Algarve

The Algarve, understandably, is still the ‘no 1’ choice for the holiday golfer, and with an abundance of top quality courses, an ideal golfing climate and a wide selection of accommodation this golfing destination really does have something for everyone.

The Algarve is divided into 3 distinct areas: Central, West and East, but with all areas within an hours drive of Faro you can easily sample a piece of each throughout your stay.

Central Algarve

Albufeira is a large resort offering the many visitors here a mix of both the old and new. Albufeira ‘old town’ offers some lovely traditional restaurants serving typical Portuguese cuisine and in contrast the vibrant lively strip offers international flavours and music into the early hours!!

The Central Algarve is home to one of the most popular golfing resorts, Vilamora. This self contained golfing resort sits beautifully inbetween the beach and the large yachting marina. The marina is within walking distance from all hotels providing golfers with a wide variety of bars and restaurants to choose from. The top courses in this area are the World Cup Venue Victoria and one of the Algarve’s finest, the Old course. Free courtesy transport is provided by the hotels here to the surrounding courses so car hire is not necessary.

The more exclusive end to the Central Algarve is the Vale de Lobo and Quinta do Lago estates. Some of the great courses, including the famous San Lorenzo and Vale de Lobo Ocean courses are found in and around these fashionable areas. Chic shopping is at it’s best in the Bougainvillea Commercial Centre and with an array of high class restaurants and bars this really does give you a taste of how the other half live.

Western Algarve

This more traditional part of the Algarve is becoming more recognised as a great golfing destination, and with 5* golf resorts such as Penina it’s easy to see why. Lagos is a beautiful town, very traditional and very unspoilt. The cobbled streets wind their way through family ran shops and restaurants offering visitors here a true reflection on local Portuguese life. Visiting golfers enjoy the many bars and restaurants this town has to offer, and it really is much better value for money in this part of the Algarve. There is also a yachting marina in Lagos which has an array of bars and restaurants too. There are some great golf courses in this area, Palmares and Boavista are within 5 mins of Lagos town centre and with Morgado and Penina close by, this is a great base to access everything.

Alvor is a small fishing on the west coast and is known for its sandy beaches in the summer months and its beautiful fish restaurants and lively nightlife in the winter. It’s in a great position for the holiday golfer to enjoy the nearby courses of Penina and Alto, with Morgado and Alamos only a short drive away.

Eastern Algarve

The Eastern Algarve is already well on the way to becoming one of the best golfing regions in Portugal. With the addition of numerous top quality courses designed by big names there are more and more golfers requesting this as their holiday destination.

Tavira is the main town on the East and is a charming traditional fishing village, not over developed, there is still very much a traditional feel to this place. The town is split by the river and is a beautiful place to meander through the shiny cobbled streets and admire the architecture. The main hotel here is the Vila Gale Tavira where guests have access not only to the traditional restaurants in the town but also to the wealth of courses in this area.

The majority of courses can be found just over the border in the Costa de la Luz area, and are easy to get to over the impressive suspension bridge. The market town of Ayamonte is a nice day out where there is a good selection of shops, bars and restaurants and tapas is a must. Isla Canela and Costa Esuri are the courses closest to here and further into Spain you will find the El Rompido and Islantilla golfing resorts.

If you are staying in this area and would like a break from the fairways then a day trip to Seville is highly recommended. Seville is one of the most visited cities in Spain and with it’s stunning Cathedral and plentiful tapas bars it would be a shame to come this close and not add your name to the list of many visitors to this city.

Golfing holidays in the Algarve
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