There’s something special about climbing up onto a castle wall on a clear day, feeling the warm breeze and looking out across miles of open countryside. In summer, castles in Portugal take on a new energy. They become natural viewpoints, striking backdrops for photographs, and meeting points between history and landscape.

A new contemporary pub and gastro bar has opened in the Algarve this summer, with The Wolf by Vale do Lobo now welcoming guests at the established Vale do Lobo resort.

There’s a shift happening at the top end of Portugal’s hospitality scene. The glossy, marble-heavy version of luxury is giving way to something more restrained and far more personal.