A holiday for me is not about staying in a plush hotel or going to a fancy restaurant: it's about spending as much time as possible with my wife and four children, and that's why I keep going back to the Algarve in Portugal.

The thing I love about it is that it's a proper family holiday destination – the sort of place where you go to the beach with the kids in your shorts and T-shirt, have lunch on the beach, spend the afternoon there, then finally go back to your hotel or villa for dinner. Another good thing about the Algarve is that it's not too far away – something you have to consider when you have four children.

The last time we visited we rented a nice villa at a golf resort called Parque da Floresta (0800 622 6120; www.parquedafloresta.com) along the western coast, past Lagos. Most days we'd drive from there to the beach at Salema.

I love the food in Portugal, too. I have to eat what they call an Algarvean Pot, which consists of things like prawns cooked in oil with garlic and chillies, and potatoes on top. Apparently it's a traditional fisherman's meal and it's just delicious. I'll quite often have it for dinner with a glass of shandy.

It takes me a bit of time to get into the holiday mode – my wife says I don't sit down for the first four days, I'm too busy pacing around and messing about with the children, building sandcastles and generally having fun.

I have to admit that my Portuguese is not fantastic. I know how to say: "Can I have the bill please?" and "Thank you" and that's about it. Still, it's a start, isn't it?

Austin Healey is taking part in 'Strictly Come Dancing: The Live Tour', which starts in Manchester on Friday.

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