It’s never a bad week when you find yourself in Portugal’s stunningly picturesque Algarve region, where the beating sunshine and shimmering Atlantic waters – as well as some of Europe’s most irresistible food and wine offerings – provide the backdrop for no shortage of adventures.
The Algarve has long been a favourite destination for British tourists and those from elsewhere in Europe, and it’s really not hard to see why. The climate is about as close to ideal as found anywhere on the continent, the atmosphere is rarely anything but enviably laid-back, and it boasts an approach to hospitality built upon feeding guests well with simple dishes crafted from quality ingredients and a spice collection curated from centuries of exploration. What’s not to love?
View from the VIP terrace
While I’m usually in the region for some well-deserved downtime, involving little more than a wander through the winding streets of various villages on the hunt for pastries, vinho verde and freshly-grilled sardines, I recently found myself in the Algarve for an altogether more high-octane set of thrills. Indeed, the glass of wine was present and correct, and yet I was enjoying it from the heady heights of the VIP tower of the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, watching motorcycles undertake hairpin turns at phenomenal speeds during one of the year’s most iconic displays of velocity and skill on two wheels.
MotoGP is a big deal in Portugal, and motorsports fans from the Iberian peninsula and further afield rejoiced in 2024 when a brand new two-year contract was signed for the Portuguese Grand Prix. Following record-breaking attendance figures (which brought a truly impressive 87 million euros to the once-struggling region) last year, MotoGP was booked to return to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve until at least 2026. It’s hardly surprising: 2024’s event was a vintage year for the race, featuring Jorge Martin’s much-lauded win, Pedro Acosta’s scene-grabbing podium moment, and a hair-raising collision between favourites Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnia. However, one never truly knows which way the wind blows in the world of motorsport event booking – but a similarly successful 2025 at the Autodromo proved that the fan fervour and accolades were justified, and 2026 promises much more of the same.
I’d heard quite a lot from my MotoGP-loving friends and colleagues that the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve wasn’t just a brilliantly-realised track, meticulously engineered to test the riders’ skill and maximise drama – it was also widely recognised as one of the most beautiful tracks in the realm of motorsports, bar none. Add into the mix the fact that great attention has been paid to leveling up the overall spectator experience via some clever landscaping and engineering efforts (something eminently noticeable when wandering between various vantage points and press pits) and the improvements made to the green credentials of the event with the use of full-coverage solar panels, it’s a location that shows Algarve’s racing scene is in the rudest of health.
The VIP Tower is, naturally, the place to be for any given race at the Autodromo – even someone like myself, who isn’t particularly well-versed in the sport itself despite my enthusiasm for motorcycles, won’t help but feel somewhat awed by the experience. Positioned as the ultimate vantage point for unobstructed panoramic views, the four-storey tower features four lounges (the Portimao Lounge, Monchique Lounge and the Algarve Club), allowing attendees to enjoy an array of local delicacies while satisfying a vicarious need for speed.
It’s a testament to the hospitality on offer that even those in my coterie who weren’t particularly enamoured by the race – which, admittedly, becomes a bit of a blur even for those trying to pay close attention – came away from the event positively vibrating with excitement. There’s something truly thrilling about seeing any showcase of peak performance in real time, played out in front of you, with the additional opportunity of wandering the grounds and taking in the sights, sounds and smells that can never be transmitted via a screen.
The fact that all of this was preceded by a whistle-stop tour of The Algarve’s other various treasures – sensational dining at Veneza in Albufeira (part bottle shop, part Iberian gourmet’s fever dream), dolphin-spotting and cave exploring in a small boat on the Atlantic coast, off-road buggying with the brilliant Algarve Riders – made for an immersive experience that demonstrated without compromise that, when it comes to seeking escapism, this corner of Portugal rarely disappoints.
For more information, please visit www.visitalgarve.pt
