Madeira vs The Azores for Golf
Two Atlantic archipelagos of Portugal, both green, mild and spectacular, but very different golf trips. Madeira offers two polished courses and an easy, developed week from a single airport. The Azores offer wilder, more scattered golf among volcanic craters and hot springs, for travelers who put the landscape first. Here is the honest head to head, with our verdict up front.
Photograph: Palheiro Golf, Madeira, via Google
The verdict
For the better organized golf trip, Madeira wins. It has two well kept courses a short drive apart, Palheiro Golf, Cabell Robinson's wooded 1993 layout high above Funchal, and the 27 hole Santo da Serra, the Robert Trent Jones Sr course near the airport that has long hosted the Madeira Islands Open. You fly into one airport, base in or near Funchal, and play several rounds in a famously mild climate without ever taking a ferry or a second flight. For a couple or a small group who want dependable golf wrapped in dramatic mountain and ocean scenery, with restaurants, levada walks and a developed resort island around it, Madeira is the easier and more reliable week.
The Azores win on sheer drama and a sense of the untamed. Their three courses, Batalha and Furnas on Sao Miguel and a further course on Terceira, are scenic and uncrowded rather than championship deep, set among green craters, crater lakes and the steaming hot springs of the Furnas valley. The golf is more spread out and the mid Atlantic weather more changeable, so this is a nature first escape where the rounds punctuate hiking, whale watching and volcanic hot pools rather than the other way round. Pick Madeira for the more convenient, more consistent golf trip, the Azores for the wilder, more adventurous one.
Head to head
| Madeira | The Azores | |
|---|---|---|
| The courses | Two courses: Palheiro Golf, by Cabell Robinson (1993); Santo da Serra, 27 holes by Robert Trent Jones Sr | Three courses across two islands: Batalha and Furnas on Sao Miguel, plus a course on Terceira |
| The best single course | Santo da Serra, the 27 hole Trent Jones layout that hosts the Madeira Islands Open, high above Machico bay | Batalha on Sao Miguel, a 27 hole layout of three nine hole loops near Ponta Delgada with ocean views |
| Access and logistics | One airport near Funchal, short transfers, both courses easily combined from a single base; no island hopping | More spread out; Sao Miguel holds two courses, Terceira a short hop by air; an island hopping trip |
| Best season | Year round in a very mild climate; sunniest and most settled from April to October | Year round but wetter and more changeable; May to September gives the best odds of dry golf |
| Off the course | Funchal, levada walks, gardens, wine, whale and dolphin trips and a developed resort scene | Volcanic craters, crater lakes, the Furnas hot springs, whale watching and green hiking country |
| The setting | Steep wooded estates and mountain backdrops with the Atlantic far below; dramatic and lush | Raw volcanic landscape, calderas and pasture; greener, wilder and more remote feeling |
| Who it suits | Couples and small groups wanting reliable, convenient golf with scenery and good dining | Adventurous travelers who put landscape and nature first and treat the golf as a bonus |
Course facts verified June 2026; green fees move with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Pick Madeira if
You want the more dependable, better organized golf week. Madeira pairs Cabell Robinson's wooded Palheiro Golf with the 27 hole Santo da Serra, both an easy drive from a Funchal base and a single airport, in one of the mildest climates in the Atlantic. Add the gardens, the seafood, the levada walks and the whale trips, and it is the natural choice for couples and small groups who want reliable golf and scenery without the logistics of island hopping.
Pick the Azores if
You want the wilder, more adventurous escape. The Azores spread three scenic courses across Sao Miguel and Terceira, set among volcanic craters, crater lakes and the hot springs of Furnas, in a landscape that feels untouched. The golf is uncrowded and beautiful rather than championship deep, and the trip leans on hiking, whale watching and volcanic hot pools. It is the choice for travelers who put nature and adventure first and treat the rounds as a bonus.
Plan your Atlantic islands golf trip
Madeira, the Azores or a twin centre taking in both. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge builds the tee times, transfers and base, and costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Madeira vs the Azores questions
Is Madeira or the Azores better for a golf holiday?
Madeira is the easier and more polished golf trip, with two well kept courses, Palheiro Golf and the 27 hole Santo da Serra, a short transfer from a single airport and a developed base in and around Funchal. The Azores are wilder and more nature led, with three scenic courses, Batalha and Furnas on Sao Miguel and a course on Terceira, set among volcanic craters, lakes and hot springs but more spread out. Choose Madeira for the more reliable, convenient golf week and the Azores for a remote, dramatic escape where the golf shares the bill with the landscape.
What golf courses are there in Madeira?
Madeira has two courses. Palheiro Golf, a Cabell Robinson design opened in 1993, winds through the wooded Palheiro estate above Funchal with views over the harbour and the Atlantic. Santo da Serra, a 27 hole Robert Trent Jones Sr layout near the airport, has long hosted the Madeira Islands Open on the European Tour and plays high above Machico bay. Between them they give a keen group several rounds without changing islands.
What golf courses are there in the Azores?
The Azores have three courses across two islands. On Sao Miguel, Batalha is a 27 hole layout of three nine hole loops on the north coast near Ponta Delgada, and Furnas, originally a Mackenzie Ross nine extended to 18, sits 500 metres up overlooking the Furnas valley of craters and hot springs. Terceira island has a further parkland course. The golf is scenic and uncrowded rather than championship deep, and island hopping is part of the trip.
When is the best time to play golf in Madeira and the Azores?
Both archipelagos play year round in a mild Atlantic climate, but spring and autumn are the sweet spots. Madeira is famously temperate, with comfortable golf in every month and the most settled, sunniest conditions from April to October. The Azores are greener and wetter, with more changeable mid Atlantic weather, so the late spring to early autumn window of May to September gives the best odds of dry, playable days. Always confirm seasonal conditions before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.