Serious swimming in off-season resort pools?

[Paaseitjes]

I'm looking at booking a last minute holiday to the Algarve in November. I've never stayed in a big resort hotel because its really not my thing, but between a new baby and going in off-season, I think it could be quite nice as a quietish B&B base to do some walking, see some daylight and eat lovely Portuguese food.

I know they don't heat those giant outdoor pools, but how cold are they actually, and do they stay open? Cold enough to keep all the other guests out? I can take my swim wetsuit. My dream is blue skies and an entire enormous pool to myself to clock up the km because everyone else is too nesh. Most of the resorts have an indoor pool, so no need to freeze your tits off unless it's your (my) thing! Is this realistic or do I need to temper my expectations?

I’ve been to the algarve the last week in October and the pools were too cold for me to get in. Dc did brave it would couldn’t stay in for long and got out with blue lips. And the outdoor temp was about 22. Luckily there was an indoor pool. The sea was warmer though.

I’d ask the specific hotel if the pool will be open, and get it in writing - it would be rubbish to assume you can swim and find you can’t when that’s a big part of the draw of going.

How warm is the sea? I have swum in the algarve first week of May with no wetsuit so may still be warm enough in Nov too? Especially with a wetsuit

I think the sea might be too complicated with baby wrangling. DH (who is actually a cat) is not going to want to sit on a wind swept beach with the baby watching me swim! Before baby I did swimtrek holidays to get my fix without boring DH.

Checking with the hotel is a good idea, thanks!

Have you thought of Madeira. Hotels like the Porto Mare have heated indoor pools and are child friendly. Madeira is Portuguese, but warmer than the Algarve will be. I’m off there on Friday, staying at their sister hotel - the Cliff Bay. Google hotels with indoor pools and you’ll find a few.

Madeira or the Azores would be lovely, but it's first holiday for us with the baby, so a 3h flight to Faro already feels a bit ambitious!

I've just realised that resort hotels are on the beach, so I can sea swim while DH drinks coffee. Duh! My childhood holidays were a 2 mile walk to a very beautiful remote British beach, where we'd stay all day and swim in the Atlantic rain or shine, eat damp sandwiches, then walk home for a hot bath to relieve the hypothermia. I forgot that beach doesn't have to equal spartan

There are quite a few Greek resorts with training pools - the Coral Bay hotel in Cyprus has one next to it that guests can use