Vale do Lobo Holidays

Vale do Lobo is in the popular Algarve region of southern Portugal. It was designed back in the Sixties with golf in mind, so you’ll find 2 championship courses among the red-tiled apartments and pine trees. It’s a simple place to get around – the main road takes you down to the beachfront where the main square, La Praca, buzzes with bars and restaurants.

The beach couldn’t be more convenient. It’s just at the end of the main road and Vale do Lobo’s free shuttle bus will drop you off here. You’ve got a 2-kilometre sweep of golden sands edged by distinctive terracotta cliffs, and the Atlantic waves are waiting for swimmers and watersports fans. As for eats and drinks, they’re right on hand with La Praca’s bars, restaurants and ice-cream places.

There’s a duo of 18-hole golf courses at Vale do Lobo. The challenging Royal will see you teeing off along the cliff edge, with the famously tricky 16th hole – where golfers have to drive across ravines – to test your nerve. And then there’s the scenic Ocean course, designed by British golfer Henry Cotton way back when Vale do Lobo started.

You don’t have to go far to see the best of the Algarve. Ten minutes away, the village of Sao Lourenco has a little 18th-century church with the most fabulous Portuguese-style blue and white azulejo tiles. And 10 minutes further is Loulé, which still has parts of its old castle. Or there’s Faro – that’s about half-an-hour away – for its old quarter cathedral and Chapel of Bones, which really is decorated with the bones of thousands of monks.