ON COURSE FOR A GREAT BREAK
is. Among one the region’s chief draws is its reputation for golf, which does beg the question: why there aren’t more top level players from this part of the world on the professional tour?
The answer may lie in the perennial problem which has affected the sport for years: cost. Not many locals can afford to join the swish courses so they become heavily geared towards attracting tourists – and attract them they do, in their droves.
I’m not sure why you would want to go anywhere else as the stunning courses and piercing blue skies make a potent combination. And when you’re in need of light refreshment, just pick an orange straight from the trees which adorn the edge of the fairways.
We took in tours of courses including the Victoria which is on the outskirts of the marina town of Vilamoura and plays host to the Portugal Masters every year.
One of the hotels we stayed at, the Anantara, adjoins the course so you can enjoy breakfast on your own balcony while taking in the view of the fairways.
We also explored Quinta do Lago, a resort created in the early 1970s which covers 2,000 acres on the Ria Formosa Natural Park. It offers highend dining, plenty of space for long walks and three great golf courses, one of which has a state-of-art school where you can hone your swing with the help of professional coach and cutting edge video analysis.
Portugal’s reputation for food is well founded and the pound’s current struggles against the euro don’t seem to have dramatically permeated this corner of Europe yet. We enjoyed several top-notch – and very long – lunches comprising staples such as calamari, sea bass, tapas and a whole smorgasbord of sticky deserts.
A typical fish or meat main course will set you back around £15 to £18 in a higher end restaurant, while a bottle of house wine shouldn’t cost more than £10.
Wine buffs may also wish to visit one of the plethora of vineyards which scatter the region, take in a tour and finish it off with a tasting lunch of tapas and samples of the different wines produced there.
We visited the Quinta do Francês vineyard which offers tour and lunch packages from around £6 per person when booking in a group.
The Algarve’s towns, such as Faro, Vilamoura and Albufeira, could never be described as hectic but if you do fancy a step off the beaten track, then head out on a boat trip from Faro to Desert Island.
We took a guided speedboat from the mainland where we learned about the area’s wildlife and saw pickers hard at work before docking on the island to enjoy a leisurely lunch at Estaminé, the island’s only restaurant.
There are several boat tour operators vying for your cash so even this “secluded” island gets busy at peak season, meaning booking ahead for the restaurant is essential. You can just simply enjoy a boat trip and walk along the beach if you can’t get in.
Transport around the Algarve isn’t the best so it’s worth hiring a car or trying to book on organised trips which collect you from your hotels.
Otherwise, reaching the golf courses with all your clubs or just generally getting out and about can be a faff.
All three of our host hotels were outside the town centres so, if you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing, then it might work out cheaper than taking taxis everywhere.
The Algarve has many hidden nooks and crannies to explore so gaining some independence may just be the best way to explore this striking corner of southern Europe.