Dona Filipa Hotel (3)

A long-standing five-star favourite just outside Vale do Lobo, Dona Filipa trades modern-resort flash for traditional, understated comfort. It owns priority access to San Lorenzo, one of the Algarve's most respected courses, laid out within the Ria Formosa nature reserve with lagoons and marshland framing pine-lined holes. Rooms are spacious and many look over gardens or the sea, and facilities include outdoor pools, a spa and direct beach access. It's a calm, grown-up base with a loyal repeat-guest following, close to Vale do Lobo's restaurants and Faro's Old Town.