Why it matters
Monte Rei sits in the eastern Algarve, far from the volume of Vilamoura and Vale do Lobo, and is regularly ranked Portugal's number-one course. Jack Nicklaus designed the North Course (opened 2007); the resort caps daily play deliberately low, which is half the reason the conditions stay pristine and the round runs at a country-club pace. Pricing reflects the position.
How to play it
Cart standard. 40 minutes from Faro airport (FAO) east. The resort is the natural stay — there is no town nearby to base from. Pair with Quinta do Lago South or San Lorenzo for an east-Algarve premium-tier trip.