Iconic Algarve resort celebrates 50 years of golf excellence
Palmares Ocean Living & Golf, a market leader for innovation in Portuguese golf tourism, is preparing to enter a new era of investment as the resort celebrates 50 years of development and expansion into one of Portugal’s most exclusive residential golf destinations.
Over the past five decades, Palmares has established itself as an icon of tourism and golf in Portugal, keeping pace with the industry's transformations and reinventing itself with vision and sophistication. What began as an 18-hole course in 1975 has evolved into an integrated luxury resort with 200 hectares of panoramic views of Meia Praia and the Alvor estuary.
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With facilities including a 27-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr, a Michelin-starred restaurant, an award-winning clubhouse, a five-star boutique hotel and 37 Signature Apartments, the resort is today regarded among the best in Europe and even better times lie ahead, including the future unveiling of a new portfolio of Signature Villas and Apartments and the opening of the first JW Marriott hotel in Portugal in 2028.
“A resort as special as Palmares, with this golf legacy and the unique signature of Robert Trent Jr. is a true privilege for us to manage,” said Nuno Sepúlveda, co-CEO of Details, Portugal’s largest golf course operator that manages the resort's golf course, accommodations, and dining options.
“Celebrating 50 years of Palmares Golf is a source of great pride, and we are excited to continue elevating the resort experience, creating many more years of memorable moments.”
Since its launch in 1975, Palmares has been a stage for innovation. In the 2000s, a new phase of development began, culminating in 2011 with the creation of three nine-hole courses – the Alvor, Lagos, and Praia – by Trent Jones Jnr, an international benchmark in golf course design.
In 2017, the hotel opened its five-star boutique Beach House Hotel – offering unique views of the ocean and the course – with the inauguration of the resort’s iconic clubhouse, designed by RCR Arquitectes (Pritzker Prize winner) and named ‘Best Clubhouse in Europe’ at the 2024 World Golf Awards, following three years later.
The details
The clubhouse’s AL SUD restaurant, with a concept based on a careful selection of the best seasonal ingredients and local flavours, completed the experience by earning its first Michelin Star in 2021, elevating Palmares to the status of a golf and gastronomy destination of excellence.
This year, the resort has introduced a new type of accommodation, ‘Signature Rooms’, which expands the Palmares Beach House Hotel's offering and offers a comfortable and functional stay, with breakfast at the hotel and access to all premium amenities.
Adding to the accommodation options currently available will be the launch of phase three of the Signature Apartments alongside a range of new modern, turn-key villas in spring 2026, with Palmares welcoming Portugal’s first JW Marriott hotel two years later – bringing an international brand to the Algarve and catering to various segments in a strategic location just 45 minutes from Faro airport.
Sepulveda added: “Fifty years after opening, Palmares continues to raise the bar for golf, hospitality and tourism in the Algarve, and the opening of the new portfolio of villas and apartments will signal the start of a new era in the history of this amazing resort.”
Palmares Ocean Living & Golf is part of the portfolio of assets managed by Details – Hospitality, Sports, Leisure, which is owned by Arrow Global and is the company responsible for managing its tourism assets in Portugal. Details currently manages 23 hotels, 12 golf courses, an equestrian centre and several dining venues.