Castro Marim Golfe and Country Club

The verdict

Castro Marim sits in the part of the Algarve most travelling golfers never reach, the eastern fringe near the Spanish border where the resorts thin out and the country opens into rolling hills above the Guadiana river. Terry Murray's 27 holes are not trying to be Monte Rei next door; they are an honest, enjoyable resort layout with big views, generous fairways and a price tag that leaves room in the budget for the marquee courses elsewhere on the trip.

The three nines, the Guadiana, the Atlantic and the Grouse, give the club the flexibility of two distinct eighteens and keep a four ball moving even in the busy weeks. There are some quirky, hilly holes and a few blind shots that frustrate the purist, but the scenery, the calm and the value win most visitors over. For an eastern Algarve base around Tavira, it is a smart, scenic warm up round to pair with the heavyweight that is Monte Rei.

The holes worth the trip

The setting is the headline at Castro Marim. The land rises and falls toward the Guadiana, and from the higher tees the views stretch across the river into Spain, over the wetlands of the natural park and out toward the Atlantic. The routing uses that elevation freely, so you play uphill and downhill shots, over and around lakes, with the wind off the river a real factor on the exposed stretches.

The Guadiana and Atlantic nines form the original and most rounded eighteen, with the larger lakes and the best of the views; the Grouse, added later, climbs into hillier ground with a couple of demanding, quirky holes. Fairways are generous and the greens fair, so it suits a mixed handicap group looking to enjoy the scenery rather than grind over a championship test.

For the visiting golfer it works best as the relaxed, good value counterpoint on an eastern Algarve trip, the round you play the day before or after a bucket list lap at Monte Rei, with Tavira's old town and seafood close by for the evening.

Where to stay nearby

Castro Marim has its own resort accommodation on site, and the handsome old town of Tavira a short drive west makes a relaxed base with its riverside restaurants, Roman bridge and easy access to the eastern Algarve beaches. It is a quieter, more authentic stretch of the coast than the busy resorts further west, well suited to a golf and food trip at a gentler pace.

From an eastern Algarve base the standout pairing is the world ranked Monte Rei North close by, and the wider Algarve brings the great courses of the central golden triangle such as Quinta do Lago South and San Lorenzo within an hour's drive.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Castro Marim.