The Algarve

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in The Algarve independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

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Bovino Steakhouse. Quinta do Lago

There’s a new kid (or perhaps I should say calf) on the block at Quinta do Lago, one of Europe’s most prestigious golf resorts. The Bovino Steakhouse is the latest dining offer at Quinta which already boasts some pretty tough competition, particularly Casa do Largo, it’s signature lakeside fish restaurant, that has attained almost legendary […]

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Quinta Bonita. Lagos.

I’m having breakfast at Quinta Bonita and watching hens wandering around in front of me on an immaculate lawn. Playing match my breakfast egg with that hen is a fun diversion for a few seconds, but owners Chantelle and Fraser have to play it for real every day as they wander the grounds of Quinta Bonita searching for those freshly laid eggs. “They could be anywhere” says Chantelle “but we always try their favourite spots first.”

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Gusto by Heinz Beck

Gusto by Heinz Beck

Conrad Algarve is, as far as I am concerned, a template for doing 5 star luxury properly, so it comes as no surprise to me that Conrad Algarve’s flagship restaurant, Gusto by Heinz Beck, would be anything else but stellar. I mean, the very name is a play on the Portuguese word for taste, gosto, even though it was named after Conrad Hilton’s father Augustus.

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The South Course review. Quinta do Lago

If ever there was a golf course which captured the hearts of golfers around the world then the South Course at Quinta do Lago is a perfect example. This is a course you will never forget for a variety of reasons; aesthetically she is the real deal, bordering the Ria Formosa nature park and meandering through umbrella pine forest with stunning villas lining the fairways. Then there is the elevation, some dramatic changes perhaps echoing Augusta in many places. The huge greens are formula 1 speed with some very tricky slopes to negotiate and like Quinta’s other two championship courses, the new North Course and Laranjal, you can score well with good course management and accurate shot making.

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North Course

North Course review. Quinta do Lago

Rarely has a golf course on The Algarve received so much speculation than the new version 2.0 North Course at Quinta do Lago. Perhaps it was because, in times of so called austerity, eye brows were raised when €10million was spent on a revamp to a course that was already one of the most popular in the region along with her sisters the South Course and Laranjal. Or perhaps more likely, it was a genius move to improve it and then be in the enviable position of having three world class championship courses under one roof so to speak.

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Laranjal golf course review. Quinta do Lago

If oranges could talk there would no doubt be a few choice words from them about how things have changed from the old days when this was a simple orange grove. These days the oranges trees line manicured fairways as the stunning Laranjal golf course winds its way through this fertile part of the Quinta do Lago estate.

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