NAU Morgado Golf & Country Club

Set between Portimão and the Monchique Mountains, NAU Morgado Golf & Country Club gives a golf break a pleasingly unhurried feel, with two 18-hole courses forming the centre of the resort. Morgado Golf Course, a par 73, and the par 71 Álamos Golf Course are both on site, so there is no need to build the day around transfers or tee times elsewhere. The landscape is open and rural, framed by the mountains, while the clubhouse terrace looks straight out across the course. It works particularly well for golfers who want proper variety over several rounds, alongside a relaxed base away from the busier coastal strip.

Morgado is the longer of the pair at 7,300 yards from the back tees and has enough different tee positions to keep the challenge appropriate for mixed handicaps. Designed by European Golf Design, it asks for sensible course management rather than constant heroics, with olive trees lending definition to its broad setting. It has also hosted the Portuguese Open on three occasions, in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Álamos measures 6,600 yards and initially appears more forgiving from the tee, thanks to its generous fairways, but the large greens fall away sharply in places and make distance control on approaches important. Three sizeable lakes influence the layout, with raised putting surfaces, bunkers and water regularly in view. The Morgado do Reguengo Golf Academy provides coaching and a training area, while the Pro Shop can supply rental clubs for anyone travelling light.

The hotel has 98 rooms, including 30-square-metre Standard Doubles that can be made up with a double or twin beds, plus connecting options for travelling parties. Larger groups can use the 88-square-metre Duplex Family Rooms, arranged across two levels with two shower rooms and a balcony. There are two full-size pools and two children’s pools for an afternoon off the course. Breakfast and dinner are served in the 90-seat buffet restaurant, while the Clubhouse Snack Bar stays open until midnight, with its kitchen serving until 11pm. Central Portimão is around 20 minutes away by road, and Faro Airport is about a 50-minute drive.