formations along the coast. 

There are a bunch of boat tours you can also take to different rock formations along the coast, unfortunately, the sea was too rough for us to take any tours.

Lagos, Portugal is without a doubt the perfect destination for any sun & beach chasers up North! The dry climate allows for more sun and warmth, gorgeous European coastlines and culture! We sooo prefer this type of “beach” vacation over anywhere in the states!