Vila Branca is a peaceful, well-maintained apartment hotel with the feel of a small village, just a short walk from historic Lagos town centre and Porto de Mós beach. Here you combine golf with evenings in one of the Algarve's most vibrant and authentic towns. Vila Branca has long been a favoured accommodation amongst our guests, thanks to its location, comfortable standard and the hotel's own restaurant, which works perfectly as the 19th hole.

Accommodation

You stay in bright and spacious apartments with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms – featuring a large living room, dining area and furnished balcony or terrace. The kitchen is fully equipped for Longstay visits.

Hair dryer and iron are not included in the apartment but can be borrowed free of charge from reception against a deposit. Cleaning takes place every 7 days including change of bed linen and towels, and free parking is available outside the building.

Free shuttle to town and beach

Vila Branca offers a complimentary minibus to Lagos town centre and Porto de Mós and Dona Ana beaches, with several departures daily. This makes it easy to leave the car behind in the evening and dine in the old town. If you prefer to walk, it's approximately 20 minutes to the centre and 15 minutes to Porto de Mós, and an Uber costs just a few euros.

At the hotel

The complex is built as a small whitewashed village around two outdoor pools (unheated) with sun loungers and terraces. Reception is staffed 24 hours a day. Restaurant Da Vila serves Italian and Portuguese food – homemade pasta, risotto and pizza – and is a popular meeting point for our guests after their round. Breakfast buffet is served for a charge and consistently receives high ratings. Around the corner, 100 metres away, is a small grocery shop for daily needs; a larger supermarket (Intermarché) is within a 20-minute walk or a few minutes by car.

Lagos

Lagos is one of the Algarve's most appreciated towns – lively but relaxed, authentic yet with a broad range of amenities. The old town is charming with cobbled streets, whitewashed houses and a wide selection of restaurants and small bars where you'll easily find your favourite spot for evening conversations about the day's play. The harbour promenade is lined with palm trees and boats, and from here boat trips depart to the rock formations and caves at Ponta da Piedade. The local food market offers fresh fish, fruit and vegetables for those who prefer to cook dinner at home. Along the coast are some of the region's most beautiful beaches – Dona Ana, Camilo and Porto de Mós – all within walking distance or shuttle distance.

Golf

From Vila Branca you can quickly reach three of western Algarve's most appreciated golf courses: Palmares with links-inspired holes and sea views (10 min), Boavista with its rolling parkland layout (5 min) and Espiche with its naturally beautiful inland terrain (10 min). All three are included in our golf package, as are Santo António to the west and the courses to the east.

We consider West Algarve to extend from Albufeira and westwards. This was where Portuguese explorers set sail in the 15th century on their voyages of discovery around the world. The landscape features mountains inland, rolling cliffs to the west and flatter coastline to the east. In the cities of Silves and Lagos, you can feel history's presence and see preserved traces of the Moorish past and the age of exploration. Algarve's least developed area is the north-western corner with its protected nature reserves, untouched beaches, wild coastlines and dramatic cliffs. Here you'll find Europe's most south-westerly point, Cabo de São Vicente, where the mighty Atlantic makes an awe-inspiring impression.

The hub is Alvor and Portimão with their long beaches and genuine fishing harbours. From here you can reach everything from championship golf courses to the cliff drama of Ponta da Piedade, and in the evening you can enjoy cataplana in the harbour quarters or watch the sunset from Lagos' ancient walls. In winter you'll often have both the golf courses and beaches almost to yourself – and prices are at their best.