A week on the Algarve, at Club Med’s celebrated Da Balaia resort was a week of highlights. The cuisine was exceptional, the facilities were first-class & the staff exceeded expectations consistently & constantly. This was my first experience of Club Med & I wasn’t at all disappointed.
My 22-year-old son & I were met at Faro Airport & escorted to an air-conditioned people-carrier for the short (30-minute) transfer. On arrival at Club Med Da Balaia, Joe & I were welcomed with cold flannels & iced tea while we were checked in by Laurent (from Mauritius), before being given a whistle-stop tour of the resort, as we were escorted to our room.
Various types of room are available at Da Balaia. We had been given a Deluxe room. Not only was our room spacious, with separate sleeping & lounge areas, but there were several lovely little touches that gave it a homely feel. Plenty of pillows, for example, a jar of locally produced honey (I wasn’t sure whether this was a gift or a piece of quirky interior design), bath-bombs (having a bath every day, rather than a shower, was luxury enough, so a bath-bomb on top of that was pure decadence), a chocolate on the pillow each evening & complimentary bottles of water, replenished daily. & Joe gave the room a homely feel of his own by seemingly emptying the contents of his suitcase onto the floor within minutes of arrival, where they remained for the week, to be joined at some point each day by a wet towel. He claimed that he was living out of his suitcase, but I could take it as read that whatever he needed out of his bag was invariably right at the bottom & necessitated removing all the other contents in order to reach it. There was also a balcony, where I would catch my first rays of the day, while waiting for Joe to eventually emerge for breakfast.
On our day of arrival we made full use of the last hour or so of daylight to play tennis. All equipment was provided by Club Med, or by Babolat to be accurate, with seven courts available, including two artificial courts layered with white sand that gave the courts a surreal winter wonderland appearance. The tennis team consisted of Robin (France) & Claudia (Italy, who transferred to Club Med’s Sicily resort towards the end of the week), & then Caroline (also France). Coaching was provided most mornings, catering for Beginners, Intermediates & Advanced. We eschewed the coaching in favour of twice-daily father/son duels, immediately after breakfast & then – when reinvigorated by cold beer & warm food – mid-afternoon. I kept meticulous records of these keenly-fought contests & can proudly reveal that by the end of the week I had come a creditable, if distant, second in the championship table. We also took part in three tournaments which were tremendous fun, thanks largely to the energy & joie de vivre of the tennis team & the bonhomie of the multi-national participants.
Before & after playing tennis, we relaxed by the pool, watching, but not participating in, daily events such as pool aerobics. We went to the beach with its stunning red limestone backdrop & also visited the kids-free zen zone, a relaxing & peaceful area with its own ‘natural’ reed-bedecked pool. Other activities that my son beat me at during the week included archery, pétanque & table tennis. Neither of us plucked up the courage to learn high-wire circus skills. Nor did we play golf in one of the many nearby courses, simply because we are not accomplished golfers & we had plenty to occupy us with the included on-site activities.
Now all this strenuous activity, of course, requires sustenance & this is where Club Med truly excel. When I was told that the food provided was buffet-style, this conjured up images of school canteen fare. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The main restaurant was a vast area, with well-presented & tempting serving stations dotted all around. The choice on offer was incredible. Each meal featured a pasta ‘dish of the day’. These were cooked while you waited – I would watch in awe as the chef made the creation of each unbelievably tasty pasta dish a culinary work of art in only a matter of seconds. On the rare occasions when the day’s pasta special did not appeal (my palette, for example, is not sophisticated enough to appreciate seafood anything more exotic than the humble fish finger) there was always the option of pasta with a bolognaise or tomato sauce.
There was no end of international favourites available, such as moussaka, lasagne & mouth-watering stews, as well as local specialities. Fresh fish dishes were always available, along with a roast meat at most meals. Similarly, pizzas & burgers were always on offer, so I defy anybody to ever go hungry at a Club Med resort. Even the soups were among the tastiest that I’ve ever enjoyed, especially when accompanied by one of many varieties of bread from the bread station. The breads included curry-flavoured & white-chocolate bread – as bizarre-tasting as you would imagine, yet somehow they worked – pure genius! The challenge was to limit yourself to just one or two main courses & I failed miserably – regularly opting for four or five instead.
I would kid myself that I was only indulging in so many of the wonderful main courses in lieu of dessert. Until I saw the desserts on offer. French pastry offerings are without equal. Their fruit pies aren’t bad either. & their chocolate bread & butter pudding looked divine… But looking was OK. It was only after I’d spent so long looking that the lady working at the pastry station would ask me what I would like (her exact words might have actually been ‘how many would you like?’) & I never wanted to appear rude by walking away empty-handed. The closest I got to resisting temptation was taking a detour to the pastry station on my way out of the restaurant one evening & picking up a waffle drenched with chocolate sauce for the short journey back to the bar.
One final thing to mention about the cuisine at Club Med (& I’m not even going to mention the fresh crepes made on the terrace each day at 4.00pm, the wine-tasting experience or the incredible breakfasts – omelette heaven!) – is the speciality restaurant. Each Club Med resort has a speciality restaurant. The food is even more impressive than the main restaurant, if such a thing were possible. A true gourmet-dining experience. & for no extra cost – just book in advance. This is a must-do for at least one evening during your stay.
Evening entertainment was limited but lively. The main bar was the social hub of the resort, unsurprisingly, & the atmosphere was always convivial – it often felt like you were walking into a cocktail party. Drinks are included with the exception of some premium brands. & I could rarely resist the allure of the cocktail of the day – my tongue was a different colour each night, depending on whether the cocktail of the day was based on blue curacao, crème de menthe, or cherry liqueur. A show was put on most evenings, the stars of which were the staff themselves. What they might have lacked in professional ability they more than made up for in enthusiasm. There was also a nightclub, the soundproofing to which was excellent as it was quite possible to walk right past it without hearing a sound.
The resort was kept immaculate at all times – the public rooms, accommodation & the landscaped gardens. At 22, Joe was perhaps a bit too old – & a bit too bearded – for the kids’ clubs but I was reliably informed that these are excellent. This resort is especially popular with families, & understandably so, but if you are not beholden to school holidays then I would strongly recommend a ‘non-peak’ visit. Our week’s holiday was in March. We never had to queue in the restaurant, at the bar, or for any activity. There were only a few hundred guests (the capacity is almost 1,000 in peak season) & plenty of staff to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
In short, it was the perfect off-peak break. There were plenty of activities – & I’m going to include relaxing by the pool as an activity. The cuisine was truly exceptional, as were all the staff we met. Our accommodation was comfortable, stylish & with some lovely homely touches. The weather was ideal – sunny & warm every day, so good that we saw more shooting stars than clouds in the first few days. We were treated like honoured guests throughout our stay & would have no hesitation in returning to this picturesque corner of Portugal.
I wholeheartedly recommend Club Med da Balaia, as one of the top activity & family holiday destinations in Europe!