Beach retreat in northern Portugal Chus, who owns the local bar where I used to live in Galicia, shuts every September and decamps to Portugal. This entails a journey of 10 miles to the seaside town of Moledo. On his recommendation we caught the ferry across the wide estuary and reached Moledo within 20 minutes.
The town beach is sheltered by a fortress island and Monte de Santa Trega. It’s popular with Spaniards who can’t resist the lower prices on this side. Moledo has a long season because it’s a haven for kitesurfers.
Think Donegal with warm weather. Chus recommended Hotel Porta do Sol (doubles from about €110). As with most things, he was right.
Well-appointed and unpretentious. A bit like my old local. Tom Crystal clear waters in Alentejo Follow a bumpy lane down from Aljezur to Praia da Amoreira in the Vicentine Coast natural park and you’ll discover a fantastic swimming spot, where a crystal clear river hits the roaring waves of the Atlantic, creating a natural water slide every few minutes as the tide ebbs and flows.
Plenty of shallows for kids to play safely in too and nearby Aljezur is filled with super-hip vegan lunch spots set by the river in the old town. Ellen Roberts Guardian Travel readers' tips Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print.
To enter the latest competition visit the readers' tips homepage - A monastery for sore feet on the Camino de Santiago .