Bela Vista Hotel & Spa
Portimão, Portugal
★ Verified by our editors · September 2026
We may earn a commission — at no cost to you.
The verdict
A summer palace built in 1918 on the cliff above Praia da Rocha, with a turret and century-old hand-painted tiles — a staircase tells the story of The Lusiads — and a hotel since the 1930s. Now a Relais & Châteaux house in three buildings, with Vista, a MICHELIN-starred restaurant under chef João Oliveira, it holds two MICHELIN Keys and is the most characterful hotel on the western Algarve coast.
Couples who want a historic house on the cliff, a starred dinner and the beach at the foot of the steps.
You are travelling with children — the hotel says it is not suited to them — or want quiet streets: Praia da Rocha's seafront is busy in summer.
Ask for a room in the Palacete, the original 1918 house, for the tiles and the period rooms; the Casa Jardim and Casa Azul rooms are more contemporary.
The rooms
Rooms are spread across three buildings: the Palacete, the original house, with Tradition, Character and junior suite rooms; Casa Jardim, with Classic, Deluxe and Suite rooms; and Casa Azul, with Classic rooms and sea-view junior suites. Each is individually decorated on a marine theme, and most look over the Atlantic from a balcony.
The setting
On the clifftop above the long sandy beach of Praia da Rocha, on Avenida Tomás Cabreira in Portimão, near the mouth of the Arade river. The house was built as Vila Nossa Senhora das Dores for a canning industrialist and has been classified as a building of public interest since 2007.
The food
Vista Restaurante, led by chef João Oliveira, holds a MICHELIN star and cooks the Algarve's fish and seafood with a view of the ocean. BELA serves a lighter menu, and the Vista bar is in the palace.
Getting there
About 50 minutes by car from Faro airport. Portimão's centre and marina are a short taxi ride away; you can manage without a car if you plan to stay by the beach.
Good to know
A Spa by L'Occitane with five treatment rooms, sauna, hot tub and Turkish bath, plus a pool and a gym. The hotel says it is not recommended for children, and booking channels list it as adults only.
More hotels in Algarve
All hotels in Algarve →
Bela Vista Hotel & Spa
From €330 · Booking.com affiliate