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Vilamoura
Destinations › Europe › Portugal › Algarve

Vilamoura

Population: 8.000 Since: Developed in the 1970s Price: Expensive

Introduction

Vilamoura is a purpose-built resort town on the central Algarve coast, laid out around one of Europe's largest marinas. It does not have an old town or a village square. What it has instead is a grid of hotels, apartment blocks, five golf courses and a waterfront lined with restaurants, boat charters and bars.

The crowd is a mix: golfers, families on package holidays, and boat owners. Peak season runs June to September, when the marina promenade fills up in the evening. Come in May or October and the same place feels calmer, with warm sea and lower prices.

Sightseeing

Marina de Vilamoura: the heart of town, over 1,000 berths lined with cafes and yachts.
Cerro da Vila: Roman ruins with mosaics and baths, right beside the marina.
Praia da Marina: sandy beach next to the harbour mouth, easy to reach on foot.
Praia da Falesia: long cliff-backed beach of orange sand, a short drive east.
Quarteira: the older fishing town next door, with a daily market and a longer seafront.

"Marina, golf and sun on the Algarve"Vilamoura

Things to do

Golf: five courses including the Old Course and Victoria, booking ahead is normal.
Dolphin boat trip: half-day trips leave from the marina, roughly 35 to 45 euros.
Sunset sailing: catamaran cruises along the coast in the evening.
Beach day at Falesia: rent a sunbed or walk the base of the cliffs.
Marina evening stroll: window-shop the yachts and pick a waterfront table.
Jet ski or parasailing: operators run from the beach near the marina.

Top attractions

Local food and drinks - Vilamoura

Local food and drinks

Cataplana de marisco: seafood stew cooked in a copper pan, made for sharing.
Grilled sardines: cheap and common in summer, best in the Quarteira restaurants.
Arroz de marisco: soupy seafood rice, a regional staple.
Dom Rodrigo: sweet with egg yolk and almond, sold in local pastelarias.
Medronho: fiery Algarve spirit distilled from arbutus berries.
Local traditions - Vilamoura

Local traditions

Summer market nights: craft and food stalls set up along the marina in high season.
Quarteira fish market: the neighbouring town's morning auction of the day's catch.
Santo Antonio (June): grilled sardines and street parties across the Algarve.
Golf calendar: the Victoria course has hosted the Portugal Masters each autumn.

History

Vilamoura is young by Portuguese standards. The resort was master-planned in the 1960s and 1970s on a large private estate, with the marina opening in 1974. Almost everything you see was built for tourism from the ground up.

The land itself is far older. The Romans built a villa and fish-salting complex here, now preserved as Cerro da Vila, and the site was later used by Visigoths and Moors. For centuries it was farmland and coast, until developers turned it into the golf and marina town it is today.

Things to know

Prices at the marina are noticeably higher than in Quarteira a short walk away.
There is no historic core, so it can feel generic to some visitors.
Public transport is limited, a car helps a lot for the wider Algarve.
Summer parking near the marina and beaches fills up fast by late morning.

Do's and don'ts

Walk over to Quarteira for cheaper, more local meals.
Book golf tee times and dolphin trips ahead in summer.
Visit Cerro da Vila, it is easy to miss beside the marina.
Try medronho if a bar offers a local brand.
Don't expect an old town or traditional village feel here.
Don't rely only on buses to explore the region.
Don't assume all marina restaurants are worth the markup.
Don't drive to the beach late on summer mornings expecting parking.

Good to know

Accessibility: The flat marina promenade and modern resorts are largely wheelchair friendly, though beach access varies.
Price level: expensive

Photo: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons