Virgin Media packed its golf shoes and a hearty appetite before heading off to sample one of Portugal's top luxury resorts...

The reliable sun and accessibility of the Algarve have long made it a favourite for Brits searching for beaches and an affordable, generally unsophisticated summer escape.

This south-western corner of Europe enjoys year-round sunshine, eight centuries' worth of intriguing history and culture and dramatic rock foundations overlooking sun-baked beaches. What it once upon a time lacked were modern luxury hotels to inject some glamour to the region, but one place that has added some class and top-notch standards is the stunning Pine Cliffs Resort.

The place is as huge as it is lovely. There are 72 acres of land to unwind in, so guests are glad to find that there's a train to carry you from one end of the resort to the other. The resort offers all you'd need for the perfect luxury vacation. All the ingredients for an enticing blend of sloth and self-indulgence are here. Let's start with the food: the latest additions to the lineup of eateries are the new O'Grill and Amo.te Pine Cliffs sushi club, taking the resort's restaurant-count to an impressive 14, covering no fewer than five different types of cuisine.

Dish of the day

The O'Grill offers traditional Mediterranean dishes, inevitably specialising in fish-based fare. The Amo.te is on hand if you fancy seafood of the raw variety. This sushi club also doubles as a spot for lounging around until the early hours, swaying to the sounds of guest DJ mixes. If that isn't cool enough for you, the TABU garden loung is open during the summer months, a fine place to sit in the shade of pine trees and slowly sip cocktails, as twinkling stars come out and chill-out tunes help you get into the zone.

The umbrella in this cocktail of divine eateries and watering holes is the ocean-side Mirador bar, which needs no fibre-optic lights or fancy fish to make it a favourite. The recipe is simple: they've balanced an elegant champagne bar of the edge of a cliff and let Mother Nature serve up a spectacular sunset.

Tee time

The Algarve was recently declared the best place in the world to play golf, an accolade bestowed by golf tour operators who should know what they're talking about. So, it's little surprise that golf has been made a large draw at Pine Cliffs. Enthusiasts will be in their element with an overwhelmingly scenic nine-hole course. Among the top challenges here is the Devil's Parlour - a challenging PAR-3 hole overlooking the Atlantic with striking views.

Sport and spa

Guests who are undderwhelmed by golf won't be short of things to do. You could brush up your backhand with some tennis lessons, swim across one of the six pools or get pampered at the professional beauty centre. And with the beach a few steps away, seaside activities are an obvious way to wile away your days. For some adrenaline-fuelled fun, you could take the plunge and give such adventures as wakeboarding, windsurfing or catamaran sailing a try, or simply kick back in the sun and marvel at the soaring cliffs above, which give the Pine Cliffs resort its amazing setting.

For more info on the Pine Cliffs resort, or to make a booking, visit www.luxurycollection.com.