Villa Casahana

Carvoeiro Village

Carvoeiro is a typical portuguese fishing village which despite its growth as a holiday centre, has retained its traditional charm.

The village beaches are sandy and clean and busy during the peak holiday periods. Within a 10 minute drive there are a wide choice of sandy coves along this beautiful stretch of coastline and the interesting rock formations at Algar Seco should not be missed. There is a wide selection of shops, restaurants and bars and a covered market.

Golf Paradice!

THE KING OF THE CLUBS
ATLANTIC VIEWS, PERFECT WEATHER, THE BEST COURSES IN EUROPE... YOU CAN'T BEAT THE ALGARVE FOR GOLF
WORDS BY MARTIN KLIPP

The 147th Open Championship may be behind us, with a victorious Padraig Harrington just seeing out Sergio Garcia to take the grand prize, but that doesn't mean it's time to lock up your clubs and store them back in the shed until next year, when the sun decides to shine. Playing golf all year round has never been easier.
Portugal's Algarve region is filled with jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery, a relaxed atmosphere and a temperate climate that promises 340 days of sunshine a year. With a collection of over 30 pristine golf courses, showing off some of the finest course layouts to be found in all of Europe, it is more than a good excuse to dust off the Callaways and hit the green.
Visiting a golfing Mecca doesn't have to be the main element of your holiday, when visiting the Algarve. There is a fantastic array of restaurants, from international haute cuisine to uniquely modest local eateries that showcase the full spectrum of delectable local and regional dishes. Night owls are also catered for; those eager to discover the rich culture of this part of Portugal can visit the Fado bars and live music venues that herald Portugal's famously melancholic poetic wonders. Meanwhile, culture vultures can cap off a truly varied trip by exploring an array of historic towns and villages just waiting to be uncovered. And all of this framed by the lure of the fairway.
Where to Play:
One look at Golf World Magazine's most recent ranking of Portugal's courses shows that the Algarve is in a class of its own, with eight of the country's top twelve ranked courses. Three of these are also listed among the very best in Europe, all built within an area offering the perfect year-round golfing climate where the coolest winter temperatures seldom drop below the about 15[02da]C and even at the peak of summer, never climb above 25[02da]C. Even more convenient, is that all of these courses are located close to each other, often within a ten-minute drive and never more than 30 minutes away.
Quinta do Lago:
For more than 30 years, this wonderful enclave has remained one of golf's most sought-after locations in Europe. Initially conceived as an ultra-exclusive residential community for the rich and famous, Quinta do Lago has now matured into an elegant golf resort. Set within a 2,000-acre, private estate and incorporating a portion of the famed Ria Formosa National Park and Bird Sanctuary, with stunning views of the Atlantic, the site also comprises a pair of top-notch coursesthe South Course,and the North Course:
SOUTH COURSE: Selected as host to the European Tour's Portuguese Open on no less than eight occasions, Quinta do Lago's South Course is a serious golf test that caters for the scratch golfer hitting from the back tees and also for intermediates that hit from the front.
It is also the handiwork of William Mitchell, the first ever American to design a course in the Algarve. The opening hole, a forgiving par-four, eases you into the round with a generously wide fairway and no intrusive dangers en route to the large green. A tougher second, hits in with a long, 547-yard par five. Followed by a finger-shaped water hazard hidden by a rising fairway on the third that protects the green. Using your head on this course is every bit as important as picking the right set of clubs. Quinta do Lago's South Course is also fabulous to look at with a number of picturesque holes. The most memorable is the par-three, 15th, requiring a chilling 219-yard carry over nothing but water to the front edge of a green, surrounded by encroaching umbrella pines. It's an imposing hole, not well suited to the feint of heart, but make par here and you will never forget it.
Pestana Golf Resort:
Situated in the western Algarve, Pestana offers 3 demanding 18 hole courses: Gramacho (the new 9 holes, designed by ex-Open champion Nick Price) , Pinta ( ranked in Golf World's top 100 European courses) and the recently opened Silves Golf. A challenge to any golfer!
Palmares:
Situated close to the resort town of Lagos, overlooking the Bay, this might be the most attractive layout in the entire country, combining handsome good looks with the variety created by its unique combination of links and woodland challenges.
Salgados:
The course, a 6080 meters links with many water hazards, requires much skill in the approach to the greens, the drive is also essential to achieve good results, making the course pleasant especially for skilled golfers.
Castro Marim:
The superb site enjoys breathtaking views over the Atlantic Ocean, the River Guadiana and neighbouring Reserva Natural do Sapal, a 5,000 acre nature reserve, The Atlantic Course is the first of two championship layouts planned for the resort.
Quinta do Vale:
Enjoys a unique location, overlooking the Guadiana River. With spectacular views across the river in one direction and the Atlantic Ocean to the other, Ballesteros has produced an eye-dazzler of a layout, opening in October 2007
San Lorenzo:
San Lorenzo was ranked as Portugal's best course only a few years ago. This crown has since been surrendered to one of its younger siblings but the course still delivers a stern challenge. The varied layout contains every difficulty in the book and will prove a hefty test for even the lowest handicappers.

Vale do Lobo (Royal Course):
Play this course for the 16th and stay for the rest. The 16th, a 224 yard, par-3, is the most photographed hole in all of Portugal and demands a daring cliff-top tee-shot that must carry over two ravines, tumbling to the beach below, then over a good-sized bunker. It is also an Anglo-American accomplishment; the original design came from Henry Cotton with more recent course modifications by the expert American Rocky Roquemore.
Oceânico Old Course:
This classic course, lending much to great British parkland courses where mature trees are frequently in play, was opened in 1969, and designed exlusively by Frank Pennink.
Oceânico Victoria:
Opened in 2005, the Victoria course is the newest member of the Vilamoura family and host to the WGC World Golf Championships. It is now considered the top course in Portugal and hosts the Portugal Masters (18th-21st October), with a prize money of Ð3million.
Vila Sol:
Without doubt one of Europe's top-ten golf resorts in 2006, this luxurious property boasts a state-ofthe-art Health Spa and 27 holes from English master architect, Donald Steel. It has twice hosted The Portuguese Open, and is a course that caters for a whole range of players, with the back tees reserved for the big hitters.
Penina:
This magnificent, five-star property and its two championship courses started it all. Conceived by the great English designer and three-time British Open Champion, Sir Henry Cotton, Penina holds its head high as the worthy pioneer of golf on the Algarve, and has a demanding layout www.visitalgarve.pt

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