Monte Santo Resort
Monte Santo Resort is a standalone five-star resort on high ground above Carvoeiro, on the central Algarve coast of Portugal, about 45 minutes from Faro. Its 113 suites, villas and townhouses sit across 8 hectares of gardens, lakes and a winding waterway, each with its own full kitchen. Families come for the space of a self-catering suite, seven pools, a free kids’ club and a Blue Flag beach a short drive down the hill.
On this page
Is it worth it?
The quick read before the detail: who Monte Santo suits, how the self-catering works and the facts to skim first.
Monte Santo is a five-star resort of self-catering suites, villas and townhouses set in gardens above Carvoeiro. The draw is space: each unit has a full kitchen, a living room and its own terrace or garden, which suits families who want to keep to a baby’s nap and mealtimes and spread out in the evening. Add seven pools, a free kids’ club from four and a quiet garden setting well away from the resort strips, and it works as a real Algarve base rather than a sealed beach resort.
The trade-offs are worth weighing up front. It is not all-inclusive, so meals are on you beyond whichever board you book. It sits on high ground, so the beach and village are a walk downhill and a steep climb back, and a hire car is the practical option here over relying on the shuttle. There is no crèche for children under four, and the kids’ club starts at four. You will get the most from it if you want the flexibility of a kitchen and a car and are happy to drive to the beaches, and less if you need a crèche, a beachfront setting or everything folded into one price.
Best for
You want a spacious self-catering suite with a full kitchen, several pools and a quiet garden setting, and you are happy to hire a car and drive to the beaches.
Maybe not for
You need a crèche for a baby or toddler, you would rather everything came in one all-inclusive price or you want to walk to the beach and village rather than drive.
Best ages
It works at any age. Babies and toddlers lean on the baby kit, a babysitter and the kitchen; the free kids’ club takes children from four to twelve.
What stands out
Large, well-equipped suites and villas with private gardens, seven pools including a heated indoor one and 8 hectares of gardens and lakes.
What to check
The kids’ club hours, the shuttle timetable and that you are happy with the hill down to the beach and the need for a car.
Where is it?
On high ground above Carvoeiro in the central Algarve, about 45 minutes from Faro airport and 1.8 km (about a mile) from the beach.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
Where Monte Santo sits, how it is laid out across three areas and what that means for getting around with young children.
Monte Santo covers 8 hectares of manicured gardens and lakes, with a waterway winding between the buildings, on elevated ground in Sesmarias at the edge of Carvoeiro in the central Algarve. It is a quiet, residential setting rather than a busy resort strip, which is a large part of why families choose it, though the high ground is also why the walk back from the village or beach is uphill. For the wider region, its coast and its seasons, see our Algarve guide.
The 113 suites, villas and townhouses are spread across three areas. The Club House is the central building, holding reception, the Aroma Restaurant and Lounge Bar, the spa and the gym, with the Luxury Suites above. The main Suites blocks sit around the large central pool, with garden or pool views. The Luxury Villas and Townhouses are two-storey units in a quieter part of the grounds, each with a private garden or a pool-view terrace and access to their own smaller pools. The architecture is modern and low-rise in earthy tones, with wooden pergolas, and it blends into the landscape rather than towering over it.
The resort has been kept up in stages rather than freshly rebuilt: comfortable and well equipped, in a style that puts space and practicality ahead of the latest interiors, with the odd sign of wear here and there. Getting around inside is straightforward, with pebbled paths and lifts connecting the accommodation to the main building, and the grounds are manageable with a pushchair even though the roads down to the village are not. Electric-car charging points are provided on site at no charge.
Every restaurant and bar
The board options, the one restaurant and two bars, the child-friendly touches and how the free-child-meals offer works.
Monte Santo is not all-inclusive. You book it bed and breakfast, half board or room-only and self-cater, and with a full kitchen in every unit, self-catering is a natural fit for families with a baby or toddler. Half board adds dinner at Aroma to the buffet breakfast; anything beyond your board, including lunch and drinks at the pool bar, is paid as you go. There is one restaurant and two bars on site, so for more variety you head down to Carvoeiro or cook in.
Aroma is the resort restaurant, open daily roughly 08:00 to 21:30, serving Mediterranean and local cooking with a creative touch on a pool-view terrace. Breakfast is a buffet, there’s a children’s menu and a takeaway service if you’d rather eat in the suite. Baby food is available at an extra charge. Feedback on the food is mixed: some families rate it, others find it basic for a five-star billing, and its standalone TripAdvisor listing ranks #124 of 153 restaurants in Carvoeiro, a low placing, though most reviewers are hotel guests rather than dining critics.
The Lounge Bar sits by the Club House and Aroma, open daily roughly 10:30 to 23:00 for cocktails, juices and light snacks, though the snacks stop at 22:00, and it runs year-round. The Cool Bar is the poolside bar, open daily roughly 10:30 to 18:30 for snacks, ice creams and drinks by the main pool, and it closes from October to March.
How the free-child-meals offer works
Children up to 12 eat free on half board when they share with a paying adult. Outside peak summer the child’s half board is included; a supplement applies over the peak window, currently 15 June to 31 August 2026. The terms change year to year, so confirm the current dates when you book. On half board you let reception know your dining preference. Baby food and the children’s menu are both available at Aroma.
Rooms and suites
Every one of the ten suite, villa and townhouse types with its official size, then the seven pools and the Blue Flag beach below.
There are ten accommodation types, from a one-bedroom suite up to a three-bedroom townhouse, in the three areas set out above. The table below is the full line-up with the official sizes; the guidance after it is which suit a family with a baby or toddler.
| Room | Size | Beds and baths | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Bedroom Suite | 75–90 m² | Double, 1 bathroom | A garden-view balcony or terrace. Room for a couple, or a couple with an infant in a travel cot. |
| One Bedroom Suite Reduced Mobility | 75–90 m² | Double, 1 adapted-shower bathroom | Ground floor, a few steps from the main building, with a wheelchair-accessible bathroom. |
| Two Bedroom Suite | 100–120 m² | Double plus two singles, 2 bathrooms | A living room with a sofa bed. The practical starting point for a family of four. |
| Three Bedroom Suite | 160 m² | Three en-suite doubles, 3 bathrooms | A living room with a sofa bed. Room for a larger group or two families sharing. |
| One Bedroom Luxury Suite | 80 m² | Double, 1 bathroom | In the Club House by the main services, with a pool view, robes and slippers. |
| Two Bedroom Luxury Suite | 125 m² | Two doubles, 2 bathrooms | In the Club House, pool view, a sofa bed in the living room, robes and slippers. |
| Two Bedroom Luxury Villa – Garden View | 130 m² | Two en-suite doubles, 2 bathrooms plus a guest WC | Two-storey with a private garden, in the quieter villa area with its own secondary pools. A downstairs WC and ground-floor living suit young children. |
| Two Bedroom Luxury Villa – Pool View | 130 m² | Two en-suite doubles, 2 bathrooms plus a guest WC | As the garden-view villa, with the terrace facing the pool rather than a private garden. |
| Three Bedroom Luxury Townhouse – Garden View | 160 m² | Three en-suite doubles, 3 bathrooms plus a WC | Two-storey with a private garden. Room for a family of five to six. |
| Three Bedroom Luxury Townhouse – Pool View | 160 m² | Three en-suite doubles, 3 bathrooms plus a WC | As the garden-view townhouse, with a pool-view terrace. |
For a family, the choice comes down to how much space you need and whether you want a private garden. The Two Bedroom Suite at 100 to 120 m² is the practical starting point: a second bedroom for the children, a living room with a sofa bed and enough room to keep a baby’s cot away from the main space. If you want more, the Two Bedroom Luxury Villa at 130 m² adds a private garden in the garden-view version, a separate downstairs WC for quick toilet trips, and a ground-floor kitchen and living area with the bedrooms above, which is an easy layout with young children. The villas and townhouses have had stair gates fitted on both internal floors, so ask whether they’re still available when you book. The two-storey Luxury Villas and Townhouses may come with a whirlpool bath, though the resort’s current rooms page lists only a private bathroom for every unit and doesn’t mention one, so confirm it directly if it matters to you.
Every unit comes with the same core kit: a fully equipped kitchen with an oven, hob, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, washing machine and coffee maker, a living room, a private balcony or terrace, satellite television with children’s channels, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a free in-room safe. You arrive to bottled water, seasonal fruit and a bottle of wine, and the Luxury Suites add robes and slippers. For families cooking for a baby or toddler, a kitchen kit of cleaning materials can be added to the booking.
Pools and water features
There are seven pools in all, six outdoor and one indoor. The main pool is large, wrapping around a central island linked by bridges, with shallow in-water lounge areas and an extensive sun deck of loungers, parasols and covered cabanas; the cabana hire has carried a small charge in the past, so confirm it at the resort. The children’s pool is a dedicated shallow pool for little ones, with no official depth published. Over in the villa and townhouse area, smaller secondary pools sit between the blocks for guests staying there. The indoor pool is heated and open year-round as part of the Alma Spa, complimentary to all guests, which makes it the best bet for babies and for the cooler months. There is no splash pad, so the children’s pool is the toddler water area. Sun loungers and parasols at the pools are complimentary. There’s no towel service down at the beach itself, so bring your own for the sand.
The beach
Praia do Carvoeiro is the nearest beach, 1.8 km (about a mile) from the resort. It is a small cove of fine golden sand sheltered by high ochre cliffs, and it has held Blue Flag status in 2024 and 2025. On calm days the water is shallow near the shore and gentle enough for young children to paddle, though inside the cove it can turn choppier when the weather is rougher, and the lifeguard is seasonal rather than year-round, so keep little ones within reach. The beach has toilets, sunbed and parasol hire and a bar.
The one thing to plan for is getting there. There is no direct beach access from the resort, which sits above the village, so you reach the sand by car in about five minutes, by taxi or on foot: 15 to 20 minutes mostly downhill, with a long, steep climb back that is hard work with a pushchair and a tired toddler. A few other beaches are a short drive away, among them Praia do Carvalho, Cama da Vaca, Vale da Lapa and Paraiso.
Babies and toddlers
The kids’ club and its age floor, the baby kit and babysitting, then everything there is to do and the days out beyond the gate.
The Fun Attic kids’ club takes children from 4 to 12, is free and runs year-round from a small fenced wooden house beside the playground, with games, crafts, pool games, football and yoga. Session times aren’t fixed on the website, so if the club is part of why you’re booking, confirm the current hours with the resort first.
The thing to weigh with a younger child is that there is no crèche: the Fun Attic starts at four. For a baby or toddler the value shifts to three things. First, the Baby Must Have service, reserved before arrival and subject to availability, which supplies a cot, a baby bath and a high chair, along with items such as potties, sterilisers, bottles and bottle warmers, a car seat and pool floats; some are free and some carry a charge, so confirm which at booking. Second, babysitting, available with advance notice, which frees an evening for the two of you. Third, the self-catering itself, since a kitchen lets you keep to nap and mealtimes rather than a restaurant’s.
Beyond the club, there is more for children through the day. A year-round Treasure Hunt runs daily from 11:00 to 17:00 with a map picked up at reception, open to all ages, and Mini Chefs, a children’s pizza-making session, can be added to the booking. In summer a seasonal animation programme brings creative workshops, mini discos, a DJ sunset session on Fridays and live music and shows in the evenings. The resort is pet-friendly, with pets welcome in the apartments and villas.
On resortThings to do
The Alma Spa is open daily roughly 10:00 to 18:00, with two treatment rooms and Thalgo products, and its wellness area, the heated indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, hammam and steam room, is complimentary for guests, with treatments paid on top; treatments are best booked around 48 hours ahead. Sample treatments on the spa’s own price list include a Ritual Anti-Stress full-body and head massage (70 minutes, €125), a Thalgo Hydra Facial (50 minutes, €90) and a focused massage for the back or legs (30 minutes, €55), all last checked June 2026. The spa also sells a day pass to the wellness circuit for a modest charge, with under-16s needing an accompanying adult, and there are half-day and full-day spa programmes. The gym is compact, with cardio machines, free weights and an elliptical, functional rather than a serious training space, and it shares its room with the game room of table football, snooker and table tennis; both are complimentary.
Outdoors there is a multi-purpose sports court for tennis, football and basketball, with equipment to rent, and bicycle rental from the resort, useful for the cliff paths and quieter beaches nearby. The resort promotes watersports among its family activities, kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling and diving among them, with equipment hire or excursions arranged through the resort or locally, and locally run boat trips to the Benagil sea cave leave from a point a few minutes’ drive away. Car rental can be arranged through the resort too. There is no golf on site, but three courses sit within a few miles, Gramacho, Pinta and Vale de Milho, and the free shuttle covers them. Evening entertainment through summer runs to live music, dance and cultural shows, the Friday DJ sunset and mini discos for children.
Off resortThe area and days out
Carvoeiro is a small former fishing village, its yellow cliffs and rocky coves among the most photographed on the Algarve. The centre sits about a mile downhill from the resort, with restaurants, bars, cafes and shops, and the main beach sits below the cliffs. It is busy through July and August and much quieter off-season, when some smaller places cut their hours. For an evening without the children, Bon Bon, a fine-dining restaurant, is about a mile from the resort and pairs well with a babysitter or the kids’ club.
A hire car opens up the rest of the central Algarve, and most of the family days out are a short drive away.
| Place | Distance | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Carvoeiro village | about a mile | The old fishing village below the resort, with restaurants, bars, shops and the main beach. |
| Algar Seco | 1.7 miles (2.7 km) | Ochre cliffs and rock formations to walk among, on the coast east of Carvoeiro. |
| Slide & Splash | 4 miles (6 km) | An outdoor water park with slides, open in summer and popular with families. |
| Benagil Cave | 5 miles (8 km) | A sea cave reached on a locally run boat trip; this is the departure point. |
| Portimão Marina | 7 miles (12 km) | A marina with shops, restaurants and boat trips. |
| Silves | 9 miles (15 km) | An inland town with a Moorish castle and an old quarter. |
| Zoomarine | 11 miles (17 km) | A marine theme park with pools and shows, good for children under 12. |
| Praia da Rocha | 11 miles (18 km) | A large town beach near Portimão. |
| Lagos | 16 miles (25 km) | A historic coastal town with beaches and a walkable old centre. |
Closer to hand, everyday services are close by: a Spar supermarket is around half a mile away, and a pharmacy, a doctor and a cash machine are all within roughly a mile. Those distances are approximate, so check the exact spots when you arrive.
Loves and gripes
What families rate and what frustrates them, how it compares with the beachfront and all-inclusive options, the journey in and the weather by month.
What families love
- The spacious, fully equipped suites and villas, the thing reviewers praise most.
- The seven pools, so there is room for different needs without a scramble.
- The quiet garden setting, with the lakes, lawns and waterway.
- The free kids’ club and the self-catering flexibility for babies and toddlers.
- Free parking and the wellness centre, and that it stays open all year.
- Friendly, accommodating staff.
Common gripes
- Not walking distance to the beach or village, with the steep climb back up the hill.
- Kids’ club hours that are not published, and the shuttle timetable to confirm.
- Restaurant food that some find basic for the price.
- Minor room wear in places, against a five-star billing.
- A modest gym.
- Carvoeiro’s own cobbles and hills, which make pushchairs hard work in the village.
On TripAdvisor it scores 4 out of 5 from around 1,108 reviews and ranks 4th of the roughly 16 hotels in Carvoeiro, as at mid-2026. Booking.com puts it around 8.7 out of 10, so take that figure as approximate. Either way, read a spread of recent reviews for your own dates.
Against the beachfront and all-inclusive resortsHow it compares
The choice against the Algarve’s bigger family names comes down to what you want a resort to be. Martinhal Sagres has deeper childcare, including a crèche from six months and direct beach access, and suits families who want organised care for a baby and the sand on the doorstep, though it is a longer transfer from Faro. Pine Cliffs has a large dedicated children’s area and its own beach lift, and is pricier and more of a resort destination. The all-inclusive hotels around Alvor put meals and a beach in one price. Monte Santo is a different proposition to all of them: a spacious self-catering base in gardens, with good pool provision, from which you drive to the Algarve’s beaches and attractions. For families with a child of four or over who want space, a kitchen and a car, that trade holds up well; for a baby needing a crèche, or a family wanting the beach a step away, one of the others may fit better.
Airport, transfers and when to goGetting there and when to go
Faro Airport is the arrival point, 65 km (about 40 miles) and about 45 minutes away by car, a comfortable transfer with young children. Transfers are arranged by you rather than laid on: a taxi, a private transfer, a hire car or a shuttle, and the resort can help arrange one ahead of arrival. A hire car is worth it here for reaching the beaches and days out independently, and parking at the resort is free. The resort also runs a free shuttle to Carvoeiro village and the nearby golf courses; confirm the times and how to book when you reserve. Taxis are available from the resort, and guests report the fare to the village is only a few euros. No minimum stay is stated, though busy summer weeks may carry informal minimums.
The resort is open all year. The best months with little ones are May and June and September and October, warm and settled with lighter crowds, and the sea still warm through September and October. July and August bring peak heat and crowds, with the shaded gardens, the indoor pool and air conditioning as the refuge through the hottest part of the day. Winter is cool and wetter with a limited beach, though the indoor facilities stay open and a long-stay winter discount runs.
Weather
Carvoeiro sits on the central Algarve, one of the sunniest parts of Europe, with around 300 sunny days a year. The table below covers the whole year, since the resort stays open throughout. Two things are worth holding onto for a family: the sea is coolest through winter and spring and only really warms from June, peaking around 21°C in August, and the summer UV is high, so high-factor sun cream and shade matter with children in July and August.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.5° | 8.5° | 49 mm | 6 | 16° |
| February | 17° | 9° | 42 mm | 5 | 15° |
| March | 19.5° | 11° | 38 mm | 4 | 15° |
| April | 21° | 12.5° | 39 mm | 5 | 16° |
| May | 23.5° | 14.5° | 21 mm | 3 | 18° |
| June | 27° | 17.5° | 6 mm | 1 | 19° |
| July | 29° | 19° | 1 mm | 0 | 20° |
| August | 29° | 19.5° | 0 mm | 0 | 20° |
| September | 26.5° | 18° | 22 mm | 2 | 21° |
| October | 24° | 16° | 56 mm | 6 | 20° |
| November | 20° | 12° | 76 mm | 7 | 18° |
| December | 17.5° | 9.5° | 90 mm | 7 | 17° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer. The resort is open all year.
Questions
The things families ask most, the practical information to check before you book and the official pages worth a bookmark.
Is there a shuttle to the beach and the village?
The free shuttle serves Carvoeiro village and the nearby golf courses. Times and how to book a seat vary, so sort that with reception when you arrive. It doesn’t run to the beach itself: that’s a five-minute drive, a short taxi for a few euros or a walk down from the village.
What ages does the Fun Attic kids’ club take, and when does it run?
The Fun Attic runs all year for children aged 4 to 12 at no charge. Session times aren’t fixed on the website, so if the club is central to your choice, call or email for the current hours before booking rather than assuming a full day’s cover.
Is there any childcare for a baby or a child under four?
There’s no crèche; the Fun Attic starts at four. So for an under-four your options are the babysitting service booked ahead, the Baby Must Have kit and the flexibility of your own kitchen for naps and meals. If supervised care for a baby is essential to your trip, weigh this before booking.
Can we walk to the beach with a pushchair?
It’s doable but hard going. The walk down takes 15 to 20 minutes; the way back is uphill the whole way, a slog with a pushchair and a tired child aboard. Most families drive it in five minutes or plan the day around a single trip down and back.
Is Monte Santo all-inclusive?
No. You choose bed and breakfast, half board or room-only, and with a full kitchen in each unit many families self-cater. Half board covers breakfast and dinner at Aroma; lunch, drinks and anything at the pool bar are extra, so budget for meals on top of the room.
Do children eat free?
Up to age 12, yes, on half board and sharing with a paying adult. A supplement applies across peak summer, currently 15 June to 31 August 2026, and the dates move each year, so check the offer terms for your travel window when you book.
Is there a minimum stay?
There’s no set minimum, so short breaks are bookable, though busy summer weeks can carry informal minimums. If your dates are tight, confirm directly before you book flights around them.
Practical family information
Portugal is in the Schengen area, so UK visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa; your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and stay valid for at least three months after you leave. A GHIC and travel insurance are worth carrying. The currency is the euro, and Portuguese is the language, with English widely spoken in the resort and around Carvoeiro.
On accessibility, the resort has a Reduced Mobility Suite and lifts on site, and lists accessibility among its facilities; the grounds are navigable by pushchair internally, though the hills down to the village are not. For health, the nearest pharmacy and doctor are both roughly a mile away, best confirmed locally. Electric-car charging is complimentary on site. The resort is at Rua João Paulo II, Sesmarias, Carvoeiro, 8400-556 Lagoa, and can be reached on +351 282 321 000 or at [email protected].
Among its recognitions, Monte Santo has been named Portugal’s Leading Hotel Residence at the World Travel Awards and Europe’s Most Romantic Resort, and it holds Biosphere sustainability certification alongside its ESG and We Care We Share commitments.
See more Monte Santo Resort photos
Open the Monte Santo Resort photo gallery →Useful links
- Monte Santo Resort: the resort’s own site for rooms, board options and the children’s facilities.
- GOV.UK Portugal travel advice: entry rules and safety updates before you travel.
- The Algarve with little ones: our guide to the wider region, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 16 July 2026.
