Once the largest privately-developed beach resort in the whole of Europe, the upmarket and very cosmopolitan seaside town of Vilamoura continues to thrive and evolve some sixty years after its conception.
Covering more than 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres), this stylish place (about a half-hour drive west of Faro) was originally designed in the mid-60s around a harbour of international repute, which has since become a haven for sumptuous yachts and all manner of luxurious seafaring vessels from every corner of the globe.
Considered the main leisure capital of southern Portugal, Vilamoura (which translates as ‘Moorish Town’) is brimming with opportunities for lovers of water sports (its shoreline is constantly awash with marine activity), golf (some of Europe’s finest courses embroider the town’s fringes), tennis, horse-riding, fitness studios, big game fishing, sailing, wind and kitesurfing, bowling, scuba-diving and water-skiing, to name a few.
And in the evening, the u-shaped promenade set around Vilamoura’s magnificent marina is the perfect place for a relaxing stroll after dining in one of the many excellent restaurants where the freshest fish and seafood comes straight off the boat.
The town of Vilamoura (indicated on the Google map below) is spread out over a wide area with modern apartments buildings of varying shapes and colours lining long broad streets that are horseshoe-shaped or semicircular so that the marina is never too far away.
But Vilamoura’s developers weren’t the first to spot the area’s potential; the Romans built a harbour close by at Cerro da Vila which triggered a bustling fish-salting industry (along with its own fleet of cargo ships) well over 2,000 years ago.
Where to go in the Algarve
Excavations near the town have unearthed the remains of an extensive Roman settlement complete with villas, communal baths, farm buildings, walls, preserved mosaics and an elaborate water-piping system. Some of the finds are on display at a small on-site museum where traces of subsequent cultures (such as the Visigoths and Moors) can also be seen.
Designed by the likes of Frank Penninck, Martin Hawtree and Joseph Lee, Vilamoura’s numerous golf courses are renowned the world over for their challenging mix of lakes, unforgiving bunkers and unparalleled scenic beauty, chief amongst them Millennium, Laguna and the famed Old Course.
Popular for its long sandy beach, Quarteira (a couple of kilometres to the east of Vilamoura) has evolved from being a quaint little village in the 1970s to a lively seaside town with water parks, mid-budget restaurants, an old market and a vibrant night-life scene during the warm summer months.
Continuing east brings you to Ancão (where the Ria Formosa Natural Park begins) and Faro, the lively capital of the Algarve which boasts a wonderful 13th-century cathedral and a well-preserved historic centre.
Inland lies Loulé, a traditional Portuguese town that’s very much the beating heart of a thriving agricultural area just 14 kilometres (9 miles) from Vilamoura.
West of Vilamoura, in the direction of Olhos de Água, the coastline starts to feature some of the dramatic rock formations that has appeared so prominently in the region’s promotional literature over the years, notably the pine-covered sandstone cliffs that glow a bright golden orange during the early evening sunset.
Heading west from Vilamoura along the N125 brings you to Albufeira, one of Portugal’s most vibrant beach resorts that bustles with tourism activity right through the year.
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