Vilar Do Golf, Algarve, Portugal

[neiltilley]

In Quinta do Lago area. Large area spanning through 6 roundabouts on perfect roads with the usual exotic flora and fauna. Quite pretty in fact and most obviously designed as a home area for wealthy villa owners/timesharers/5* hotel- and golfers after the PGA quality courses. it's probable about 2 miles long and wide. A car is essential if you desire to travel further afield than the beach or off to night clubs(taxi) etc...

The townhouse set up was nice, designed off the slip roads to the bobby jones bar and restaurant, reception, supermarket and pool/gym area. Garden space to the villas was poor, but this was a dedicated site to golfers really so you are virtually on holiday on the fairways of north and south courses. You can walk to ria formosa and san lorenzo, more so if you are a golfer, it's only ten to 15 minutes trot.

It was nice and even you could say, romantic if you plan your evening meals around the gorgeous food you can have locally. And the fish restaurant on the beach actually works out cheap if you are in a large group choosing a sensible variety between you all, picking the fish eyes tail and all from the ice counter yourself and paying by the weight(it's quite proper)and served overlooking the ria formosa lagoon from the wooden stilted restaurant.

Off resort- there is vale do lobo and the beach font restaurant piazza is lovely- this is a heavy time and owner occupier area , holiday home to the likes of Gloria Hunniford and family, Cliff Richard, Trevor Brooking, Jona Barrington, Ken Hom had a restaurant here. It's classy, easy going, nicely built resort... away from timeshare country you can drive to the hell holes of the algarve and this is my opinion but they don't have a clue to make a harbour/marina look great and ideal like the Greeks or other med areas. I can honestly say don't waste your time, don't go there(as listed now)Villamoura, Praai do rocha, Portimao, Quarteria AWFUL!!

There are other areas i'm told are nice in places or lovely like carverio, lagoa, albuferia(jurys out- built main resort)- these must be worth a look? other than that don't bother...

Lastly, Vala do Lobo, Quinta do Lago excellent to get through your week alone. Brilliant restaurants and resort facilities, beaches are quite fine. My favourite restaurants were here and the melting pot pub had wonderful singers/guitar on Fri-Saturday nights doing Eagles, Meatloaf, Beatles, Bryan Ferry etc...

[heather]

What an informative review! You've inspired me to do up a few from my recent travels. So many people have helped all of us to have a better holiday by offering suggestions and insights that we should all be reciprocating.

[Mavo]

The only problem I found with Villa Do Golf was that you are a bit of a captive audience with regards to eating out as apart from the Bobby Jones restaurant there is only the cafe next to the golf driving range which is near enough to walk to. All other restaurants need either a taxi or a car to reach them and as there is a zero tolerance in Portugal re drinking and driving then the driver has to abstain from drinking anything alcoholic. We did find the food expensive in Bobby Jones and the waiters not very attentive to say it was nearly empty. We also found the meal to be not too well cooked and despite asking for medium fillet steak we were served with something that a decent vet would have got back on it`s feet. We did find the area to be very nice with lots of good walks but as Neil says avoid Quatiera which is just a concrete jungle. We have just returned from Alvor and visited Portimao, a lot of work has recently been done in the town centre area at Portimao and a few new shops have now opened although the new Centro shopping mall just on the edge of the town centre should be given a miss as there is nothing of any real worth to the tourist in there.