A hotel forced to evacuate guests almost two weeks ago due to a forest fire in the hills above the Portuguese Algarve re-opens today (Thursday).
The luxury Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa shut on August 5 due to a fire ranging in the area with almost 370 guests sent to alternative accommodation.
The blaze was fully extinguished last Friday with no damage to the five star hotel and spa, which has 190 suites.
Staff returned last weekend to make final preparations to ensure the property was ready to welcome guests back.
A spokeswoman said: “Throughout the unprecedented time, we were in constant contact with the civil protection authorities and the Algarve Regional Tourism Authority to guarantee the safety of our guests and staff, which is always of the upmost importance to us.
“We made the decision to evacuate the resort guests on Sunday, August 5 and arranged alternative accommodation for them as a precautionary measure – no one was at risk during this time.
“Before staff departed the resort on Monday 6th, we took many steps to prevent damage to the property and as a result it has not been affected by the fire.
“We also set up call line for guests to provide a point of contact for any needs.”
She added: “We would like to thank the Portuguese fire service for their heroic work in containing the fires and we can confidently say that there is no cause for concern for those who choose Monchique as a holiday destination.
“We would also like to thank our guests who have been incredibly understanding and we are very grateful for their support and cooperation. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to our wonderful resort.”