Most visitors remember Portugal’s Algarve for its more than 100 miles of golden, sun-drenched beaches. We remember the southern coast for its quiet white-washed villages, the dramatic cliffs of its far western corner, and the serene Finisterra Spa at Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort. It was there that a massage and facial eased aching shoulders and skin parched from days of hiking along sunlit clifftops. Neither my husband Tim nor I were spa regulars before that trip, but Finisterra converted us.
On our return this year we planned a longer stay and booked arrival-day massages to smooth out the kinks from the long overnight flight. We scheduled treatments in the afternoon and felt refreshed the moment we stepped into the tranquil Finisterra lobby. With only six treatment rooms, the spa cultivates a calm atmosphere that encouraged us to slow our pace and breathe more deeply.
Tim chose the 80-minute Relaxing Massage, a full-body treatment focused on deep relaxation. I opted for a 50-minute Relaxing Massage with an add-on Full Body Wrap, hoping the deep hydration would get my skin ready for the days ahead. While my skin absorbed moisture, I dozed off, finally catching up on sleep lost during the overnight flight.
© Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort
Finisterra offers treatments for all ages and family members: baby massages, Mum & Child back massages, teenage skincare and foot massages for grandparents. Teen & Tween rituals include facials, masks and guidance on establishing beauty routines. Massage options run the gamut from detox and anti-stress deep-tissue to Ayurveda, reflexology and hot stone or seaweed therapies.
After our treatments we met in the comfortable relaxation lounge overlooking a broad sunlit courtyard where tall clusters of native grasses swayed in the breeze. Treatment rooms and relaxation areas circle this central patio, maximizing natural light with a wall of windows; skylights illuminate the treatment rooms and create a tranquil, airy feel.
Like the rest of the resort, Finisterra Spa was built and furnished with local materials — native wood, stone, cork and natural fibers. Combined with minimalist furnishings and the gently waving grasses, these elements give the spa a harmonious, zen-like atmosphere.
Finisterra sits naturally in the coastal landscape: a white building on secluded grounds surrounded by Algarve-native plants. The contemporary architecture mirrors the low profiles of traditional village structures found throughout Martinhal.
Refreshed from our travels, we spent the next day relaxing around the resort, enjoying the beach and a sunset dinner on a terrace that looks out over the ocean. After that respite we were ready to explore the western Algarve. This quieter stretch bears little resemblance to the central coast’s resort towns lined with high-rise tourist apartments. Villages here consist of clusters of small white homes that seem to have grown organically from the land.
© Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort
From the cliff-lined point at Sagres — the “land’s end” that gives the spa its name — Prince Henry the Navigator gathered the best navigators, mapmakers and geographers in the early 15th century to plan voyages that established Portugal as a maritime power. In churches near Lagos we saw altars gilded with treasures brought home by those seafarers.
At Sagres, Europe’s southwesternmost point, the coast bends sharply north into the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, which protects much of the region. Hiking trails follow the dramatic cliffs across terrain that looks barren from a distance but, up close, is blanketed with wildflowers. The peak season for these blooms begins in late February and March, when dozens of species create a colorful carpet along the clifftops.
After several sunny days of hiking and photography, we happily returned to Finisterra Spa. Arriving early, we relaxed in the hot tub that overlooks the natural landscape before heading to our treatments. With more than 40 options on the menu — a candy box of indulgences — Tim selected an organic seaweed leaf and hot-stone full-back massage to soothe tired muscles with warm volcanic stones.
My pick, the Body Beautiful treatment, delivered 110 minutes of pure relaxation: a fragrant lavender-and-sugar exfoliation followed by a contour massage, and an anti-aging VOYA facial enriched with seaweed mud and leaves rich in collagen and nutrients. Whether it erased years or not, it left my skin deeply nourished and my face feeling noticeably refreshed.
FINISTERRA SPA
Martinhal Sagres Family Beach Resort
Quinta do Martinhal
R. Balona la Real, Apartado 54
8650-908 Sagres, Portugal
tel 351 282 240 200