Why Take Your Holiday in Quinta Do Lago? The Top Reasons You Should Consider a Quinta do Lago Villa Holiday

Quinto do Lago delivers some of the best golf and family holidays in the Algarve! Golden Triangle Properties delivers holiday makers the best deals on villas in Quinta do Lago.

For family holidays in Portugal, we have 3,4, and 5 bedroom luxury villas. Golden Triangle Properties offers some of the best values in Quinta do Lago Villas. Picture yourself on an exclusive golf and residential estate with nearly 2000 acres bordering the Ria Formosa Natural Park.

Only 15 minutes from Faro Airport, Quinta do Lago delivers some of the best golf Portugal has to offer. Quinta do Lago is home to the South Course which was featured in Golf World Magazine's 2012 Top 100 Golf Courses in Europe. It also boasts Club Quinta do Lago, which is a favorite of visitors in Algarve. Make the most of your golf break, the Algarve delivers!

Make the most of your holiday in Portugal. Find out why Quinta do Lagos's restaurants are world famous. You are going to love the local cuisine.The Algarve is famous for the number of different sports activities are available. Explore new and different sports and entertainment venues. The Algarve is the perfect place year round to do this.

Boasting year round sunshine, the Algarve is starting to get the attention it deserves as the perfect out door sports mecca. It has the largest artificial climbing wall in Europe today. It has many natural trails to hike, bike, or horse back ride. There is a lot more here than Portugal best golf courses and beaches. The Ria Formosa Natural Park has many rare and endangered species. Spend the day, relax and enjoy, its your holiday.

Check out our selection of luxury villas and apartments. Golden Triangle Properties has built a reputation in the Algarve for service to our clientele. We are constantly adding new luxury accommodations to our listings to give you the best holiday experience you will find. One of the world's premier resorts, Quinta do Lago is synonymous with luxury, providing the opportunity to enjoy a secluded and private holiday, away from the crowds of tourists. 

Lying on the southernmost tip of the Algarve, Quinta do Lago is one part of the famous Golden Triangle, a trio of golfing resorts which are known for attracting some of the wealthiest and most affluent guests.  The resort's history dates back to 1971, when Brazilian property developer Andre Jordan bought a large privately-owned estate which stretched out alongside the famous Ria Formosa National Park.

The Quinta do Lago Resort

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With pine woodland, the ruins of a centuries-old farmhouse and a vast expanse of unspoilt sandy beaches, Andre Jordan had a vision about Quinta do Lago and wasted no time in starting to create the new luxury resort.

Within just a short three year period, an immaculate 27 hole golf course had been built, along with the beautiful man-made lake plus a wooden bridge arching over the saltwater lagoons of the Ria Formosa, linking directly to the beach. 

Golf was always intended to be one of the main attractions of Quinta do Lago and Andre Jordan and his company, Planal, exceeded expectations very quickly. By 1976 the prestigious Portuguese Open golf tournament was held at the resort, and it later went on to host it a further seven times.   

Today, the golfing facilities at Quinta do Lago are amongst the best in the world with championship quality courses available for both members and guests to play on. The technical challenges of the courses attract some of Europe's top professional golfers, such as Paul McGinley, to the resort time and time again. 

The North Course and the celebrated South Course are two of the most famous circuits on the resort and offer dog leg holes, undulating fairways and challenging greens. Suitable for golfers of all abilities, both courses have a range of facilities and of course, the all-important 19^th hole, a modern and comfortable Clubhouse.

Another view of villas at Quinta do Lago

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However, the demand rose so sharply that the resort expanded its golfing facilities to provide more holes and also additional courses, all to the same precise standards that Quinta do Lago golf had become known for. 

When it was originally designed the North Course had just nine holes, created by golfing architect William F. Mitchell, the same person who came up with the 18 holes of the South Course.  By 1989, it was clear the course needed to be expanded to offer a full round to golfers so a further nine holes were seamlessly integrated by Joseph Lee and Rocky Roquemore, to create the 18 holes which are so popular today. 

Laranjal opened its fairways in 2009, a 6480 metre course with a par of 72, it lies within an old orange grove and is fringed by cork, orange and olive trees whilst stunning blue lakes offer up tricky hazards.

Like both the North and South golf courses, Laranjal looks deceptively easy but the clever design will punish any golfer who doesn't pay strict attention to every shot. 

As well as the three main championship standard courses, there are additional golf circuits in Quinta do Lago. San Lorenzo and Pinheiros Altos are golf courses which both lie within the Quinta do Lago resort, but are owned by hotel groups elsewhere. These courses can be played on by guests who aren't staying at either of the hotels but tee-times may not be as favourable by comparison. 

Pinheiros Altos offers a different kind of layout, with 27 holes split into three loops of nine, all of which begin and end - rather conveniently! - At the clubhouse. 

Although the carefully planned fairways and glass-smooth greens of the golf courses at Quinta do Lago are one of the biggest attractions in the area, Quinta do Lago has so much more to offer besides.   

The stunning landscape is the first thing that strikes guests as they arrive: a canopy of trees, deep blue lakes and the sparkle of the Atlantic Ocean lying on the horizon is a breath-taking sight. Indeed, one of the reasons the golf is so popular in Quinta do Lago is that golfers can enjoy spectacular views of this scenery as they move around each course.  There are some stunning images of Quinta do Lago and Ria Formosa but nothing compares to seeing the magnificence of the sparkling sands that stretch out for miles with your own eyes. 

The huge Ria Formosa nature reserve is largely to thank for the landscape, lying alongside the Quinta do Lago resort and extending out along the coastline.  Ria Formosa is a nature reserve of great international significance, providing a vital stop-off point for many migratory birds on their journey between Europe and Africa.

Quinta do Lago is a haven for the Dunlin and other birds

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But the reserve itself has its own resident wildlife which is just as important, with molluscs, insects, birds and mammals all seeking refuge in its diverse variety of habitats. The nature reserve includes salt-marshes, woodland, farmland, scrubland and lush green parkland.   

Conservationists suggest that as many as 30,000 species of birds can be seen on the nature park, either nesting or resting on their migratory path through. 

Although it's a vital nature reserve, it's possible to see far more of Ria Formosa by following one of the nature trails which criss-cross its landscape. Parts of this are sectioned off to provide visitors with the chance to observe birds and wildlife in their natural surroundings, with identification charts provided to help aid their experience.   

There are many wetlands included in the Ria Formosa nature park, so for those feeling a bit more adventurous, it's entirely possible to paddle out on the saltwater lagoons and enjoy getting truly up close and personal with the wildlife on the reserve. 

If watersports are an activity you enjoy, Quinta do Lago will be difficult to beat. The Watersports Centre offers equipment and tuition for a range of different activities including sailing, kayaking, canoeing and windsurfing. 

At the Watersports Centre, all activities are enjoyed on a large lake where motorised watersports are prohibited. If you want to partake in a motorised water sport, or want the chance to get out on the open water of the sea, there are a number of beaches in the area which offer equipment for hire. You can even try out more radical sports such as kitesurfing, which has an avid fan base in Quinta do Lago.

A beach at Quinta do Lago

The Algarve is renowned for its beaches and rightly so, as many in the area have won the EU Blue Flag award for their commitment to cleanliness, environmental principles and attitude towards security. This makes the beaches and water attractive not just for water sports enthusiasts, but also bathers and sun-worshippers too.

In Quinta do Lago and the surrounding area, there are plenty of beaches so even though some spots may be very popular in the summer months, the beaches rarely feel crowded and there's lots of room for everyone. 

The beach at Quinta do Lago is private and secluded and can only be accessed via the wooden bridge over the lagoon. During the summer months a lifeguard is stationed there, as is the case with many of the other local beaches.

The temperate climate in the Algarve, along with influences from the Mediterranean and North Africa mean that the Atlantic Ocean is warm and balmy, providing the ideal water temperature for swimming. In the winter months it can become quite cold, but between May and September particularly, the water feels almost tropical!

But Quinta do Lago isn't just about sports and beaches; there are plenty of other activities in the area as well.   

For those with families, or those who just enjoy a rush of adrenaline, the area has some sensational water parks. Aqualand and Aquashow, both situated just along the coastline have family-friendly slides suitable for toddler's right up to stomach-churning vertical plunges for those brave enough to give it a go!

Quinta do Lago could never be described as an ordinary resort; its exquisite accommodation, sublime landscape and meticulous attention to detail ensure that guests on the resort feel like they are being pampered in every way. 

It's perhaps therefore fitting that one of the best collections of boutiques and designer shops can be found at the entrance to the resort in the Quinta do Lago Shopping Plaza. With everything from furniture to cosmetics on offer, guests can browse through top names stores which aren't normally found on the high street, and indulge themselves to a treat or two. 

On the other side of the road is another collection of shops, but these are the type of facilities you might need on a day to day basis. A bank, supermarket and newsagent are all stationed there, making it simple to just pop to the shop if you need to pick something up.  If you want to enjoy a bit more retail therapy, there's several large malls a relatively short drive away which offer enormous hypermarkets plus cinemas and entertainment for the children on rainy days. 

The accommodation in Quinta do Lago includes a five star hotel, an array of luxury apartments and suites as well as a range of world class villas.

Examples of villas at Quinta do Lago

The resort is simply laid out with a main road providing access, and roundabouts leading off to each 'village' where the accommodation can be found. Each individual area has its own reception plus facilities for guests to use.  Amongst the most famous of these is the Four Seasons Country Club, which offers world class facilities in its clubhouse, including a state of the art fitness centre, beauty salon, restaurant and bar.   

Other sports facilities on offer include tennis, squash, snooker and bowls plus there are a number of excursions you might want to join, including a cycle ride along the captivating Ria Formosa. 

Fully equipped with all the latest mod-cons including air-conditioning, cable TV and WiFi, the villas provide plenty of room for guests to relax and unwind in style. With private pools included for the majority, plus fenced gardens with outside grills, an evening relaxing at the villa, enjoying a barbecue is a great way to pass the time.   

Of course, if you want to venture out, the resort has a vast selection of cuisines from around the world, including exclusive restaurants which are frequented by the rich and famous. Freshly caught fish from local waters are a popular menu inclusion whilst regional dishes are highly recommended as well. 

Gigi's is a restaurant worth a special mention because of its stunning setting. Reached by crossing the wooden bridges over the saltwater lagoon, Gigi's offers a range of fresh fish and other delectable dishes whilst providing unrivalled views over Ria Formosa National Park. With sand stretching out in either direction, the rustic charm pulls in rich and famous diners who clamour to sample the heady mixture of delicious food and captivating landscape. 

Quinta do Lago isn't a hotbed of ravers and clubbers but there's still plenty of nightlife for those who want to party or enjoy a drink or two. From traditional pubs, to beach restaurants offering entertainment, plus nightclubs which stay open until 6am there is lots of choice for those with the stamina to keep going! 

Although there are a lot of adult activities, Quinta do Lago is perfect for family holidays as well and has lots of places to go and attractions for children. 

Many of the watersports can be enjoyed from around 6 years of age, whilst there's also a playground for children of all ages to explore. Horse-riding lessons and treks are also available for all ages from the Centro da Hipico which is just a five minute walk directly from the Lakeside Village in Quinta do Lago. 

For those aged between 0-6 there's a crèche which operates during the week, plus there's a programme of events which changes regularly.  Quinta do Lago is a resort which has something to offer all year round, and with its manicured lawns, carpet of fragrant wild flowers and birds flying overhead, it's difficult to imagine wanting to be anywhere else. 

Image Credits: Wikipedia, Wikipedia and Mick Sway