How to Play Golf in the Eastern Algarve
The quiet end of the Algarve, east of Faro toward the Spanish border, trades the Vilamoura crowds for foothills, sandbar beaches and the best single course in Portugal. Monte Rei's Jack Nicklaus North course is the flagship at 170 to 220 euros in 2026; Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima sit comfortably below it; and Benamor, Castro Marim and Colina Verde hold up the value tier. Everything books direct. Here is how to get on each one, in what order, and from which base.
Photograph: Monte Rei Golf and Country Club, via Google
The short answer
Everything east of Faro books direct, with no member introductions and no ballots. The course the trip is built on is the North course at Monte Rei, the Jack Nicklaus Signature design that opened in 2007 near Vila Nova de Cacela and has sat at or near the top of Portugal's rankings ever since. It is a daily fee club run for exclusivity: limited numbers, a shared buggy and a near caddie level of service included, immaculate conditioning, and a halfway house that golfers talk about for years. Its 2026 green fee runs around 170 to 220 euros for the season to October, the most expensive round in the country, and the prime spring weeks need booking weeks ahead.
Below the flagship, the east is a value destination. Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima, the Rocky Roquemore 36 holes on one estate near Tavira, give you a cliff top Ria course over the Ria Formosa lagoon and a tougher Cima inland, both comfortably cheaper than Monte Rei and lower midweek. Below them, Benamor above Tavira, Castro Marim near the Guadiana and the short, friendly Colina Verde make up a value tier with twilight rates lower still. The full pricing picture lives in our Algarve green fees guide; this page is about getting on.
The Eastern Algarve courses: who built them and how to get on, 2026
| Course | Designer | Location | Indicative 2026 fee | Booking note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monte Rei, North Course | Jack Nicklaus Signature, 2007 | Vila Nova de Cacela, inland from Tavira | 170 to 220 euros, season to October | Book direct and ahead; daily fee but numbers limited; buggy and balls included; handicap asked |
| Quinta da Ria | Rocky Roquemore, 2002 | Vila Nova de Cacela, on the Ria Formosa cliffs | Below the flagship, midweek lower | Book direct; cliff top par 72 over the lagoon; package with Cima |
| Quinta de Cima | Rocky Roquemore | Vila Nova de Cacela, the inland sister course | Below the flagship, midweek lower | Book direct; longer and tougher than Ria, ditches and lakes |
| Benamor | Resort course, opened 2000 | Conceicao, above Tavira | Value tier; twilight lower still | Book direct; rolling hillside layout with sea views; friendly pricing |
| Castro Marim | Terry Murray | Castro Marim, near the Guadiana and Spain | Value tier; twilight lower still | Book direct; three nines on rising ground with border views |
| Colina Verde | Short course and academy | Moncarapacho, inland from Fuseta | The lowest fees of the east | Book direct; relaxed par layout, ideal warm up or family round |
Access rules, designers and 2026 fees verified June 2026 and subject to change without notice. Always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking. Check Eastern Algarve tee time availability.
How to book the Eastern Algarve, step by step
- Fix dates in March to May or September to November, then book flights to Faro and a rental car. The eastern courses sit 20 to 45 minutes from each other and about 45 minutes from the airport, so a car is essential.
- Secure Monte Rei first, and well ahead. It is the round the trip is built on, it limits daily numbers, and the spring and autumn peaks fill weeks out. Book direct; the fee includes a buggy and practice balls.
- Pair Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima as a 36 hole day on one estate, taking the multi round package the club offers. Carry a handicap certificate for Monte Rei; the rest are relaxed about it.
- Fill the value rounds with Benamor, Castro Marim or Colina Verde, all friendly on the wallet and easy to book a week or two out, with twilight rates if you want golf and beach in the same day.
- Dress code is standard resort golf, a collared shirt and tailored shorts or trousers. Buggies are bookable everywhere, included at Monte Rei and modest elsewhere, though Quinta da Ria and Benamor both walk well.
Booking lead times are gentle for everything except Monte Rei: two to three weeks out is plenty for the value tier, while the flagship wants a month or more in the peaks. The east runs a touch cooler and quieter than the central strip even in high summer, so the local rhythm is golf in the morning, then the sandbar beaches of the Ria Formosa reached by little ferries in the afternoon.
Routing the trip, and where to stay
This is a single base trip. Tavira, the prettiest town on the Algarve, puts every eastern course within 45 minutes and pairs golf with cobbled streets, river restaurants and the island beaches; Cabanas and Vila Nova de Cacela sit closer still to Monte Rei and the Quintas. The Monte Rei resort villas are the splurge address for golfers who want the flagship on the doorstep, while Tavira and Cabanas offer the broadest choice of hotels and rentals.
For the wider picture, the Eastern Algarve hub maps the area in full, and the Algarve destination hub sets it against the busier central and western strips. Our best golf courses in the Algarve ranking shows where Monte Rei sits at the top of the regional order, and the western end is covered in our how to play golf in the Western Algarve guide. To have the trip sequenced and booked as one piece, start from Algarve golf holidays, or step into a wider loop with our five day Algarve itinerary.
Plan an Eastern Algarve golf trip
Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge holds the Monte Rei tee time on the right day, packages the Quintas, books the Tavira base and costs the trip to the head. Monte Rei's spring and autumn dates go early, so the sooner we start the better, with no obligation.
Eastern Algarve golf access questions
Can visitors play golf in the Eastern Algarve?
Yes. Every course east of Faro takes visitor bookings directly, online or by email, with no member introductions. Monte Rei, the region's flagship, is a daily fee club open to all comers, though it limits numbers and asks you to book ahead. Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima, Benamor, Castro Marim and Colina Verde all book direct too, and most are happy to bundle multi round packages. Carry a handicap certificate for Monte Rei. Always confirm requirements directly before booking.
How much are green fees in the Eastern Algarve in 2026?
Monte Rei's North course, the most expensive round in Portugal, runs around 170 to 220 euros for the 2026 season to October, with a shared buggy and practice balls included. Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima sit comfortably below the flagship, lower midweek, and the value tier of Benamor, Castro Marim and Colina Verde runs friendly local pricing with twilight rates lower still. Fees move with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking.
Is Monte Rei worth the green fee?
For many golfers, yes. Monte Rei's North course, the Jack Nicklaus Signature design that opened in 2007 near Vila Nova de Cacela, has sat at or near the top of Portugal's rankings since it opened, and the experience is built around exclusivity: limited daily numbers, a buggy and caddie style service, immaculate conditioning and a halfway house that has become famous in its own right. It is the splurge round of an Eastern Algarve trip. Always confirm tee times and rates directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in the Eastern Algarve?
March to May and September to November. Spring brings warm, green days with wildflowers through the foothills, the prime season when Monte Rei should be booked weeks ahead, and the autumn is the connoisseur's window with a warm sea and the second fee peak. June to August is hot but tempered by lagoon breezes, with value on fees and mornings best for golf. December to February is mild and the driest winter corner of Portugal's south coast, cheap and calm with all courses open. Always confirm conditions directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Access rules, designers and 2026 fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.