Oh Palmares Beach House Hotel, I miss you! Palmares Beach House Hotel is a small adults only beach resort with several golf courses. It is located about 20 minutes from Lagos. It is a beautiful place to stay in the Algarve of Portugal. Each room has a gorgeous view of the ocean with private sun chairs. There is a small but beautiful pool area. This hotel was wonderful and I loved my time there, resting on the property and on the beach. If you are looking for somewhere to stay in the Algarve, you can’t go wrong with Palmares. So keep scrolling for the ultimate review of Palmares Beach House Hotel for 2024.
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Palmares Beach House Hotel Review
Getting To Palmares Beach House
Palmares Beach House Hotel is close to Lagos. Less then a 20 minute drive. The best advice I can give you is to get a rental car. This will make exploring the Algarve and getting to/from Palmares so much easier
- You can fly into Faro then drive about an hour to Palmares Beach House. We did this with our rental car upon leaving the Algarve and it was incredibly easy/quick.
- You can take a high speed train from Porto (5 hours) or Lisbon (2/3 hours) to Faro then grab a rental car. You can take regional trains to Lagos but it looked long, exhausting and with several train changes.
- You can drive from Lisbon. We rented a car from Sixt for under $200 for 5 days with pickup in Lisbon and drop off in Faro. The drive from Lisbon was under 3 hours and so easy and quick. I highly recommend this option.
Once you have your rental car, Palmares Beach House was easy to find with Google Maps. They also have several signs to help you find your way through back roads to the property. The property has a few newer roads so Google might get a bit confused but not a big deal and very easy to navigate.
Going to Lisbon as well? Check out our favorite Lisbon Restaurants and our favorite things to do there.
Location
Palmares Beach Hotel is in the perfect location for exploring the Algarve. It is less then 20 minutes to Lagos and around 30 minutes from Benagil Cave. It is also secluded enough to ensure relaxation and peace. Plus the beach is a short ride/walk away from the property.
Note: The drive to Lagos will take you on very small backroads. Just a heads up to my fellow Americans who aren’t used to it.
Check In/Arrival
After parking in one of the many free spots, you will be overwhelmed with the gorgeous view from the lobby of the hotel. Once you are done drooling, check in is a breeze. Took only a few minutes. They will then give you a tour of the small property and your room. They also provide a free Welcome Drink ticket that you can use whenever you like.
Palmares Beach House Property
This property is stunning and massive. The hotel itself is small with two floors, 20 guest rooms, pool and restaurant. However it is a part of a massive complex with golf, houses, clubhouse and so on. It is important to note that it doesn’t feel congested or busy. Everything is spaced out so you never really get a grasp on how big it is. The entire property is beautiful. They have this rugged beauty to the terrain/landscape that is captivating. I loved all the plants. Even the view over the golf course is beautiful.
Views
The views from the rooms and restaurant deserve their own section. It is a sweeping view over the golf course towards the ocean. Absolutely breathtaking. I can’t get over how beautiful it is to sit on your balcony (each room has one) and look over the ocean with a Nespresso. (Nespresso machines in every room.) I will go back to this hotel every time I visit the Algarve because of this view.
Service
Service was excellent at Palmares. Everyone was kind and friendly. Particularly, when I did the silly thing of losing my phone on the beach. They helped us so much. The servers at breakfast were also friendly and wonderful. Really, just great service
Rooms
Each room is massive with a large balcony. The balconies have both chairs and loungers for two people. Each balcony has sweeping views of the golf course and the ocean. Breathtaking!! The bed is wonderfully comfortable and large. The bathroom is also huge with a large shower and stand alone tub. I loved that they had bath products both by the tub and the shower. It was perfectly clean. There was a small Nespresso machine and they gave you a few capsules a day. I also, loved how they would leave beach/pool towels out for you so you didn’t have to go hunting them down. They also provided a turn down service with chocolates. This was a wonderfully peaceful space. The rooms were top notch!
Beach at Palmares Beach House
The hotel is not directly on the beach. The beach is Meia Praia. This beach is massive which makes it easy to spread out. It is beautiful with gorgeous waters. The hotel will drive you down to the beach in a golf cart. They will give you a choice between no beach clubs or beach clubs. It is a quick ride down and super easy. The walk to the no beach club side was pleasant as well. I did this each morning. (Though do ride with them first to learn the path.) The no beach club side was perfectly quiet with barely anyone on the beach. (Disclaimer: I went in April/May so a bit early for the summer crowds.) The beach club side has this massive boardwalk that takes you from the resort all the way to Lagos. It was an absolute joy to walk along. The hotel made it so easy to get to the beach that I didn’t miss being right on top of it.
Pool Area
The pool area is close to the restaurant with loungers surrounding it. It also features that gorgeous view. The water was a bit cold in April but that isn’t surprising! It was a lovely place to sit and read. My only critique is they don’t have enough umbrellas and the pool was a bit loud when the filter was running. This isn’t a deal breaker for me. I would suffer through pretty much anything for that view.
Food and Drink at Palmares Beach House
Breakfast: Breakfast was included when we went and it was wonderful. They provided fresh fruit, meats and cheese as soon as you arrive. Then you could order eggs, homemade granola or pancakes. Of course, breakfast is given on their patio with those gorgeous views. So who wouldn’t want to linger over an espresso!
Lunch: Lunch was ok. I didn’t love it and found it to be overpriced for what it was. I would highly recommend skipping lunch at the hotel and go straight to the clubhouse. (More below.)
Dinner: We didn’t eat dinner here as we preferred to go into Lagos.
Drinks: Decent drinks, wine and beer all with a gorgeous view. How could you not love it?!
Golf and Golf Clubhouse
BIG disclaimer: I am not a golfer. This hotel is surrounded by golf courses with gorgeous ocean views. I can’t speak to anything about golf but people looked like they were enjoying it. I am sure that is super helpful. You’re welcome.
Golf Clubhouse: Now this was fantastic. The clubhouse is gorgeous and has those ocean views. PLUS a Michelin starred restaurant and one hell of a restaurant for lunch/snacks. We had lunch at the clubhouse and it was phenomenal. One of the better meals we ate in the Algarve. The cocktails at the clubhouse were so high end and delicious. Then we splurged and had dinner at Al Sud which is their Michelin starred restaurant. Holy bloody bananas. It was absolutely phenomenal. It focused on local Algarve ingredients and seafood. It was also so approachable and not pretentious. I ate so much food that I was basically a beach ball afterwards. The clubhouse is 100% worth a visit. (The image is just one of the many creative dishes from our dinner at Al Sud.)
Price
We went in April so the price wasn’t that terrible but it is still a splurge. For four nights, it cost around 900 Euros. (Just for the room.) I imagine as you move into summer the prices will go up.
Best Things to do at Palmares Beach House
- Enjoy that view with a cocktail, coffee, book, etc.! It is a wonderful place to rest and recharge.
- Enjoy a round of golf and let me know how it goes.
- Spend the day at that beautiful beach.
- Visit Lagos and have a great meal. (Here is a Lagos Travel Guide)
- Use the hotel as your base to explore the Algarve.
- Walk up and down that boardwalk you can see from the hotel.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- That view!!! Just beautiful.
- Proximity to a large beach and to Lagos.
- Lunches at the clubhouse.
- Large room and balcony.
- Breakfast is great.
- Wonderful service.
- Beautiful rugged property.
Cons:
- The lunch at the hotel was just ok.
- Pool area needs some shade.
- Pool can be a bit loud.
- Not a big con but you will need a car for this property.
Final Verdict
I would recommend this hotel to anyone AND if I ever come to the Algarve again this is where I will stay. I loved this hotel. It has everything I am looking for in a beach vacation. Do not hesitate to book this hotel. It is relaxing, intimate and just beautiful.
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Your Thoughts….
This is the ultimate review of Palmares Beach House Hotel. Are you spending some time in the Algarve? Where are you staying? What are you excited to do? Share your thoughts below.
