30 October 2026
Vale do Lobo is one of the best-known resorts on the Algarve coast and one corner of the Golden Triangle, alongside Quinta do Lago and Almancil. It runs right down to the sea, with cliffs, a sandy beach and pine-lined fairways, and it is only around 20 minutes by car from Faro Airport. Here is our guide to the resort, from our team in nearby Almancil. A resort with history Vale do Lobo grew up in the 1960s, helped by the opening of Faro Airport in 1962. Its first golf holes, designed by the great British golfer Sir Henry Cotton, opened in 1968, and the resort has grown since into a self-contained community of villas, apartments, restaurants and sports facilities. It is still investing: recent years have brought new restaurants, a golf boutique, improvements to both golf courses and The Residences Vale do Lobo, its first new development in about 20 years. The Praça The Praça is the resort's main social hub, set right by the beach. This is where you will find international restaurants and bars, seaside pools with relaxation decks, beach and poolside massages, and live entertainment in the evenings. Lifeguards watch over the beach in season, and in summer the Praça hosts a children's programme every evening, so parents can enjoy dinner while children are kept busy. The Praça is lively in July and August and calmer in spring and autumn, when it is a lovely spot for a long lunch looking out to sea. Restaurants and opening times vary with the season, so check what is open during your stay. The beach Praia do Vale do Lobo sits below the cliffs that are such a feature of this stretch of coast, right in front of the Praça. At low tide you can walk along the sand east towards Dunas Douradas and Quinta do Lago. Sports and beach activities are available in season. For more beaches nearby, see our guide to the best beaches near Vale do Lobo, Quinta do Lago and Dunas Douradas. Tennis and padel The Vale do Lobo Tennis Academy is among the largest in Portugal. For the 2026/27 season the resort lists: eight refurbished hard courts and four artificial clay courts, some of them floodlit for evening play floodlit padel courts a heated swimming pool, a gym, a tennis shop and a sports bar and restaurant The academy runs individual and group coaching, tennis and padel clinics, social play and court hire throughout the year, plus a tennis school for juniors and adults, events and tournaments. It is an easy place to book a lesson for the whole family or to find a game. Golf: the Royal and the Ocean Vale do Lobo has two 18-hole courses. The Royal The Royal, a par 72 designed by Rocky Roquemore from original drawings by Sir Henry Cotton, opened in 1997. Its signature is the 16th, a par 3 with a carry over the cliffs to the green, described by the resort as one of the most photographed holes in Europe. The Ocean The Ocean, a par 73, is Henry Cotton's design, developed from his original nine-hole loops. Several holes run close to the sea, and the beachside 15th is one of the highlights. The resort also runs a Junior Golf Academy in the summer holidays and at the October half-term. For more courses nearby, read our guide to golf in the Golden Triangle. For families ParTee Family Park: an 18-hole mini golf course, sports, creative workshops and family games. Children's Summer Fun at the Praça on summer evenings. Tennis, padel and golf lessons for children of all ages and levels. Is Vale do Lobo right for you? Vale do Lobo suits families, tennis players, golfers and anyone who likes having restaurants, the beach and sport within a short walk or buggy ride of the villa. If you would prefer something quieter, compare it with its neighbour in our guide Vale do Lobo or Quinta do Lago? Find your villa Browse our villas in Vale do Lobo, or nearby in Dunas Douradas and Quinta do Lago. If you would like a villa near the Praça, the beach or the tennis academy, get in touch with our team in Almancil.