Hotels
The best golf resorts in the Algarve
Umbrella pines, red sandstone cliffs and fairways that have hosted the Portugal Masters. Our pick of golf hotels from Quinta do Lago to Lagos.
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In short: golf resorts in the Algarve
The Algarve's best golf resorts cluster in the Golden Triangle of Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Vilamoura, 15 to 25 minutes from Faro Airport. Choose the Conrad for the famous courses, Victoria for the Portugal Masters fairways, Pine Cliffs for clifftop golf or Penina for the region's first course.
Our first choice: Conrad Algarve, with the Quinta do Lago courses on the doorstep. Check availability and prices
The dew is still on the fairway when the first fourballs set off, and the scent of the pines mixes with salt from the Atlantic. Between the trunks you catch glimpses of the Ria Formosa lagoon.
British golfers have been coming here since Henry Cotton laid out Penina in the 1960s. Today many of the best courses sit so close together that you can play somewhere new every day without changing hotel.
We have grouped the resorts by area, because the distance to the first tee matters more than the star rating when you play every day. All of them can be booked as a straightforward hotel stay, with tee times arranged directly with the course or through reception.
How to choose an Algarve golf resort
The Golden Triangle: Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Vilamoura have the big-name courses and the shortest transfer from Faro. Stay here if golf is the point of the trip.
The cliffs at Albufeira: a beach below and a shorter course on site. Good for mixed groups where not everyone plays.
West towards Alvor and Lagos: quieter, with coastal courses and more wind. Allow about an hour from the airport.
East towards Tavira: a quieter coast by the Ria Formosa, with all-inclusive club holidays as an option.
Quinta do Lago: courses by the lagoon
This is the Algarve's best-known golf address. The fairways run between pine woods and the Ria Formosa, and Faro Airport is a quarter of an hour away. Neighbouring Vale do Lobo, home of the Royal course and its clifftop hole, is a few minutes west.
Conrad Algarve
Conrad Algarve sits in the pine woods on the edge of Quinta do Lago.
Conrad Algarve: the resort at Quinta do Lago
The Conrad stands on the edge of Quinta do Lago, minutes from the North, South and Laranjal courses. The South course has hosted the Portuguese Open several times.
With a spa and a choice of restaurants, the evenings take care of themselves without a car. Best for couples and groups of friends who want golf, sunshine and serious food in one place.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Conrad Algarve
Martinhal Quinta
The restaurant at Martinhal Quinta has big windows onto the terrace.
Martinhal Quinta: a golf holiday with the children
Martinhal is built around families, with a kids' club and activities for the youngest guests, right by the Quinta do Lago courses.
While one of you plays 18 holes, everyone else has plenty to do. For families who do not want to choose between a golf trip and the summer holiday.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Martinhal Quinta
Vale do Lobo Resort
From the rooms at Vale do Lobo you look out over the course.
Vale do Lobo Resort: villas by the Royal course
Vale do Lobo Resort is a collection of apartments and villas spread between the Royal and Ocean courses, with the beach below. The Royal is famous for the hole played across the red cliffs towards the sea.
You get your own kitchen, room for everyone and a walk to the first tee. Ideal for families and groups who want golf and beach without hotel corridors.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Vale do Lobo Resort
Vilamoura: Portugal Masters country
Vilamoura has five courses and a large marina lined with restaurants. It is the liveliest corner of the Golden Triangle.
Victoria Golf Resort & Spa
The pool at Victoria Golf Resort sits right beside the former Portugal Masters course.
Victoria Golf Resort & Spa: beside the Victoria course
Victoria Golf Resort & Spa looks out over the Victoria course, long-time home of the Portugal Masters. From the terrace you can watch the last groups come in under the evening sun.
The spa is reason enough to stay, and Vilamoura marina is a short ride away. For couples combining golf with a proper rest.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Victoria Golf Resort & Spa
Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas
The pools at Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas gave the hotel its name.
Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas: pools and fairways
As Cascatas means the waterfalls, and the hotel is built around pools with small cascades in the gardens. Several of Vilamoura's five courses are a short drive away.
Many rooms sleep a whole family, and the marina is close by. A good fit for families where both the golfers and the pool lovers need keeping happy.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas
Albufeira and the cliffs: golf and the beach
West of Vilamoura the coast turns steep, with ochre cliffs and small coves. Here golf is part of the holiday rather than the whole of it.
Pine Cliffs Resort
The pool at Pine Cliffs sits on the cliffs above the sea.
Pine Cliffs: nine holes on the clifftop
Pine Cliffs has its own nine-hole course on the cliffs, including a hole played across a ravine towards the ocean. Falésia beach lies directly below.
The resort is large, with several hotels and restaurants on one estate. Good for families and groups where some play and the rest head for the sand.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Pine Cliffs Resort
The west: Silves, Penina and Lagos
Further west the pace slows and the courses take more Atlantic wind. Faro Airport is about an hour away.
Amendoeira Golf Resort
The villas at Amendoeira sit in the hills near Silves.
Amendoeira Golf Resort: Faldo in the hills
Amendoeira sits inland near Silves, with two courses, one of them designed by Nick Faldo. You stay in apartments and villas overlooking the fairways.
The beach is further away than in the Golden Triangle, but there is more space and more peace. For golfers who want to play a lot and cook for themselves.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Amendoeira Golf Resort
Penina Hotel & Golf Resort
Penina is home to Henry Cotton's course, widely regarded as the Algarve's first.
Penina: where Algarve golf began
Penina, near Portimão, is home to the course Henry Cotton designed in the 1960s, widely regarded as the Algarve's first. The hotel sits in the middle of the estate with several courses outside the door.
You stay here for the golf, with Alvor and its beach close by once the round is done. For golfers who want history and plenty of holes in one place.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Penina Hotel & Golf Resort
Palmares Beach House Hotel
The bay and dunes at Palmares, east of Lagos.
Palmares Beach House: golf above the bay at Lagos
Palmares Beach House sits by the beach east of Lagos, with the Palmares course in the hills behind. Several holes look out over the bay.
It is small, calm and adults only, and Lagos with its old town and fish restaurants is close by. For couples who want one good course, a beach and a town.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Palmares Beach House Hotel
The east: Ria Formosa and Tavira
East of Faro the Algarve flattens out and quietens down, with the lagoon, salt pans and small towns such as Tavira.
Robinson Quinta da Ria
The sandbanks of the Ria Formosa lie close to Robinson Quinta da Ria.
Robinson Quinta da Ria: all inclusive by the Ria Formosa
Robinson Quinta da Ria is an all-inclusive club resort in the eastern Algarve, close to the Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima courses, with the Ria Formosa lagoon below.
Meals, activities and evening entertainment are part of the stay, so there is little to plan. For anyone who wants a sociable golf holiday without watching the bill every night.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Robinson Quinta da Ria
When to go and when to book
Spring and autumn are golf season: March to May and October to November give comfortable conditions for 18 holes. Summer afternoons are hot.
Book rooms and tee times together: the big Golden Triangle courses fill up in peak season, especially around Easter.
Pick a flexible rate: it lets you move the trip if the forecast or flight prices change.
Good to know
Tee times are booked directly with the course or through your hotel, and many courses ask for a handicap certificate. A hire car makes it easy to play around the region, though in the Golden Triangle taxis cover most journeys.
If you want to watch the majors as well, The Open is at St Andrews in July 2027 and the Ryder Cup is at Adare in September. See hotels for The Open.
Our first choice in the Algarve
Conrad Algarve
The Conrad is the golf hotel we would pick first in the Algarve. It stands on the edge of Quinta do Lago, minutes from the North, South and Laranjal courses and a quarter of an hour from Faro Airport. After your round there is the spa and the pool terrace, and in the evening you can eat well without getting in the car. That makes it as good for a serious golf week as for a trip where not everyone plays every day.
Golf in the Algarve: your questions answered
Where is the best place to stay for golf in the Algarve?
The Golden Triangle of Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Vilamoura is the best base for golf in the Algarve. Its best-known courses are 15 to 25 minutes from Faro Airport. The Conrad and Victoria Golf Resort put you closest to them. For quieter fairways and more wind, look west to Penina and Lagos.
What is the best time of year to play golf in the Algarve?
Spring and autumn are the best seasons for golf in the Algarve, from March to May and from October to November. Conditions are comfortable all day and the courses are green. Summer is hot by midday, so tee off early. Winter is mild but brings more rain and wind than spring.
Which are the most famous golf courses in the Algarve?
The most famous courses are in Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Vilamoura. Quinta do Lago South has hosted the Portuguese Open and Victoria in Vilamoura was the long-time home of the Portugal Masters. The Royal at Vale do Lobo is known for its clifftop hole. Penina is regarded as the region's first course.
Do I need a hire car for a golf holiday in the Algarve?
Not if you stay in the Golden Triangle and play the courses there, as distances are short and taxis are easy to find. If you plan to play courses across the region, a hire car gives you most freedom. Check that your clubs will fit, and book the car with your flights in peak season.
Can I book an Algarve golf resort without a golf package?
Yes. Every hotel on this page can be booked as a regular stay, with tee times arranged directly with the course or through reception. That leaves you free to choose your own courses. Many resorts have arrangements with nearby clubs, so ask the hotel about tee times once your room is confirmed.