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Golf guide • Portugal • Algarve

Golf in Tavira: the eastern Algarve, between lagoon and orchards

Tavira, a small whitewashed town in the eastern Algarve, is the base for four 18-hole courses between ten and thirty minutes' drive away: Benamor, designed by Henry Cotton, Rocky Roquemore's two layouts at Quinta da Ria on the edge of the Ria Formosa, and Monte Rei, a Jack Nicklaus design. Golfers come for uncrowded courses and a town best explored on foot, ideally from February to May and in October and November.

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Tavira is the other Algarve, the one that did not grow up around marinas. Some forty kilometres east of Faro airport, the town rises on both banks of the Gilão, with its tiled roofs, white façades and 37 churches, in a municipality of around 26,000 people. You cross the old seven-arched bridge, called Roman but medieval in origin, for a coffee on a terrace before your round, and walk back in the evening to dine in the lanes that climb towards the castle.

The golf is played east and north of town, in a hinterland of orchards and gentle hills. Benamor is ten minutes away, Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima a quarter of an hour, Monte Rei half an hour, in the foothills of the Serra do Caldeirão. Nothing like the density of the golden triangle around Vilamoura and Quinta do Lago: here the courses are framed by carob trees, olive groves and orchards, or run along the lagoon, and you play far from the big resorts.

Four to six nights let you play all four layouts without hurrying, with a day on Tavira Island or out on the lagoon by boat. The light is clear almost all year round, and the sea wind often counts as much as length on the scorecard. A car is essential to reach the courses, but you will happily leave it at the hotel in the evening.

The courses

Fairway lined with olive, carob and blossoming almond trees, a small lake before the green, dry hills behind

Quinta da Ria Golf Course

  • Architect: Rocky Roquemore
  • Opened 2002
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Opened in 2002 at Vila Nova de Cacela, a quarter of an hour from Tavira, Rocky Roquemore's course runs alongside the Ria Formosa Natural Park and looks out over the Atlantic, the beach at Cacela Velha and the barrier islands that close off the lagoon. A par 72 of 6,053 metres: the front nine defends itself with large bunkers, the back nine with water, notably at the 10th, 14th and 17th. The game calls for placement more than power, especially when the sea breeze picks up. A holiday course in the best sense, suited to every level.

Signature hole. The 16th, a par 5 that turns right then left between two large lakes, forces a choice between caution and ambition on every shot.

Official website

Quinta de Cima Golf Course

  • Architect: Rocky Roquemore
  • Opened 2002
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Quinta da Ria's twin, also designed by Rocky Roquemore and opened the same year, plays a little higher up, on the inland side, over 6,586 metres for a par 72. Wide fairways, plenty of bunkers and a stream that winds through much of the layout: it is the longer and more demanding of the two, often presented as the championship course of the eastern Algarve. The last three holes, between doglegs, sand and water, make for the most eventful finish. Play it the day after Quinta da Ria, from the same clubhouse.

Signature hole. The 16th, 17th and 18th form the finale: doglegs, bunkers and water hazards follow one another, and a card can still turn on the last green.

Official website

Benamor Golf

  • Architect: Henry Cotton
  • 18 holes
  • Par 71

At Conceição, ten minutes from Tavira, Benamor was born of plans drawn up in 1986 by Henry Cotton, three-time Open champion; he died the following year and Howard Swan oversaw construction. A par 71 of 5,456 metres: a short but hilly course lined with almond, carob, cork oak and olive trees, with the serra to the north and the sea to the south. The clubhouse stands beside an old chapel. Ideal for the first day or an afternoon, it rewards precise iron play more than a long drive.

Signature hole. The 18th, a par 5 with out of bounds on both sides and punctuated by well-placed trees, is described by the club as probably the best hole on the course.

Official website

Monte Rei Golf & Country Club

  • Architect: Jack Nicklaus
  • Opened 2007
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Half an hour north-east of Tavira, in the hills of Vila Nova de Cacela, Monte Rei is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course opened in 2007, a par 72 of more than 6,500 metres from the back tees. The broad, welcoming fairways thread between mature trees and valleys, with the Serra do Caldeirão to the north and the Atlantic to the south. The estate covers some 400 hectares and welcomes visitors by reservation. This is the prestige round of the trip, best kept for midweek, once your swing has settled in.

Official website

Where to stay

Colégio Charm House

In the heart of Tavira, an 18th-century aristocratic palace that became a boys' school in the 20th century, then a hotel of twenty rooms and suites with an eclectic, slightly bohemian décor, awarded a Michelin Key. Besides the central pool, a few rooms have their own small plunge pool: ask for one. A rooftop bar, a three-course dinner from the day's market, and the whole town on foot in the evening.

Casas da Quinta de Cima

A 19th-century farming estate run by the same family for five generations, at Vila Nova de Cacela, the parish of the Quinta da Ria courses. Nine suites in the former workers' cottages: cane ceilings, terracotta floors, a private terrace over the orange trees and the sea in the distance. Each has a wood-burning stove, welcome on winter evenings, and the mood is deliberately low-tech. A pool and cooking from the kitchen garden.

Pensão Agrícola

A farmhouse built in 1920 as a wedding present, worked until 1970, then abandoned for forty years before being restored by Atelier Rua. Just six suites, between the original house and contemporary modules, among the orchards between Tavira and Cacela Velha, 1.5 km from the Ria Formosa. A heated pool, dinners on request, and Jeremiah, the resident donkey, for a stroll.

Whitewashed patio with a small pool, terracotta floor, a blue azulejo panel and a potted olive tree at dusk

Where to dine

A Ver Tavira

Near the castle, two terraces overlook the rooftops of Tavira and the Gilão. Chef Luís Brito, awarded a Michelin star, cooks contemporary Portuguese food that balances vegetables and seafood, in tasting menus of five to nine courses. The petits fours arrive on ceramics inspired by a piece found during excavations at the foot of the ramparts.

À Mesa

In a quiet street near the historic centre, chef João Dias offers modern cooking rooted in Portuguese tradition, à la carte or in three tasting menus. Cod with local prawns and sea bass with lemon and creamy coriander rice sum up the house well. A Michelin Guide address, with a small terrace.

Três Palmeiras

On the edge of Tavira, just off the N125, a big, plain dining room where locals come for grilled fish. No menu and no bookings: write your name on the slate when you arrive, then wait with a beer in hand. Then come sardines, sea bream and cuttlefish from the charcoal grill, as much as you like, at long shared tables, with salad and boiled potatoes. Mostly a lunch address, ideal after an early round at Benamor.

Beyond golf

The castle and the old town

The castle walls date back to the Almoravid and Almohad periods, before the town was taken by Paio Peres Correia around 1242. Listed as a national monument in 1939, it offers the finest view over the roofs and bell towers of Tavira. Wander back down the lanes to the old bridge over the Gilão, then stroll along the quays as the terraces fill up.

Tavira Island

Boats and water taxis leave from Quatro Águas for Tavira Island and its eleven kilometres of beach. Further west, a floating bridge leads on foot, or by little train in summer, to Barril beach and its anchor cemetery, a reminder of the almadrava tuna fishing carried on from 1841 to 1967. The old fishermen's houses are now restaurants.

The Ria Formosa

Protected since 1978, the lagoon covers nearly 180 km² of channels, barrier islands and marshes along the coast, as far as Cacela Velha. A migration corridor, it allows some 30,000 birds to be observed each year. A boat or kayak trip, ideally late in the day as the light softens, glides past the clam beds and approaches the birds without a sound.

Stone quay of a white Algarve town, fishing boats on the river and a twin-towered church at dusk

When to go

Spring, from February to May, and autumn, in October and November, are the best seasons: mild weather and courses at their best. Summer is hot, often between 27 and 35°C, and is for early-morning golf. Winter remains playable, between 8 and 16°C, with most of the year's rain. The eastern Algarve is among the sunniest corners of Europe, with more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year.

Getting there

Faro airport (FAO) is some forty kilometres from Tavira, around thirty-five minutes on the A22 motorway. Hire a car: Benamor is about ten minutes from town, Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima a quarter of an hour, Monte Rei half an hour. Tavira is also served by the Algarve railway line, but the train does not reach the courses.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best golf course near Tavira?

Monte Rei, a Jack Nicklaus Signature course opened in 2007, half an hour from town, is the highlight of the trip. Quinta da Ria, on the edge of the Ria Formosa, offers the sea views.

How many golf courses are there around Tavira?

Four 18-hole courses lie between ten and thirty minutes' drive away: Benamor, Quinta da Ria, Quinta de Cima and Monte Rei.

When is the best time to play golf in Tavira?

From February to May and in October and November. Summer is hot and best played early in the morning; winter is mild but wetter.

Which airport is best for a golf trip to Tavira?

Faro airport (FAO), about thirty-five minutes' drive from Tavira on the A22. A hire car is essential to reach the courses.

How many days do you need for a golf trip to Tavira?

Four to six nights: enough to play all four courses and keep a day for Tavira Island or the Ria Formosa.

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