Powder Byrne reveals the true flavour of its European resorts this summer 

When choosing to travel with Powder Byrne on one of its summer resort holidays, clients know that their children will have an amazing experience when in one of PB's award-winning kids' programmes.  But at the same time, they also know that for them -  as parents - they will be spoilt for choice for things to do and see, if they wish to do a bit more than just completely relax by the pool reading a book. 

Food lovers will be in their element.    All of Powder Byrne's hotels have been chosen for the quality of their cuisine.  Details of all hotels' restaurants can be found on the PB website (powderbyrne.com), but it's the special places nearby which provide the icing on the cake ensuring clients really get to appreciate the unique cuisines from the regions they are staying in.

When staying with Power Byrne  you are choosing a company who will go out of its way to showcase the very best that the regions where its resorts are located have to offer – and all offer some unique attractions which the experienced PB resort staff have the inside track on.  So when going on a Powder Byrne resort holiday it's really all about getting 'under the skin' of the locations their teams are based from. 

Portugal

The amazing Penha Longa Resort, located near Sintra, just 30 minutes west of Lisbon, is a dream destination for foodies.  The choice is yours, whether you want to find a lovely restaurant on the beach near the surfing paradise of Guincho, such as Furnas do Guincho or the amazing Michelin starred Fortaleza do Guincho located in a fort-like building on the cliff, or a smaller more intimate venue down in the old port of Cascais such as Monte Mar.  For a more metropolitan feel, a day trip to Lisbon is well worth the effort for all its amazing and very accessible culture.  Whether it's discovering  the old quarter of Amalfa, with its cobbled streets and traditional trams, or shopping in the smart areas of Chiado and Bairro Alto, it is easy to get a good flavour of this uber cool city in just a day.   Choosing a restaurant to visit might be more of a problem as there are now so many good places to eat.  The Time Out market at Cais do Sodre is worth a visit with food stalls and many of the cities restaurateurs showcasing their cuisine.  For Michelin starred quality, look no further than Loco,  or there are many small tapas bars where if there in the evening you will be sure to experience some haunting and romantic fado. 

For culture lovers, the World Heritage Site of Sintra is on your doorstep.  This real life, but Disney-like, 14th Century town perched high on a hill, is home to some of Portugal's finest romantic architecture.  Its castles, palaces and other historic buildings, painted in pretty pastel colours, glisten above the stunning forested landscape which surrounds this town.  A bit further north can be found the walled medieval city of Obidos – well worth a visit, particularly when it celebrates its past with the Medieval Festival which takes place in July & August each year.  This is something the whole family will enjoy – you can get dressed up and mix with the locals to watch jousting, jugglers, court jesters, wandering minstrels and musicians who will take you back in time.

Stay at Penha Longa Resort this July or August.  Price from £4,932 for 7 nights for a family of 4 sharing 2 interconnecting deluxe forest view rooms on B&B basis.  Price includes accommodation, return transfers to and from Lisbon and full Powder Byrne service in resort.  Flights quoted for separately.  For more information call 020 8246 5300 or visit powderbyrne.com

Crete

This is one resort where clients find it hard to leave base camp, as there really is so much to do just staying within the resort itself.  However, Crete is such an interesting island, so it's worth a foray out into the old port of Elounda and nearby Plaka to get the real flavour of this historic island.  From here you can take a boat trip out to the famous island of Spinalonga, once a leper colony and featured in the best-selling book, The Island, written by Victoria Hislop.  Have a well deserved lunch or early supper at The Ferryman before returning to your hotel.  The very pretty port of Agios Nikolaos,  made universally famous when used as a location for various TV dramas in the 1970's, has some delightful local tavernas to try, and we would recommend Pelagos and Barko's as offering authentic Greek cuisine in delightful settings.   For those interested in ancient Greece, a visit to Heraklion is a very easy day trip from Elounda to see round Knossos, and there are some smaller ancient sites are to be found nearer to the hotel. 

Stay at one of our hotels at Elounda Resort in July & August.  Price from £2,350  per adult (£5370 for a family of 4) for 7 nights sharing a Porto Sea Room with private pool on B&B basis, with complimentary buffet supper.  Dine around option is also available.    Price includes accommodation, return luxury transfers and full PB service in resort.   Flights quoted for separately.  For more information call 020 8246 5300 or visit powderbyrne.com

Elba

Napoleon may have been exiled on this stunning island off Tuscany, but it wasn't long before he fell in love with its magic and its people who welcomed him and his family in true Italian style.  Our clients have a habit of falling in love with Elba as well and return year after year to one of our two hotels overlooking the Bay of Biodola.  Elba has an abundance of activities and local adventures to experience with mountains, high granite cliffs, shady forests, Mediterranean scrub, sandy beaches and hidden coves all there waiting to be explored.  For culture vultures there are some stunning old monasteries and historical sites all over the island as well as in the fortified town of Portoferraio with its museum on Napoleon.  Walking and cycling around the island are highlights with well marked paths to explore, and for wine lovers there are many vineyards to visit.  There are also a number of night markets where visitors can purchase local produce, hand-painted ceramics and jewellery. 

We recommend our guests to try and visit as many local restaurants as possible in the nearby vicinity who serve local Tuscan fare as well as other Italian regional dishes.  In Capoliveri when visiting its night market, have a traditional pizza in one of the oldest restaurants on the island, Il Vecchio Borgo.  If up in the hills in Poggio, Publius Restaurant is a must where you can try some traditional wild boar.  Back down on the coast,  Le Viste in Portoferraio is set in a secluded cove that can only accessed by foot and they offer some of the very best seafood to be found.   Or visit nearby Marciana Marina, another smaller port on the island, where you can sit right on the beach at Capo Nord.  Within walking distance when staying at Hotel Biodola is L'Ostrica built right on the sea's edge above the bay, where you will experience some delicious Tuscan fare in this sophisticated trattoria by the sea.

Stay at Hotel Biodola in July.  Price from £2,240 per adult sharing a Seaside Double Room for 7 nights on HB basis.  Price includes accommodation,  return luxury transfers to and from Pisa,  and full Powder Byrne service in resort.  Flights quoted for separately.  For more information call 020 8246 5300 or visit powderbyrne.com.

For more insider information on our resorts, visit our blog site on https://stories.powderbyrne.com/

For full information on our resort hotels mentioned above visit:

http://www.powderbyrne.com/sun/elounda/porto-elounda

http://www.powderbyrne.com/sun/sintra/penha-longa

http://www.powderbyrne.com/sun/elba/biodola

Powder Byrne Media Contact:  Simon Meeke                    

Tel: 020 8246 5300

Email:  marketing@powderbyrne.com

Website:  www.powderbyrne.com

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Notes to Editors

Powder Byrne was founded in 1985 by Rory Byrne, whose aim has always been to deliver tailor-made holidays with a focus on quality combined with flexibility and great personal service.  

In 1988 Powder Byrne became the first operator to specialise in corporate ski weekends, offering companies complete flexibility of travel dates and event arrangements.  In 1989 Rory Byrne won The Independent's Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.  In 1994 the decision was made to specialise exclusively in high service hotel-based holidays specialising in family skiing, and Powder Byrne now offers a range of exclusive ski destinations in Switzerland, Austria and Italy.  In 1994 a Summer Resorts programme was added.  Their award-winning exclusive winter and summer kids programmes offer inspirational childcare and sports tuition for kids from crèche age right up to teenagers.   In 2009 Air & Space was created providing adventure experiences for families wanting more discovery from their travels, but with the same levels of luxury and seamless service that Powder Byrne are now renowned for.   Whilst seen to be the family travel specialists, they continue to specialise in arranging private ski weekends for adults as well as bespoke events for corporate groups.