Doughnuts the size of dinner plates coat your lips in pure sugar. Stall owners bellow, “One Euro, one Euro” in the hope that one of the shoppers will pay attention and part with a shiny coin in exchange for an icy bottle of water. Leaving the maze that is Quateria Market in the Algarve, Portugal is no easy thing to do. It takes a minimum of three hours to creep along every one of the intricate pathways that together make the weekly market, frequented equally by locals and tourists. And no one leaves empty handed.

There is something magical about Portugal and with the summer holidays approaching, anyone who has not yet booked their holiday would be foolish to ignore the Algarve as a possible holiday destination. Dazzling beaches and the most spellbinding shells that any little girl could wish to find are only on side to Portugal. An array of culture, castles and ancient burial grounds form the other half. A spell is cast over you once you have visited Portugal, compelling you to re-turn.

For this reason I urge you to book your flights now, because you’ll want to be booking your second holiday there before you know it. Accommodation is not overly expensive and food is well priced as well as heavenly. Children will love it as much as adults do, so go and turn you computer on!