The long walkway that leads to the guest rooms at Praia do Canal is designed to resemble a Moroccan medina: tall rectangular structures, sand-colored exterior walls, glowing-soft illumination at night. That’s a signal that the nature resort sets out to be nothing like the party-bright hotels of the central Algarve coast, nor like the rustic-luxe farmhouse-chic boutique hotels that dominate the Alentejo.
Rather, it’s a one-off design that befits the 56-room hotel’s location at the boundary between the two regions, near the yoga-chic town of Aljezur. It occupies 220 hectares within the protected Costa Vicentina Natural Park, a wild landscape of forest and marshland, dramatic cliffs and rocky coves. There are beaches nearby but they aren’t the kind for swimming. They’re the kind for surfing, or simply for admiring the power of nature.
Praia do Canal was designed to appeal to guests who share that admiration. The spaces are grand, and the colors understated. Each room has a balcony or garden terrace, the better to enjoy the daytime breezes and the starry sky at night. A few have private plunge pools, but the main resort pool is an inviting gathering place.
The resort has two restaurants, the Portuguese-contemporary Azeitona, where chef Marcelo Santos combines regional produce with creative flair, and the summer-only poolside restaurant, Zimbro, where there’s sushi and other light fare on offer. In both kitchens, he’s meticulous about ingredients: sausages from Monchique, cheeses from Odemira and Serpa, fresh fish from the market in Aljezur, shellfish from the Ria Formosa and Ria de Alvor, and black pork from Estremoz.
They can also set up a lavish picnic in a meadow on the resort grounds, or organize excursions further afield, such as guided hikes, surf lessons, boat trips, hot air balloon rides, horseback excursions, or Jeep tours.
For more information, visit the Praia do Canal website.
Praia do Canal
Herdade Vale dos Polvos – Valinhos
Aljezur
Phone: +351 282 242 400
Email: reservas@praiadocanal.pt