Located on Portugal’s Algarve, just 25 miles from Faro airport, the popular beach resort of Albufeira attracts a wide range of visitors. The beautiful beaches and lively nightlife brings both the young and old, and families with children flocking to the resort on their bargain holidays

Albufeira

to Portugal. The resort has plenty of restaurants serving a choice of traditional Portuguese and International cuisine, cafes and bars. Try some traditional fish and seafood dishes at the restaurants around the Fisherman’s beach for a taste of the real Portugal. Along the seafront, towards Praia da Oura there is no-end of lively music bars which stay open until the clubs and discos open at night. Read more »

The luxurious beachside resort of Vale do Lobo is located between Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura on the Algarve in the south of Portugal. Vale do Lobo is just a 20 minute drive from Faro Airport, 15 minutes from Vilamoura and 25 minutes from Albufeira.

This purpose built luxury resort runs down through a beautiful pine and fig tree clad valley, dotted with magnificent lagoons,  to the Atlantic Ocean on Portugals Algarve coast. The Moorish style buildings with their red roofs and latticed balconies add to the character and beauty of this exclusive village.  Accommodation here is mainly luxury villas and up-market apartments but there are a few luxury hotels here which cater for couples, families and groups on their golfing holidays. For sports enthusiasts there are two excellent golf courses, a first-class tennis academy with 14 courts, health club and riding school. For those who just want to relax and soak up the sun there is a three mile stretch of pristine golden sandy beaches backed by low red sandstone cliffs.

Vale do Lobo has two excellent 18-hole golf courses. The Royal is famous for its 16th hole where golfers have to drive across two ravines on the cliff. The Ocean Course was designed by the late Sir Henry Cotton and is far less challenging than the Royal but still an exciting course. There is also a large driving range to practice your swing before trying your hand at the 18-hole courses. Golfers will love the palm and almond tree lined fairways that wind their way towards the sea.
Right in the heart of the resort is Barringtons Health Club, often used by international football teams and cricket teams. The club offers excellent facilities including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, childrens pool, health and fitness centre, gym, sauna, jacuzzi, steam room, squash courts, snooker, table tennis, restaurant and bars.

The restaurants and bars come into action in the evening with live music and discos on the beach in the summer. The restaurants serve a good variety of cuisine including local and international dishes. Many of the restaurants are on the seafront, offering magnificent views across the Atlantic.

Golf is the main activity for most people on their direct holidays to Vale do Lobo but there is plenty for the whole family to enjoy.

Vale do Lobo

Whether you are looking for a golf break, an active sports break, summer holidays, an Easter break or a romantic getaway there are always plenty of travel deals available to Portugals Algarve throughout the internet.

Porto Santo is a small unspoilt island about 25 miles northeast of Madeira. Easily reached, Porto Santo is a 2 hour ferry ride or a 15 minute flight from Madeira. Because there are just a few hotels and apartments on the island, it remains uncrowded and tranquil.

Porto Santo

The island is quite barren with its main attraction being a beautiful 6 mile long sandy beach on the islands southern coastline which is divided into separate smaller beaches. The waters along this coastline are warmed by the Golf Stream and washup onto the soft golden sands which are said to have healing properties. These therapeutic qualities include the relief of the pain of rheumatism and broken bones.
There is a variety of watersports available from the beach including diving, fishing, sailing canoeing, windsurfing, jet-skiing, water-skiing and great swimming in the crystal clear sea.
The beach can be enjoyed at any time of the year as the weather here hardly varies from season to season.

Vila Baleira is the islands main town, with cobbled streets, whitewashed

Vila Baleira

 buildings, restaurants, cafes and a park. The traditional old shops here sell handmade souvenirs.

Porto Santo has so much natural beauty that visitors can spend hours just exploring the stunning grasslands, forests and mountains.

For golf enthusiasts there is an 18-hole golf course which was designed by Severiano ‘Seve’ Ballesteros, complete with

Porto Santo Golf

driving range, putting green, pitch and putt course and clubhouse.

A visit to the Casa de Columbus is a must when on the island. This is now a museum dedicated to Christopher Columbus who lived on the island and is home to some of the explorers paintings, maps, drawings and engravings.

Porto Santo really only has one season with temperatures averaging around 20C during the year and between 5 and 8 hours of sunshine a day. Temperatures can reach a low of 15C but can also reach a high of 28C with rain being very rare.

Because the islands natural beauty can be explored at any time of the year you can book one of the late deals on offer to Porto Santo whenever you have the need for some peace and tranquility.

Cheap package holidays to this beautiful, unspoilt island are always available at any time of the year.

Because the Algarve has very little rain and more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, it is the ideal location for golfers.

The International Association of Golf Tour Operators voted the Algarve as the best golfing destination.

Vilamoura

The Algarve has more than 30 top class golf courses, including courses designed by Henry Cotton, Arnold Palmer and Rocky Roquemore, and is visited by golfers from all over the world. San Lorenzo and the Old Course in Vilamoura are ranked among the best in Europe.

Faro is home to 10 of the top 100 courses ranked by the renowned Golf World magazine.

There are Acadamies at the David Leadbetter in Carvoeiro and at the Grotter, at the Alto Golfe in Portimao and at the Vila Sol at Vilamoura, all of which can help you improve your swing!

Course Locations

Central Algarve – Balaia, Faldo, Laguna, Laranjal, Millenium, Ocean,  O’Connor, Oceanico Academy, Old Course, Pine Cliffs, Pinhal, Pinheiros Altos, Quinta do Lago North, Quinta do Lago South, Royal, Salgados, San Lorenzo, Victoria, Vila Sol.

Western Algarve – Alamos, Alto Golf, Boavista, Gramacho, Morgado, Palmares, Parque de Floresta, Penina Championship, Penina Academy, Penina Resort, Pinta, Silves Golf, Vale do Milho.

Eastern Algarve – Benamor, Castra Marim, Colina Verde, Monte Rei, Quinta da Ria, Qunita de Cima, Quinta do Vale. 

On your golfing holiday to Portugal you can also enjoy the beautiful beaches, watersports, nightlife, casinos, restaurants, bars and shops.

You can book direct holidays to all of the Algarve’s golfing destinations

Algarve Beach

 through the internet, you just have to experience this wonderful country of Portugal yourself.

With much, much more than just golf on offer here watch out for the great holiday deals that are around at the moment and book that holiday of a lifetime.

For more information on Portugal and to view my latest articles please visit my Portugal Blog.