Monte Rei Golf & Country Club: the best course in Portugal that nobody plays enough

Monte Rei is forty-five minutes east of Faro airport. Most golfers who fly into Faro do not drive forty-five minutes east. This is their loss and, from a selfish perspective, slightly our gain.

Monte Rei Golf & Country Club opened in 2007. It was designed by Jack Nicklaus — his only course on the Iberian Peninsula — and it is, in my assessment, the best Nicklaus design in Europe. This is not a popular position. Most people assume Valderrama or Quinta do Lago South holds that distinction. I'd put Monte Rei above both.

The course sits on a hilltop estate near Vila Nova de Cacela, close to the Spanish border. The elevation gives it views across the Algarve hinterland that the coastal courses cannot offer. On a clear October morning from the 7th tee, you can see both the Atlantic and the mountains of the Serra de Espinhaço de Cão.

The design is classic Nicklaus: generous landing areas rewarding controlled aggression off the tee, approach shots that require precise yardage over bunkers to ridged greens, and a closing stretch — holes 15, 16, 17, 18 — that builds relentlessly in difficulty and drama. The 18th is a par-5 of 540 yards with a forced carry over water to a sloping green. It is the best finishing hole in Portugal.

Green fees: approximately €175 in peak season, €140 in October and November. For a course of this quality, that is fair. By comparison, Quinta do Lago South charges €180–200 for a round of equivalent but different quality.

The low-traffic reality: on a Tuesday morning in October I have played Monte Rei without seeing another group for the entire round. The course is not well-known outside of golf travel specialist circles. This is partly because it lacks the proximity to the main Algarve hotel clusters, and partly because it has lower marketing spend than the Quinta do Lago courses.

My recommendation: add Monte Rei as the fifth round on any 7-night Algarve itinerary. Hire a car for the day, drive east, play the round, and come back understanding why I've recommended it for nine years.