Soaking up the good life on Portugal's sunny Algarve Coast

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Where does an Olympic swimming champion, with 8 shiny new gold medals packed in his carry-on, find a little rest and relaxation after a hectic week at The Olympics? A couple of weeks ago, Michael Phelps chose Portugal's sunny Algarve Coast and spent a few days relaxing immediately after his sparkling performances in Beijing.

Penina - where The Algarve's golf history began, remains one of the very best courses.

Vale do Lobo's Royal Course, a cliff-top sparkler from Henry Cotton.

Vilamoura's Oceanico Old Course is a Frank Pennink design, reminiscent of a great British parkland layout .

William Mitchell's Quinta do Lago has hosted the Portuguese Open on 8 occasions.

Noted American designer Joseph Lee was responsible for San Lorenzo, ranked among Europe's Top 20.

Martin Hawtree's Pine Cliffs may only be 9 holes, but every one's a thriller.

Vilamoura's Oceanico Victoria is Arnold Palmer's first on The Algarve, already listed among Europe's best.

Quinta do Vale - a stunning new Algarve layout from Seve Ballesteros.

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Surrounded by pristine beaches of golden sand and the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Michael enjoyed it all, including hitting a few balls on one of The Algarve's famous golf courses at the plush, Vilamoura Hilton. Whether Olympic gold winning swimmers can be scratch golfers or just aspiring lovers of the game, like Michael, they certainly know where to find the best golf courses in Europe, so here's your chance to follow the gold!

With more than 30 world-class layouts sitting along a brief, 90-mile stretch of drop-dead gorgeous coastline,The Algarve is a golfers dream come true. In the space of little more than 40 years, Portugal's southernmost coast has gone from having no courses at all, to being positioned today as one of Europe's foremost golfing regions. The envy of all of the rest, The Algarve has set the standard by which any golf destination is now measured.

The great British golfer and designer, Sir Henry Cotton, was the first to recognize the untapped potential held by this sun-blessed coast. The combination of a near perfect year round climate and stunning beauty of one of Europe's most enticing shorelines, was too good to resist. By 1966 Cotton had completed The Algarve's very first 18-hole layout, The Championship Course at Penina, which opened to rave reviews from European golf circles and still holds its head high as one of the best. This would only be the first of five of Cotton's masterful designs that grace this coast, including the two spectacular courses at Vale do Lobo and the uniquely charming, Benamor Golf.

Famed English designer, Frank Pennink was quick to follow in Cotton's footsteps and Pennink's Vilamoura (now known as The Oceanico Old Course, Vilamoura) opened in 1969 to kudos from every quarter. Sensing something special was happening with golf on The Algarve, other great architects, eager to attach their names to this up and coming new golf destination, quickly followed.

American's William Mitchell (Quinta do Lago) and Joseph Lee (San Lorenzo and Vilamoura's Laguna Course) were both early contributors from this side of the Atlantic. Englishmen Martin Hawtree, Donald Steel, Dave Thomas and Spain's imaginative, Pepe Gancedo, were among the prominent European architects actively involved in developing this golf haven, pre-destined to be one of the world's best.

The Algarve continues to attract the most highly regarded and creative of the world's design talents - Robert Trent Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and more recently, Seve Ballesteros - all now have signature courses on The Algarve and more will follow. The chance to be included among such prestigious company -- a veritable who's who of golf architecture - is an opportunity none can resist.

The competitive spirit this brings out has produced a tremendous benefit for golfers visiting The Algarve - the consistent high caliber of the courses produced. Think of it, each architect is producing a course that will showcase its designer and be directly compared with other courses in the area, all from other top design talents. None of them wants to risk being outshined, there are reputations at stake, so the inclination has been for each to make every effort to produce their very best work ever and this has definitely been the case.

The end result is that this has become a showcase of contemporary course design, with perhaps the very best collection of golf challenges to be found anywhere. To-date, 20 different architects have been involved in designing the 30 courses that make their home on The Algarve, so it's not only quality and quantity, it's also the tremendous variety of courses that makes golf here so appealing.

To find yourself in the middle of such a golfing feast for a week or so, would be sheer bliss for any golfer. But as many of us know all too well, everyone isn't necessarily a golfer and that's where The Algarve holds the trump card. For all of its magnificent array of golf courses, golf is only the beginning of The Algarve story. This precious jewel of southern Portugal holds as much appeal to non-golfers as it does to the most addicted golfer.

The perfect year round climate, so ideally suited to golfers is equally as appealing to any other outdoor pursuit all the way from January until December. From simply basking in the sunshine on the enticing beaches of this picture-postcard coastline, many practically deserted and all washed by the tides of a brilliantly clear Atlantic Ocean, to enjoying sailing excusions or perhaps a little deep sea fishing. There is so much to see and do, but in this relaxed, laid back atmosphere, no real reason to do anything at all, so take in as much or as little as you feel like, this is after all, a vacation.

With a rich, intriguing history, reaching back to the beginnings of time, there's a wide selection of sightseeing opportunities. Exploring centuries old towns and fishing villages; discovering the ancient Algarve capital of Silves and the historic walled old town of Faro, today's regional capital. Travel just a few miles inland from the coast and a whole different side of The Algarve awaits, this is where time has stood still for more than 100 years.

Whether it's golf or sightseeing, shopping or museum visits, relaxing on a golden sand beach or searching for bargains in open air markets, The Algarve has something for everyone, Olympic Champions or not. And when the sun goes down, yet another side of The Algarve emerges, with a vibrant nightlife that keeps popping until the wee small hours of the morning. Night clubs, bars, discos, casinos and Fado clubs, where the hauntingly beautiful music of the traditional Portugal can be experienced. For the food-lovers, wine connoisseurs and gourmets among us, the wonders of Portugal's delectable food and wines are not to be missed. From chic restaurants, specialized in haute cuisine, to far more modest establishments, favored by the locals and where perhaps some of the most memorable dining experiences await, the choices are endless.

It maybe The Algarve's unique abundance of world-class golf that initially attracts you to this sun-blessed coast, but it won't take long to discover this is a very special part of our world, with more breadth and depth than many may have anticipated. Take full advantage of your visit and soak up as much of the good life as you can.

For more ideas and suggestions on how to get the most out of your Algarve vacation, click here.

©2008 David Brice / Golf International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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