If you’re looking for charm, character and comfort in a convenient location, Casa das Flores has it all, ideal for one or two couples or a smaller family. The former village house has been tastefully refurbished as a holiday home, cleverly reconfigured to provide two double bedrooms and bathrooms, plus a very attractive living/dining space that opens directly onto the patio garden. There’s space here for that all-important outdoor dining table, sun loungers and a pretty plunge pool, plus a further handy barbecue corner for effortless evenings in.

Our favourite spot at Casa das Flores has to be the large, south-facing roof terrace, equipped with outdoor sofas so you can sit and enjoy a drink along with the sweeping views across the countryside to the sea.

The house sits in Benfarras, a typical small village with a café a few hundred metres away and several restaurants within walking distance. Traditional Benfarras feels a million miles from the glamorous coastal resorts, but you can drive to Vilamoura’s upmarket marina and neighbouring beautiful sandy beaches in just 10 to 15 minutes, with Ubers easily available if you prefer. If you’re after a more local atmosphere, you can shop and eat out very well in Boliqueime (4kms), a lovely, non-touristy hill town with cobbled streets and whitewashed houses that fan out from the historic church square. And if you prefer to keep it more local still, there are easy loop walks directly from the house that wind past orange groves and small farms into the gently rolling countryside that for many is the real Algarve.