Hi
I can highly recommend Praia de Luz, has a fab sandy beach, calm flat sea in a bay and rock pools for the kids to play in. Enough restaurants to have a good variety so you can pick and choose. Great gelato place on way back from the beach for kids, bit of bribery to walk up the hill to where we were staying. if you want a bigger town then Lagos is only 15 mins away in the car or they have a local bus that can take you there.
You don't need a car if you just want to relax, go to the beach and eat out you could not leave for a week. However there is lots to see further a field so it's worth exploring the beautiful coastline. golf course nearby if DH likes that sort of thing.
About an hour from Faro airport. we flew easy jet from Gatwick.
Doesn't get too hot either for the kids, need a light cardi in the evenings but hot enough in the day say 25. sea breeze comes in the afternoon and it's lovely. Have been in Sept twice (before DS started school), then July and August.
Sorry can't help with AI as we rent villas. Some with a pool and without (make sure you get heating if you get one, the first time we didn't and DS wasn't keen on swimming in it and preferre the sea.
We rarely go back to the Same place twice but there is something about it, the kids still talk about it now and ask when we are going back. I am soo fussy about beaches (from Oz so lots to live up to) but this one was great.
Know what you mean about hunting for holidays, just booked our summer holiday to Croatia and was going bonkers trying to find "the right place" as DH really fussy.
Any more questions fire away.??