Hotels in Luz

Praia da Luz is a small former fishing village on the western Algarve, folded between limestone headlands with a proper Blue Flag beach and a boardwalk lined with seafood restaurants rather than high-rise resorts. Its low-key, family-friendly reputation was shaken internationally in 2007 by the Madeleine McCann case, which still shadows the town's name for some visitors, though little in the resort itself references it today.

With a population under 4,000, Luz is quiet out of season, with limited nightlife and shopping compared to nearby Lagos, and many restaurants and shops close for winter. What it does well is a relaxed pace, decent walking along the clifftop path to Rocha Negra, and easy access to Lagos for anything the village itself lacks. With only seven hotels listed here, choice is thin, so book early in summer. Stay as close to the seafront as possible, since the beach and promenade are the main reason to come.