Holiday like a real celebrity in Vilamoura WHEN stars like Kate Price, Alex Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo make a beeline for your resort, you know you've picked a holiday hotspot.

Vilamoura on the Algarve's sun-drenched coastline has been attracting Brits for years, charmed by its enticing mix of chic hotels, laid-back vibe and guaranteed heat.

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The super-rich moor their gleaming yachts in the marina and cruise around in Ferraris, while tourists flocking to the bars, restaurants and boutiques look on admiringly.

Vilamoura's grid of elegant boulevards and golf resorts pulls in celebs looking for an alternative to rival the likes of the Costa Del Sol's Puerto Banus.

But you don't need to be loaded to have a great time.

Sure, you can shop for Gucci handbags and play the casino if you've cash to burn, but there's just as much going on for families, groups and couples on average budgets.

Our pound doesn't buy as many euros as it used to, of course, but the Algarve topped a recent survey of the best value destinations on the Continent this year.

The 1,000-berth marina is definitely the beating heart of Vilamoura.

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It's lined with lively bars, English pubs, clubs, shops, reasonably priced seafood restaurants and, surprisingly, a huge number of curry houses, as well as the ever-popular Irish bars.

Hours can sail by just watching the floating palaces, while football fans flock to ex-Manchester United winker Ronaldo's CR7 designer store and Luis Figo's Bar Sete (Bar Seven) on the marina front.

There are miles of superb beaches, with rustic harbour towns and quiet coves nearby. Golfers can enjoy championship grade courses (remember to take your handicap certificates, by the way).

My family and I fancied self-catering so we chose a white-washed townhouse from the Hoseasons website in one of the town's leafy pine tree neighbourhoods.

The place was so smart we could have imagined Jordan lounging around there, with its floodlit heated pool, open-plan living spaces and manicured lawns.

Spicy But I'm not minted like her so we went halves with some friends which made our pad very affordable.

We stocked up in the supermarkets for evening barbecues and had a few nights out downtown at traditional Portuguese steakhouses.

We also sampled the country's spicy signature dish, chicken piri piri. Boat trips are popular daytime activities in Vilamoura. A boat chartered from Vilamoura in 1993 caught the world's largest black marlin, weighing 737kg and measuring 3.65m, which is displayed on the dockside.

You can go big-game fishing for ?50 or opt for a more relaxing six-hour sea cave catamaran cruise for half the price.

If you fancy a change from the beach, two of the Algarve's best theme parks are nearby.

Zoomarine is part zoo and part water-park with slides, rides, an aquarium and a great dolphin show. Krazy World Zoo has an Amazon world, as well as some great fairground rides.

Vilamoura is said to be the largest single tourist complex in Europe and was started entirely from scratch by a wealthy banker from Porto in 1974.

But it doesn't feel overly developed and you can get a taste of its history with a visit to the preserved Roman ruins where ancient mariners used to bathe.

The old town fishing port of Quarteira is pretty and also worth a stroll around.

We wanted to check out Portugal's western coast, so we made a three-hour drive north to spend a second week in the incredible 12th century walled castle town of Obidos.

Kebabs Our villa there was just as impressive, with a pool practically Olympic in size.

The house was decorated with the artist owner's paintings and was great for outdoor living.

It had a stone barbecue by the pool where we roasted joints of local pork and wild boar kebabs.

The views from the villa's gardens were so good that you could see the floodlit castle grounds while tucking into your grilled chops by the pool. My favourite spot was a huge hammock under sweet-smelling bougainvillea on the terrace. Obidos is one of Portugal's romantic treasures. It is known as the Wedding Present Town because it was a gift King Dinis gave to Queen Isabel on their wedding day in 1282.

Encircled entirely by 45 ft-high walls, it's real picture postcard stuff, with cobblestone streets and whitewashed churches. The ramparts are so high that you can see the town for miles when approaching by car.

There was a medieval festival on when we visited, with jousting tournaments at dusk, horse and carriage rides, not to mention tempting cherry "ginja" liqueur - rather potent - for €1 a shot, served in chocolate cups.

So if you're after a heady holiday where the rich and famous go to play, or a week chilling in a town steeped in tradition, then Portugal is the place for you.

FACT FILE

PRICES start at £598 for seven nights self-catering at the three-bed Casa Das Malvas in Vilamoura. A week's self-catering at the three-bed Outeiro de Sto Antao villa in Obidos starts from £900.To book, visit hoseasons.co.uk or call 0844 847 1115. easyJet flies to Faro from various UK airports from £25.99 one-way, including taxes. Book at easyJet.co.uk 

Holiday Autos offers car hire in Faro from £15 per day. Go to holidayautos.co.uk or call 0871 472 5229. To book an airport hotel and parking package, visit parkstayandgo's website or call 0871 423 4869. For details on Zoomarine see zoomarine.com. Tickets for adults cost €25 Euros and €16 for children. For Krazy World Zoo visit krazyworldzoo.com. Tickets cost €15 for adults and €8 for children.