From indie dancefloors to massages: a Noughties night owl at Pine Cliffs, Portugal - The Times

[Demelza de Burca]

There was a time — long before oat milk, step counts and discussions about gut health — when my weekends were spent in indie clubs with sticky floors and questionable lighting. I was a Noughties hot mess in skinny jeans, band T-shirts, faux-fur coats and smudged eyeliner, fuelled by vodka, Diet Coke and supermarket sushi.

At the heart of the madness was Fidelma Deignan, my best friend at secondary school. My ride-or-die partner in crime for chasing gigs in dive bars and boys in bands and navigating taxis home at dawn. Fast-forward to our forties and our social lives have undergone something of a rebrand. These days we mostly check in on each other via our chaotic fitness and wellness WhatsApp group — a continuing stream of sweaty postrun selfies, sludgy NutriBullet smoothies, Pilates poses and gym playlists.


Which is how these two former night owls from the west of Ireland found themselves at the prestigious Pine Cliffs Resort on the Algarve coast of Portugal for a weekend of wellness, good food and a much needed reset.

Demelza and Fidelma at the resort

Set high on the ochre cliffs of Albufeira, a 30-minute drive from Faro airport, its whitewashed buildings, terracotta roofs and pine-shaded paths feel like the sort of place your older, better-rested self should have discovered sooner.

We arrive off-season and the vast family-friendly resort, which stretches across 172 acres and has 870 rooms, feels somewhat intimate — and even more exclusive. Guests are greeted by tiled floors and hand-painted azulejos, evoking traditional Portuguese charm. The resort’s design pays homage to Moorish influences; the designer Lynne Hunt has skilfully integrated heritage elements with contemporary aesthetics. There are piazzas with lemon trees and internal courtyards have fountains with sea-blue and canary-yellow tiles.

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Our suite was understated luxury — all clean lines and soft neutrals. Fine linens dress a dreamy bed, there’s a super-modern bathroom with a rain shower, and a decked-out balcony overlooks manicured gardens and has views of the deep golden sands of Falesia beach.

Our pre-going-out rituals these days have been replaced by lengthy skincare routines and conversations about creatine, life-changing podcasts and the power of sound baths, so we were keen to kick off the weekend with the resort’s dedicated wellness concept, the Art of Wellbeing, a heavenly programme of restorative treatments, fitness classes and holistic therapies, centred on the Serenity Spa.

Mirador Champagne Bar

The spa — which has won more than 20 awards, including Europe’s best luxury wellness spa — is a 1,200 sq m pale-stone sanctuary tucked away from the resort’s bustle. With 13 treatment rooms, including the opulent Aurum Suite, adorned with gold-leaf walls and a Swarovski crystal chandelier. A plethora of treatments inspired by local traditions are offered. Signature therapies utilise indigenous ingredients such as Ria Formosa salt, carob and orange oil, providing a sensory journey unique to the Algarve.

Before our treatments we lingered in the Thermal Oasisfor a circuit of saunas, herbal steam rooms, a Kneipp pool, hydrotherapy pool and indoor and outdoor relaxation areas, which all conspired to transport us into a state of pure bliss.

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Then I floated to a treatment room for a relaxing marine detox bath for 20 minutes, followed by a 50-minute lymphatic drainage massage. Forget kneading out knots in the shoulders: this massage focuses on eliminating toxins and drains excess fluids by applying gentle pressure along the lymphatic system. It’s pure therapy to lie on a lounger, sipping herbal infusions post-treatment with a clear, stress-free mind.

In keeping with the theme of wellbeing, the gym Active by Serenity offers a variety of fitness and wellness activities and features the latest Technogym equipment. I underwent a bioelectrical impedance analysis, which estimates body composition — specifically body fat and muscle mass — by measuring the resistance of the body to a low-level electrical current.

An ocean-view massage at Serenity Spa

Much to my delight — and Fidelma’s annoyance — it revealed I have the metabolism of a 31-year-old, which I put down to my dedication to Pilates and power walking over the past few years.

Armed with this information, I smugly signed the two of us up for a gorgeous and intimate morning yoga class where we downward-dogged and tree-posed our way through 45 minutes of stretching and deep breathing. There were also a couple of tough but excellent group Pilates sessions.

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From June 6-11 Pine Cliffs is offering a curated Fitness & Wellness — Fusion retreat. The programme includes a beach boot camp, stretching, hydro-Pilates and mat Pilates, HIIT training, core and conditioning, and cliff hiking. Suitable for all fitness levels, the classes will be led by Pine Cliffs’ highly qualified and experienced instructor Josué Rosa (programme from €2,224 per person, including accommodation in a deluxe room and all meals).

A sports lover’s paradise, there’s something for everyone. At the impressive Annabel Croft Tennis Academy there are four world-class tennis courts and four state-of-the-art padel courts. Rory McIlroy wannabes will love the nine-hole golf course that runs all along the cliff face, with spectacular views of the ocean. Meanwhile, the former Boyzone star Ronan Keating will headline this year’s Pine Cliffs Resort Summer Gala on August 1 (tickets from €49).

A duplex suite

Not just for the adults, Pine Cliffs is a wonderful family spot, with eight swimming pools and Porto Pirata Children’s Village — the largest kids’ club in the region, with mini golf and a pirate ship. There’s also a hairdresser, barber and numerous shops and boutiques on site.

Other highlights of our weekend included a cinematic winding walk down boardwalk-style stairs through towering pine trees to a 5km stretch of the beach for therapeutic chats and belly laughs. “You never regret a swim,” is one of Fidelma’s mottos in life, so we stripped off for a chilly dip in the Atlantic.

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The evolution of our friendship has mirrored our growth over the years. From carefree days of teenage rebellion to the big life milestones — like her move to New Zealand or my wedding in Seville, where she was by my side as my bridesmaid — we’ve stuck together.

As we feasted on artfully composed detox salads and downed “immunity boost” shots at Zest café, which was one of our favourite spots at the resort, we laughed at how far we’ve come from the Jägerbomb-downing days in Whelan’s. Over the weekend we enjoyed avocado toast, smoothies with maca and matcha, and cacau lattes.

Annabel Croft Tennis Academy

Wellness clichés might suggest a menu of quinoa and sadness, but Pine Cliffs — which has appeared twice on Condé Nast Traveller’s “Gold List” and has scooped a multitude of accolades at the World Travel Awards, including Portugal’s leading family resort seven times — strikes the balance beautifully with a choice of 15 restaurants and bars.

Breakfasts were an event at Jardim Colonial: plates of just-ripe fruit, smoked salmon, perfect pastries and an omelette station manned by a chef who approached eggs with the focus of a heart surgeon. But the indulgence was never far away and life is all about balance. There was one enchanting evening at the Mirador Champagne Bar, with cocktails and clifftop views, followed by dinner at Portofino by Mimo, a cookery school and pop-up trattoria with pizza so good it silenced two lifelong talkers.

It’s a shame to come all the way to Portugal and not leave the resort. For those interested in local culture, nearby towns like Albufeira provide a glimpse into Portuguese coastal life. A top tip is to book the Benagil tasting tour from Albufeira Marina (€60, algarexperience.com). Here we spent a glorious three hours on the top deck of a stylish catamaran and cruised along the stunning western Algarve coastline.

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We sipped local wines, sampled traditional sweets, visited hidden beaches and time-carved caves and admired breathtaking scenery as the sun went down on our wellness weekend. Back at Pine Cliffs, Fidelma and I are hangover-free, calm, rested and ready to face the next chapter.

Demelza and Fidelma were guests of Pine Cliffs Resort (pinecliffs.com). Prices from €425 a night based on two adults staying in a deluxe room with resort view