How to spend three days at Quinta do Lago – without playing golf

We went to Quinta do Lago six years ago and happily filled the majority of time losing golf balls on the resort's three impressive golf courses, North, South and Laranjal.

The Paul McGinley Golf Academy is also a real draw for golfers from all across the globe but this time we wanted to see what else the resort offers, and it turns out, there's quite a bit.

During three days there we enjoyed the Campus, cycled, hiked, explored the Ria Formosa, swam, sauna and ate... and boy did we eat well.

Quinta Do Lago Campus

We really enjoyed everything about this sports facility. The Campus is just a short cycle from the Magnolia Hotel.

Hang a right onto Ayrton Senna Avenue (Senna used to own a villa there) and then take the racing line past some picture book properties until you pit stop at the Campus.

It's a classy but quite an understated development, mostly made with natural wood that blends into the landscape. The gym is on two floors and has all the cardio and weights equipment any novice or elite athlete would need.

There's also a nice outside stretching area where you can warm and lengthen your muscles in the sun. Very welcome amid an English winter. The Campus also has two plunge pools, a 25m outdoor pool, along with a sauna and steam – all of which were spotlessly clean and fresh.

Tennis, paddle and the Bike Shed provide the outdoor activities, and there's also a 4G football/rugby pitch that offers perfect training facilities for clubs and soccer schools.

Paddle

We had a paddle session and our instructor, Jose patiently took us through the basics. It's the first time I tried it and it's a game I could really get into. It’s a mash-up between squash and tennis and no doubt it could get seriously competitive. Very social, very fun and no wonder it's the fastest-growing racket sport. Just in case you need a warm-down after all this, the Campus is encircled by a running track. There really is no excuse not to get your steps in for the day.

Danos is an Irish-themed sports bar and is the main place to eat, drink and relax at the Campus. The menu has plenty of lunchtime options and I can personally vouch for the cheesecake, served with crème fresh and local honey. It certainly helped power me back to Magnolia.

Magnolia Hotel

This is a fun place to stay. The Magnolia Hotel is a colourful 1950s American-style motel, complete with neon lights and pink flamingos (not real ones). Faro airport is a 15-minute drive and Magnolia is close to Quinta Do Lago's highlights, including restaurants, golf, the beach, the Campus and shopping. There's a wide choice at breakfast, it has a heated outdoor pool, a gym, sauna, steam and a cinema room. We also made use of their bikes, which we borrowed to explore the resort and the Ria Formosa, a protected national park. There are 74 rooms, ours was basic and functional, but what really impressed was the level of service from the staff. Excellent!

Ria Formosa

There maybe neon flamingos at Magnolia but you can see the real ones at Ria Formosa. The national park is a system of sandbanks, salt marshes and tidal lagoons. It is home to flamingos, a number of rare birds and we were also reliably informed that it has has the largest concentration of sea horses. We explored using the well-signposted pathways with the bikes from Magnolia but bike rental and guided group tours are also available from the Bike Shed at the Campus. It's an incredibly peaceful way to spend an afternoon.

Where to eat

Now we get to my favourite part. The golf, the Campus, the paddle, the cycling, the natural surroundings are all well and good (it's really good in fact), but what about the food? Well, each morning we had breakfast at Magnolia and absolutely no problem there. A wide variety of options greet you with an egg station, bacon, sausages, and all the fruit and healthy bits you would expect. The fresh oranges were a particular highlight, as orange groves are all around the resort. There’s also the option to choose from the a la carte breakfast menu.

There are 14 restaurants throughout the resort in total, here are the four we went to.

Casa do Lago

We drove down from Lisbon and arrived at Quinta in time for our evening reservation at Casa Do Lago. After the hustle of the capital, this was the perfect contrast. Our spot by the window offered a view of the sunset over the lagoon and a beautifully prepared seabass and seafood linguine was soon brought to the table. A pretty good way to ease into Algarve life. A huge variety of Seafood options on the menu.

Koko

For me, Koko sums up Quinta Do Lago. Relaxed and classy. Koko is an ideal spot for lunch and is located next to the impressive driving range and Paul McGinley Golf Academy. A great place for families to meet. We had a very fresh goat cheese and pear salad, with bursts of pomegranate. Desert stole the show and my mind often drifts back to the chocolate mousse and tiramisu. The mousse was served from large bowl at your table, a drizzle of olive oil and then sprinkled with a touch of salt. It was substantial but didn’t last long. Top marks!

Casa Velha

This is a classic fine dining spot that makes the best of the region's seasonal produce and meat specialities. It was February and dining was inside but it's easy to imagine a summer's evening with the terrace packed and music playing. The restaurant has a lovely warm vibe, incredible food, beautiful surroundings and exceptional service. Between us we had the sautéed shrimp and beef croquettes as starters and codfish and a nicely cooked Bife da Vazia steak for mains, with a chimichurri sauce.

Umami

On occasions, when doing a review, you fall upon something so good. It's then easy to overwrite it and be over-descriptive. It can sound false. So I won't. Just go there if you can and try it. Umami is simply one of the best dining experiences I have had. Here's what we ate: spicy edamame and miso milk bun, yellowtail tartare (my word!), pork gyoza, yasai gyoza, spicy tuna sushi, dragon roll sushi (my word!), prawn tempura, chicken satay, char sui (a slow roasted pork), cabbage salad, fried rice, broccolini and crispy onion.

Drinks and food service was super-friendly and knowledgeable but hats-off to head chef Ivo Pires – a cool, calm and highly-talented chef producing the highest quality Asian cuisine.

Prices

The combination of fitness, food, nature and of course sunshine is tried and tested. It simply rejuvenates the spirits and few places do it quite as well as Quinta Do Lago. The Magnolia Hotel (themagnoliahotelqdl.com +351 289 005300) offers a Standard Double Room from €116/£98 on a B&B basis. 

Photography

Thanks to Maria from Ebourne Images for her photography and for capturing the resort with a unique and artistic eye. See all Maria’s images from Qunita Do Lago here.