Trendy winter escapes: Advent in the Algarve
Escape the cold, wet winter weather and play golf in the sunny south of the Algarve in T-shirt weather. Wouldn't that be an option? Exactly! As a break from the Christmas stress, we preferred a short trip to Faro, where we played four of the most beautiful courses in the region around Almancil and then enjoyed a little Christmas spirit at the Vila Vita Park Hotel.
The "Algarve golf paradise" has 32 of the most beautiful courses for all levels to offer, which are strung together between Faro in the east and Sagres in the west. We chose the Almancil region for our short trip, mainly because the Penina Golf Course is the cradle of golf. Built in 1966 by Sir Henry Cotton, the Penina golf course marked the beginning of the Algarve's golfing career. The classic 18-hole parkland championship course scores particularly well with its wide fairways, which are surrounded by tall trees and are home to all kinds of interesting birds and turtles. Water rarely comes into play on the course and when it does, it is in the form of streams or ponds. Of course, it is practical if you are staying in the associated hotel, as you can start directly from hole 1 or finish your game on hole 18. In addition to the 18 holes, Penina also offers two 9-hole courses, which were also designed by Sir Henry Cotton and are ideal for a practice or family game. Yes - and what else counts: Where else today can you find such a well-kept 140-hectare area nestled in a nature reserve about 4 km from the sea and a typically English feel at the 5-star Le Méridien Penina Golf & Resort. No matter where you stay here in the 188 rooms and suites - whether with a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape of Monchique or of the pool and golf course, the newly renovated rooms now offer a stylish ambience with pleasantly warm tones. In addition to the 5 restaurants and bars, we found the sauna and Beatycenter & Spa particularly pleasant. The nostalgic meeting place for all golfers here is still the Spikes Bar and Henry Cotton's, where all events take place. www.penina.com
Also part of a LeMeridien resort is the 5-star Hotel Dona Filipa with the 18-hole San Lorenzo golf course, which generally enjoys a reputation as the best golf course in Portugal because it appears in numerous rankings of the best in Europe. This is also due to its spectacular layout in the Ria Formosa nature reserve, right by the sea. To get to the clubhouse, you drive to the village of Almancil to Quinta do Lago, a posh district with wide streets, bank branches as drive-ins, shopping areas and gigantic villas in magnificent parks. This is the home of England's moneyed aristocracy and the golf course is no exception. Holes 6 and 7 are particularly impressive, with elevated tees offering magnificent views of the sea. But a round at San Lorenzo is also challenging because of the tall trees, the fairways along a lake and finally the tight approach on the 18th hole. sanlorenzogolfcourse.com
Those staying at the 5-star Hotel Dona Filipa, which belongs to the course, have hit the jackpot, as they are staying in a newly renovated, typically Portuguese luxury hotel that offers wonderful views of the beach and sea from its 9 junior suites, 13 suites and 132 double rooms. Especially in winter, the Dolce Deluxe Spa offers body treatments according to Dona Filipa's extensive in-house beauty and wellness program. There is also the Vale do Lobo Royal Spa, just 500 m from the Dona Filipa Hotel, with saunas, hammam, whirlpool and heated pool area. The long, public beach invites you to take long walks, even in the fall and winter www.donafilipahotel.com
Our verdict: An ideal place for a relaxing vacation, even in winter, as the ten best golf courses in the Vale do Lobo region alone are just 15 to 20 minutes away by car. One of them, which also belongs to the hotel, is the Pinheiros Altos golf course, known for its well-placed obstacles that make its layout so original. Players have three times 9 holes at their disposal, which can be played as a combination and are named after the trees of Portugal: Olives, Pines and Corks. The original 18-hole course, designed by Californian designer Ronald Fream, was already known for its "contrasting holes with sandy soils and pine forests on the first nine and gentle, hilly seascapes on the second. Then Jorge Santana Silva, a student of the famous Robert Trend Jones, came along and designed the additional nine holes. All nine holes have their own starting and finishing points near the beautiful Pinheiros Altos clubhouse, where a stop for Portuguese delicacies is more than worthwhile. www.pinheirosaltos.com
Last but not least, the high-flyer among all the courses in this region - the Vale do Lobo Royal Golf Course with the most famous hole in the Algarve. On the 16th hole, you stand on a cliff and have to hit a 200-meter shot over the ravine to the green. However, if you aim too far to the left, you endanger the walkers on the beach. So it's a matter of nerves whether you hit it or not. But only for male players! The rest of the course is also challenging with some water hazards and sand bunkers, such as on the 15th, a par 4 where you have to tee off towards the sea. The only certainty here is that you will never forget these holes in your life! The golf resort includes over 500 villas with up to five bedrooms and the luxurious 5-star hotel Vale do Lobo Resort. www.valedolobo.com
Romantic Advent at the Vila Vita Park Hotel
Everyone who visits the hotel for the second time, like me, has the impression of coming home. On the one hand, this is due to the beautifully grown subtropical gardens through which you drive and, on the other hand, to the warm welcome with names, as if you had never been away for long. The lobby is then festively decorated with a Christmas tree and artistic arrangements, the smell of mulled wine and Christmas cookies is in the air and contributes to a spontaneous feeling of well-being. And that's how it should be, because the VILA VITA Parc Hotel is one of Portugal's finest 5-star deluxe resorts. With its 170 rooms, suites and villas, 10 restaurants - including the two Michelin-starred "Ocean" under the direction of Austrian Hans Neuner - and 22 hectares of parkland with direct access to a picturesque bay, the resort looks like a small Portuguese village with different buildings and room categories but with an authentic flair that tempts you to stay longer. The many paths in the extensive grounds high above the cliffs along the small cafés, bistros and stores invite you to linger and are decorated for Christmas at this time of year. Since its opening in 1992, the resort has been one of "The Leading Hotels of the World", is privately owned and offers everything a golfer's heart desires with its 9-hole pitch & putt golf course and other courses nearby. The VILA VITA Beach Club, which is the resort's third restaurant on the nearby beach of Armacao de Pera after Praia Dourada and Arte Nautica, has also been open for three years. The club now completes the resort's beach offering for the summer, where guests can now "lounge", eat or enjoy various water sports activities in a relaxed atmosphere on the more than 200-meter-long golden sandy beach. Ability. The three restaurants are approximately two kilometers from the resort and a free shuttle service is available. www.vilavitaparkhotel.com
