My holiday motto until recently was: Never go back After a childhood spent returning to the same place year after year, I had resolved never to retrace my travel footsteps.
So when the chance came to revisit Portugal, I was not enthusiastic. But having had to cancel a far-flung foreign trip at the last minute, I wanted something simple - and the Algarve fitted the bill.
On my last visit 10 years ago, I thought it was dull - like Spain but without the charm. What a difference a decade makes.
Daily direct flights from Scotland to Faro mean you no longer have to travel with the charter crowds for a week or a fortnight. A long weekend in the sun is now a realistic option.
We left Scotland at breakfast time, flew to Faro, drove for an hour to the town of Alvor and were on the beach in time for lunch. And what a lunch. Ten years ago, dinner in Portugal consisted of sardines, oily salads and warm rose wine. This time we at succulent steaks, plump langoustines, wonderful swordfish and drank delicate white wines, bursting with fruit.
Even the beach cafes are being replaced by smart restaurants with designer furniture and cool decor. We stayed at the fantastic Pestana Alvor Praia, part of a Portuguese hotel group opening in Britain next year. Situated on a low cliff overlooking a huge, spotless sandy beach, it is a perfect holiday resort for adults and kids.
Children can enjoy a wide range of sports activities and swim in the massive pool while adults concentrate on golf, tennis and sampling a great range of bars and restaurants.
A lift whisks guests down to the beach or you can work off the massive breakfast buffet with a pleasant stroll down the winding steps. Down at the water, jetskis and pedalos are available for the more energetic but most people just seemed happy to paddle and swim in the warm, clear water.
From the end of the beach a series of paths lead to little, hidden coves where it is easy to find a quiet corner even at the height of summer. It would be tempting to spend the entire holiday around the hotel or down on the sand but I wanted to discover what else about the Algarve had changed.
The nearby little town of Alvor was quiet but all along the coast development were resorts packed with entertainment. Gone are the days when this area of Europe was just a place to play golf.
To prove the Algarve is a fully-fledged family holiday destination, it now boasts a string of waterparks along the coast. We visited Slide and Splash at Lagoa, near Portimao. It claims to be "the best water park in Europe". I wouldn't argue with that. At £11 for adults and £9 for kids it provides enough flumes and slides - some scary - to entertain all day.
After a hard day of holiday fun, our hotel was the perfect place to relax with great food and nightly entertainment in the bar. But our favourite spot after dark was a tiny restaurant called Canico in a cove along the beach.Cut off at high tide, it could only be reached by a clifftop path yet every night it was jumping. As the sun set, the chef lit the barbie and walked between tables with a platter of the fish of the day as a DJ played cool summer tunes. This wasn't the Algarve remembered. But it was the perfect place for a relaxed holiday in the sun
PORTUGALFACTFILE
Flights: Direct flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh. Cheap fares on www.flyglobespan.com
