Portugal

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

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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Laranjal1

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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Quinta do Lago Laranjal 1

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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Quinta do Lago

The lunchtime rush at Gigi’s was in full swing with the usual mix of excited first timers and returning old friends, but all of them sharing a common aim, to enjoy the fresh fish at this legendary Quinta do Lago beach restaurant.

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Conrad Algarve Hotel

Conrad Algarve Hotel

Captured like a sheer white canvas against the exclusive manicured forestry of Quinta do Lago, the stunning 5 star Conrad Algarve Hotel sits teasing you at the end of an impressively long arrow-straight driveway. A genius design move, building a sense of anticipation as you edge ever closer to this ultra modern homage to an 18th century Moorish palace.

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