Golf on tap

Visitors taking the full motorcycle tour stay in a variety of guesthouses and hotels, while the self-catering villa-based holidays are at the Praia D'El Rekeyy Golf and Country club. The villa complex here was originally designed only with golfing holidays in mind, though it has since expanded to take advantage of the many other activities the area has to offer. One of Portugal’s top courses, the 18-hole par 72 links is set in pine wood and sand dunes, with exhilarating views out to the Atlantic. Tuition is available.

Even if you’ve never picked up a club in your life, the 600-acre complex is a relaxing place to stay. Some of the villas are private holiday homes, but many are available for self-catering rentals. All have access to a swimming pool, with the two-mile-long sandy beach only a short walk away.

The complex has seven all-weather tennis courts – two of which can be used for volleyball, handball or basketball – and coaching is available. There’s also a full-size football field which was used by the Portuguese and Swiss teams as their training base throughout the Euro 2004 tournament.

The mixture of villas, townhouses and apartments at Praia D'El Rey gives it a villagey feel. There are two-bedroom apartments, two-, three- and four-bedroom townhouses and at the top of the range is a selection of large detached villas in pine forests or with those desirable ocean views. The big villas aren’t cheap, but their size and multi-bathroom layouts mean they’re often booked by two families, which keeps the costs down.

Not everyone likes modern resorts, so Motocadia also offers the alternative of older villas and apartments by the Obidos lagoon, a 15-minute drive from Praia D'El Rey, with the beaches of Foz da Arelho a short walk away.

Riding the waves… and the roads

It’s the sheer variety of activities on offer that make this holiday different, plus the fact that Motocadia can book any of them for you. Down on the beach, there’s surfing (both the wind and the wave-assisted kinds) and scuba diving. The Silver Coast is a surfers’ paradise and the 15-minute drive up the coast road to Peniche takes in four fine surfing beaches.

There’s a sailing and windsurfing school on the Obidos lagoon, run by a French couple who offer tuition to children as young as six, plus lessons in ocean craft. Catamarans and canoes can be hired and if you’ve always fancied paragliding, that’s available as well. Fishing trips can be arranged from the harbour at Peniche.

If you want to stretch your legs, hire a mountain bike or go horse riding to explore the sand dunes and the inland villages. For venturing further afield, Motocadia has a fleet of 50cc scooters for hire. These are easy to use and can be ridden on a car licence.