On Top of The World as Far Down as You can Go in Europe

The golfing hotspot of southern Portugal has been one the best golf destinations for decades, and have scooped prestigious awards year out and year in.

The Algarve continues to provide a selection of world-class layouts with 43 outstanding courses (Vale do Lobo pictured above).Combine that with value for money and a huge variety of nature stretching out along its rugged coastline.

It’s also a destination which is within fairly easy reach for golf tourists with its good flight connections to and from Faro airport. Visitors are offered a broad selection of accommodation options, year-round sunshine and an array of additional attractions for families, couples and golfers alike.

João Fernandes, the president of Algarve Tourism, said:

— We believe the Algarve has so many reasons for visiting: The weather, the people, the beaches, accommodation choice and of course, the golf. But even if all the ingredients are present, it still needs dedicated, passionate and highly-skilled people to serve it up correctly. And that’s what the people who work in the Algarve have done, and will do for many years to come.

Henry Cotton’s heritage

It’s hard to imagine the Algarve without thinking of golf. Yet golf wasn’t born on this sunshine coastal area until 1966, when Henry Cotton first laid out the Championship course at Penina. 

Fast-forward half a century, and this alluring region has not only become one of Europe’s premier holiday spots, but also an award-winning golf destination.  

With a supply of 43 nine- and 18-hole layouts that can be played all-year-round, the Algarve draws hundreds of thousands of golfers to its fairways each year. 

The Algarve is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal — at the bottom of Portugal at the top of the golfing world.

More than half of its courses decorate the 150-mile coastline, which also boasts beaches, rocky coves, quaint fishing villages and a rich cultural heritage.

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