A CITY in Portugal is one Brits may have never heard of – but has been named one of the cheapest to visit.

Silves in Portugal used to the be capital of the Algarve.

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Sadly, most of the city only dates back to the late 1700s as most of it was destroyed in a huge earthquake.

What has remained is the Moorish Castelo de Silves, the largest in the Algarve.

But now, most people skip the city in favour of the nearby beaches, making it a quiet – and affordable destination to visit during the off-peak season.

A study conducted by Lisbon Tickets & Tours analysed the average cost of hotels, food, beer, taxis and flights from the UK.

And coming out on top as the most affordable spot in Portugal was Silves.

The average price of a hotel was around £73, while a beer costs as little as £2.50.

And flights from the UK were under £50, on average.

Visit during August for the annual Silves Medieval Fair, with live reenactments and markets.

Lisbon Tickets & Tours’ travel expert Magdalena Petrusic said: “Portugal offers a range of affordable destinations to visit during the off-peak season, making it a great choice for budget-conscious travellers.”

Silves is a great day trip destination for the Algarve, especially if staying in Lagos of Albufeira.

The cobbled streets are lined with independent shops and cafes, serving handcrafted gifts and ceramics.

Some of the best restaurants include Churrasqueira Valdemar, named one of Tripadvisor‘s Travellers Choice Awards and known for its authentic peri peri chicken.

And the Segredo dos Mouros bar has been named a “hidden gem” for great value tapas and drinks.

most of the central hotels are B&Bs and even riads you are likely to see in Morocco.

Casa Riad Yasmin has its own indoor swimming pool, while Hotel Colina dos Mouros is a more affordable three-star option with rooms as little as £37.

To get to Silves, he best way is to fly to Faro with easyJet and Ryanair offering bargain flights.

Ryanair has £14.99 flights from Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and London Luton, while the cheapest easyJet flights are also £14.99, from London Luton, London Gatwick and Liverpool.

Silves is then a 45 minute drive, or a one hour bus.

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor on why a holiday to the Algarve can’t be missed

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The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey visited the Algarve, after it was named Europe’s best beach destination.

I visited the Algarve just before the peak season and could definitely see why it is often winning praise.

Praia do Camilo is one of the popular beaches and lives up to the hype with bright blue water and fewer crowds due to the steep 200 steps to the bottom.

And off the coast are some amazing unknown islands – there is Barretta Island, uninhabited but home to amazing restaurant Estamine, the slightly more built up Isla de Armona.

Make sure to stay at 3HB Faro, the first five-star hotel in the city.

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The Sun recently visited the W Algarve – here’s what you can expect.

And we’ve rounded up the best hotels in the Algarve with waterparks.

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A ‘WINTER Wonderland for adults’ will be opening later this month with a host of games, live music and a huge arcade.

The Winters of the World will run for two weeks in Finsbury Square in London, with a variety of attractions, activities, entertainment and food on offer.

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Talking to the Sun Travel Team, the attraction’s owners have described it as an “indoor Winter Wonderland for adults”.

Guests will arrive and be greeted with a glass of prosecco and canapes before being led to a reserved area where they can order drinks like winter-themed cocktails.

Drinks include house cocktails, beer, house wine, house prosecco, house single spirit mixer and soft drinks.

Visitors can go head-to-head in a series of winter games like Eisstock (the Bavarian version of curling) and Jingle Balls (a festive version of bowls).

Retro arcade games themed around snow sports like skiing and a virtual motorbike ride will also be at the attraction, with each visitor being given one token.

The venue will have a dance floor featuring live musical performances from DJs and bands.

Alpine-inspired food, which has been created by Michelin Star chefs like Tom Kemble, will also be served at the attraction.

Canapes include mushroom arancini (balls of fried rice), cured salmon and dill Crème Fraîche Blinis and vegan crostini.

Meanwhile, mains include burgers, Teriyaki Chicken, Miso Salmon, Teriyaki Tofu and steak and chips.

The Winters of the World will be open from December 2, 2024, until December 20, 2024.

It will be open from 12pm until 11pm every day between those two dates, catering for groups of 10 people up to 750.

Visitors can choose between several packages, with the Whistler Package coming in cheapest.

Whistler Packages start from £49 and include one hour of games, three drinks, a main meal, reserved seating and live entertainment.

Levi Packages start from £75 per person and include an additional glass of prosecco, canapes and a three-hour reserved seating area.

The Val D’Isere Package is the most expensive package, with tickets starting from £125 per person.

This package includes all six drinks, winter arcade game tokens and a reserved area for five hours as well as all other entertainment.

Set in Finsbury Square, the site is accessible from several tube stations in London like Moorgate, Old Street, Liverpool Street and the Barbican.

There are plenty of other festive attractions coming to the UK later this year, including London’s Winter Wonderland.

The winter attraction will run for six weeks in the capital’s Hyde Park

After a break from Winter Wonderland last year, the rollercoaster Wilde Maus XXL will make its return in 2024.

Munich Looping, the world’s largest transportable rollercoaster, will also be part of this year’s lineup.

Other rides include the Aeronaut Starflyer, the Hangover and the Euro Coaster.

The Magical Ice Kingdom is back for another year, but this time with a brand-new theme: Alice in Wonderland.

 Winter Wonderland will run for six weeks from November 21, 2024, until January 5, 2025.

It will be open from 10am until 10pm every day between those two dates, excluding Christmas Day.

What’s it like to visit London’s Winter Wonderland?

The Sun’s Travel reporter Hope Brotherton visited London’s Winter Wonderland last year, here’s what she thought…

THE smell of deep-fat fried batter wafts through the air, and bright, sometimes flashing, lights can be seen in every direction.

A mixture of pop songs and Christmas jingles also compete for some attention, which means I can only be in one place – London‘s Winter Wonderland.

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It’s a sprawling maze of high-octane rollercoasters, funfair rides, wooden stalls, food vans, and other activities.

While there’s no real way to explore the festive attraction, I made a beeline for the Magical Ice Kingdom.

Last year’s theme centered around Norse Mythology but I’m equally excited to see the Alice in Wonderland-themed ice carvings at this year’s attraction.

For me, another one of Winter Wonderland’s highlights was the Real Ice Slide – a 35m slope.

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Despite being over in seconds, the Real Ice Slide was a true rush of fun.

Another one of Winter Wonderland’s highlights is the Giant Ferris Wheel, where park-goers are treated to spectacular views of both the park and the London Skyline.

Journeys on the Ferris Wheel last around 15 minutes, making it well worth the wait.

No trip to Winter Wonderland is complete without riding at least one rollercoaster – and I opted for Munich Looping, the world’s largest transportable rollercoaster.

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I gave several other rides a go, including the Haunted Mansion and the Traditional Wave Swinger.

I also had a good wander through the wooden market stalls, and I watched as other park-goers won prizes on one of the many funfair games.

In the mean time, here is Butlin’s ‘ultimate Christmas holiday weekend’ launching this year.

And here are some affordable December city breaks you can still book.

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A HOLIDAY park in Devon is set to undergo a huge multi-million-pound renovation.

The planning committee at Teignbridge council has approved the next phase of a multi-million-revamp at Golden Sands Holiday Park in Dawlish, south Devon.

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Documents submitted to the council outline a series of renovations to the clubhouse, shop and reception area.

The site’s outdoor swimming pool will also get a roof, with a new crazy golf course and activity centre being built.

The pool will be for the use of holiday park guests only and not for members of the public.

Park Holidays who own Golden Sands Holiday Park also applied for retrospective approval of its 25 timber camping pods.

The timber pods were built at the Devonshire holiday park between 2018 and 2022.

When they were being built, Golden Sands had planning permission for 58 caravan and touring pitches.

In a piece in the Dawlish Gazette, Cllr Linda Goodman-Bradbury described the retrospective approval as “disappointing”.

She added: “My concern is about the footprint, and where the water is going. Dawlish Warren is very prone to flooding.”

Chartered town planner Robert Gandy, spoke on behalf of Park Holidays, countering the concerns of flooding, with the pods being less impactful in terms of drainage compared to the pitches.

Park Holidays describes the pods as “an exciting new type of accommodation designed to offer an alternative to camping and touring.”

The timber pods sleep up to four people and come equipped with double glazing, insulation and heating.

While the improvements have been given the go-ahead, a timeline has yet to be revealed, which means it is not yet known when the features will be on the site.

In the meantime, the coastal holiday park has enough to keep you occupied.

The Devonshire holiday park has both an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool.

It is also close to several beaches like the Blue Flag Dawlish Warren, Teignmouth Town Beach and Ness Cove.

Other on-site facilities include a restaurant and bar, an outdoor playground and an arcade with penny machines.

Holidaymakers can book an overnight stay in the camping pods, with prices starting from £37.50 per night.

The holiday park has been praised by visitors on TripAdvisor, with one person writing: “Another fantastic week at Golden Sands.”

Another added: “I’ve been going to Golden Sands for five years, love the staff, caravan and entertainment”.

Golden Sands isn’t the only holiday park that has recently revealed plans to renovate.

Earlier this week, Haven’s Presthaven Sands, which was visited by footballer Harry Maguire over the summer, also announced plans to renovate.

The holiday park has now revealed new plans to upgrade the resort.

New documents submitted to the local council include a huge extended play zone, with aerial adventure courses, climbing walls and bungee trampolines.

A new inflatable arena as well as a dog-friendly “Bark Yard zone” are also part of the plans.

And Haven Primrose Valley opened a Wetherspoons on-site earlier this year, the first of its kind – and we went down.

Haven holidays for 2025 can still be found for £49 too.

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A CARIBBEAN-themed indoor waterpark is just a few hours from the UK – and is a tropical 29C all year round.

Aqualibi in Belgium is part of the Walibi theme park.

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Inside is a huge wave swimming pool, with ‘four different levels of waves’.

There is also the relaxation pool is more low-key as well as the 36C lagoon pool, both with whirlpools and hot tubs although kids under 3 are not allowed in the lagoon pool.

And surrounding the pools are 10 slides to choose from, four of which are new.

The newest are Pomakai which is a ‘hard level’ slide with two-person rings that go up to 31mph, and Banzai, a medium level, two-person water rollercoaster.

Wiki Wiki is a side-by-side mat race that travels 147m and the easiest Waikiki is an 18m high slide.

Other slides include the Rapido, Flash, Surf and Xtreme, as well as Jet and Bi-Bob

And little kids can enjoy the Kiddie Bay or Mini Beach with splash fountains and smaller slides.

You don’t need to leave for snacks or gifts either.

Palm Beach, just steps from the pool, is a serving burgers, snacks and ice cream.

And the Aqualibi gift shop sells everything from swimming gear to toys and snow globes.

Previous swimmers have raved about it as being a “great family day out”.

One person even said: “This is the best indoor waterpark I have ever been to!”

A second agreed, saying: “Best waterpark we’ve ever visited — hands down!”

There are some strict rules on what you can wear in the pool – the website states: “Bermudas, shorts, strings, tangas, pareos en surfer’s wetsuits are not allowed in Aqualibi.”

What is allowed are “bathing briefs, bathing boxer shorts, bikinis, the one-piece swimsuit, lycra swimming costumes reaching down to just below the knees and the elbows”.

Tickets are as little as €13.50 for guests between 1m and 1.2m, while taller guests are €35

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It is open all year round from 10am to 8pm, with themed events including the current “Aqua-lloween” with “pirate-haunted river” and Bloody Burgers at the restaurant, along with face painting and closing parties.

Visit on Fridays and Saturdays for late night openings until 10pm.

If you don’t fancy flying, you can get to the waterpark by train.

Brits can hop on the Eurostar at London St Pancras, which goes directly to Brussels.

The waterpark is then an hour by train from the city.

Or you can fly to Brussels from the UK, which takes just over an hour when flying from London.

Earlier this year, a n ew £48million indoor waterpark opened in France, with Europe’s “only aquatic cinema”.

Five new water attractions opening in the UK

1. Therme Manchester will have 25 swimming pools, 25 water slides and an indoor beach.
2. Modern Surf Manchester will be a surfing lagoon offering lessons to both beginners and experts.
3. Chessington World of Adventures Waterpark is set to have wave, infinity and spa pools as well as waterslides and cabanas.
4. The Cove Resort, Southport is likely to have a water lagoon and a thermal spa with steam rooms and saunas.
5. The Seahive, Deal plans to be the “surfing wellness resort” in the UK.

Futuroscope also has a futuristic lazy river, eight water slides and smaller zones for kids.

If you don’t want to leave the UK, here’s how to find the country’s biggest indoor waterpark which also has tropical weather all year round.

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A MAJOR airport has revealed its multi-million renovation project that will make it a much better experience for holidaymakers.

Bristol Airport is to make huge changes over the next five years, with some of them already starting.

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The main improvement will be increasing the terminal size, which will increase by 70 per cent.

It follows a record number of people travelling through the airport, welcoming 10million passengers in a 12-month period for the first time ever.

More restaurants and larger lounges will be part of the terminal expansion.

It also means a larger baggage reclaim area as well as immigration area.

And next year, a new covered walkway will allow travellers to access the airport from the outside car parking and public transport area.

This follows the new development currently being built which includes a new multi-storey car park and larger bus terminal.

The entire project is set to cost £400million.

Bristol Airport CEO Dave Lees told the Bristol Post that all of the changes will mean an passengers have an “improved journey” when using the airport.

He added: “There will be a range of casual dining options including more restaurants as well as increasing the size of our lounges for those wanting a quieter location to relax [and ] also be substantially increasing the immigration area, baggage reclaim hall and the number of baggage reclaim units.”

“These developments have already commenced with the biggest change to security in over a decade.”

These developments included new security baggage and body scanners which were installed over the summer.

UK airports were given a summer deadline to install these new scanners as part of the lifting of liquid restrictions.

The government has since postponed this so travellers still have to follow the 100ml rule.

However, the improved tech means passengers can now leave their liquids and electronics in their bags.

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Mr Leeds added: “The enhancements we’re making will also be welcomed by international tourists who use the Airport to explore the west and South Wales, visiting attractions and attending events – all of which is vital to those working in the tourism and hospitality sectors.”

Once the improvements are in full operation, the airport hopes to welcome up to 12million passenger a year.

Ryanair also launched new flights from Bristol Airport this summer.

The new routes included Copenhagen, Fuerteventura, Marrakech, Prague, Sofia and Tirana.

And easyJet launched new routes from Bristol this winter – Tromso, Agadir, and Istanbul.

Other airlines that operate from Bristol Airport include Jet2, TUI and Aer Lingus.

It’s not the only UK airport undergoing a huge renovation.

Top 15 busiest airports in the UK

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Here are the 15 busiest airports in the UK by passenger numbers in 2023

1. London Heathrow – 79.2 million
2. London Gatwick – 40.9 million
3. Manchester – 28.1 million
4. London Stansted – 28.0 million
5. London Luton – 16.4 million
6. Edinburgh – 14.4 million
7. Birmingham – 11.5 million
8. Bristol – 9.9 million
9. Glasgow – 7.4 million
10. Belfast International – 6.0 million
11. Newcastle – 4.8 million
12. Liverpool – 4.2 million
13. Leeds Bradford – 4.0 million
14. East Midlands – 3.9 million
15. London City – 3.4 million

London Stansted Airport confirmed a £1.1billion renovation, with a £600million new terminal.

And Manchester Airport is currently undergoing a £1.3billion renovation

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