Hotel Sol e Mar

While it isn't the prettiest hotel gracing the sandy shoreline of Albufeira, the modern cube-like Hotel Sol e Mar does have a pretty enviable location. If you stay in one of its pleasant, simply furnished rooms you'll enjoy unobstructed views of the sand and ocean.

Falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves is undoubtedly the best feature of the hotel - though the rooms themselves aren't bad if you brace yourself for a bit of 1980s-style time- travel. Modest in size, the rooms have cream-coloured tile floors, brightly striped curtains (somewhat reminiscent of old carnival tents) and colourfully painted wooden furniture. The shaded terraces catch some cool breezes and the ocean often drowns out the sounds of people on the beach.