5 Day Algarve Golf Itinerary
Five days on Europe's favourite winter golf coast, with one base and the best of the Algarve within easy reach. This route gathers the classic umbrella pine courses of the central Algarve, Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago, San Lorenzo and Vale do Lobo, then runs east to Jack Nicklaus's Monte Rei, often rated the finest course in Portugal. Warm, reliable, and superb value beside the marquee links nations. Here is the week, with indicative 2026 green fees and drive times.
Photograph: Monte Rei Golf & Country Club, Monte Rei Golf & Country Club, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the Algarve at its best, built for the golfer who wants warm, dependable golf, a fine resort and several genuinely good courses without the cost and weather risk of the great links nations. The central Algarve packs most of Portugal's best parkland golf into a short stretch of coast around Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura, so you set up in one base, play four rounds within twenty minutes, and take one scenic run east to the marquee round at Monte Rei. It suits a golf group, a couple or a family trip where the golf shares the week with the beach, the seafood and the sun.
The two decisions that shape the week are Monte Rei and the season. Book the eastern showpiece early, since it limits numbers and rewards an unhurried day, and aim for spring or autumn for the best conditions, or winter for the best value. Get those right and the rest of the week falls into place around one comfortable base.
The 5 day plan
Vilamoura, Old Course
Open on the grand old course of the Algarve, laid out by Frank Pennink in 1969 and threaded through towering umbrella pines, the layout that set the template for golf on this coast. Tree lined, traditional and a touch shorter than the modern giants, it is a gentle, atmospheric start that eases you into Portuguese golf. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 175 euro in peak season; a fine and characterful opener about ten minutes from a Vilamoura base.
Quinta do Lago, South Course
The tournament course of the central Algarve, a William Mitchell design from 1974 that has hosted the Portuguese Open many times. Rolling and well wooded with water in play late in the round, the South is the sterner test of the resort's courses and a proper championship examination. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 235 euro in peak season. About fifteen minutes from Vilamoura, in the heart of the smartest resort on the coast.
San Lorenzo Golf Course
For many the most beautiful round in the Algarve, a Joseph Lee design from 1988 that runs out along the Ria Formosa nature reserve, with the closing holes set against the lagoon and the Atlantic beyond. Quieter and more exclusive than its neighbours, with access traditionally tied to certain resorts, it is a round to savour. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 215 euro in peak season. A short drive from Quinta do Lago; book ahead as numbers are limited.
Monte Rei Golf, North Course
The marquee day and the finest course in Portugal by most rankings, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design from 2007 set in the gentle hills of the eastern Algarve. Immaculately conditioned, beautifully spaced and famous for its service, where a buggy with cold drinks meets you on the course, it is a special, unhurried round worth the drive. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 290 euro in peak season, the most expensive of the trip. About forty five minutes east of Quinta do Lago.
Vale do Lobo, Royal Course
Close the week on the most photographed hole in the Algarve, the par 3 sixteenth on the Royal Course, a tee shot played across a series of red sandstone cliffs and ravines high above the beach. The rest of the round is rolling, pine framed resort golf of real quality, and that one hole alone makes it a memorable finish. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 215 euro in peak season. Minutes from a Quinta do Lago or Vale do Lobo base.
Green fees, drive times and logistics
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vilamoura, Old Course | Around 175 euro | About 10 minutes; classic pines |
| Quinta do Lago, South | Around 235 euro | About 15 minutes; Portuguese Open host |
| San Lorenzo | Around 215 euro | Limited access; book well ahead |
| Monte Rei, North | Around 290 euro | About 45 minutes east; book early |
| Vale do Lobo, Royal | Around 215 euro | Minutes from base; the cliff carry 16th |
Green fees and drive times verified indicatively in June 2026 from course and booking listings; they vary by season and change without notice, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Find an Algarve resort base.
When to go and where to stay
Play the trip in spring, roughly March to May, or autumn, September to November, for warm, dry weather and the courses in their best condition, accepting peak green fees. Winter is mild, quiet and far cheaper, the classic escape from a northern European winter, while high summer is hot and best played early in the day. Base yourself around Quinta do Lago or Vilamoura, where the resorts, the restaurants and four of the five courses sit within a short drive and Faro airport is about twenty five minutes away. A hire car makes the run east to Monte Rei and the short hops between courses simple, and leaves the evenings for the beach and the seafood.
Plan your Algarve golf week
We hold the tee times, from Monte Rei to San Lorenzo, match your resort base to the golf, and arrange the buggies, the transfers and the airport runs so the week runs smoothly. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Algarve itinerary questions
What is the best 5 day golf itinerary in the Algarve?
A five day trip based around Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura covers the best of the central and eastern Algarve without long drives. Open on the classic pines of Vilamoura's Old Course, then play Quinta do Lago South, the celebrated San Lorenzo, Jack Nicklaus's Monte Rei in the east and the cliff edged Royal Course at Vale do Lobo. Four of the five sit within twenty minutes of one base. Always confirm current tee times and fees directly before booking.
How much does a 5 day Algarve golf trip cost in green fees?
Five rounds on this route add up to roughly 1,100 to 1,200 euro per golfer in green fees alone in peak 2026 season, led by Monte Rei at an indicative 290 euro and Quinta do Lago South at around 235. The Algarve is far cheaper than the marquee links nations and the value improves sharply in winter, when many of these courses cut their rates. These are indicative figures, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
When is the best time for an Algarve golf trip?
The Algarve plays well almost year round, but the prime golf seasons are spring, roughly March to May, and autumn, September to November, when the weather is warm and dry and the courses in best condition. These are also peak price windows. Winter is mild, quiet and far cheaper, ideal for a golf escape from northern Europe, while high summer is hot and best played early. Always confirm current seasonal rates and availability directly before booking.
Where should you stay for an Algarve golf trip?
Base yourself around Quinta do Lago or Vilamoura on the central Algarve, where most of the great courses and the best resorts are gathered within a short drive of one another and Faro airport is about twenty five minutes away. From here Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago, San Lorenzo and Vale do Lobo are all close, with Monte Rei a scenic forty five minute run east. The coast also offers fine hotels and golf resorts to suit any budget. Always confirm rates and availability before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time releases, green fee changes and the booking windows that matter. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative green fees and drive times verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.