Vilalara Grand Hotel Algarve

Vilalara Grand Hotel Algarve, long known as Vilalara Thalassa Resort, sits on an 11-hectare clifftop estate above Praia das Gaivotas in Porches. The property began in 1966 when English visionary George Ansley discovered the site, inspired by Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, and named it Vilalara in 1967 after his granddaughter Lara. Swiss businessman Léon Levy bought it in 1970 and turned it into a private club for an international elite. In 1990 it opened Portugal's first thalassotherapy centre, a 2,600 square metre seawater therapy complex designed by specialist Jean Bobet with architect Ramiro Laranjo, whose guests over the years have included Princess Diana and former US President Jimmy Carter. The resort reopened for the 2026 season under its new Grand Hotel name after a renovation led by Barcelona's Quintana Partners Studio. Accommodation runs from Elegant, Deluxe, Ocean and Master Suites up to the 140 square metre Grand Suite, plus two and three bedroom Residences with full kitchens for families and groups. Dining spans five restaurants: Coral, the clifftop 22-seat dinner-only fine-dining room led by chef Diogo Pereira, who has been with Vilalara since 2017; A Costa for Portuguese classics, market fish and rice dishes; Trattoria Pantaleone for Italian cooking with Algarvian ingredients; Raízes - Horta da Terra for fire-led, shared dining; and Gaivotas for wellness-oriented Mediterranean food. The headline remains the Vilalara Essence wellness programme, open 9:00 to 19:00, spanning thalasso seawater therapy, spa treatments, anti-ageing, fitness and nutrition. Around it sit multiple pools, clifftop access to the beach, tennis, padel and pickleball courts and yoga on the cliff. The resort also hosts weddings, private celebrations and corporate meetings, with room bookings through its own online engine and restaurant tables through an online reservation system.