Hotels in Almancil

Almancil is the inland service town for the Algarve's wealthiest stretch of coast, the so-called Golden Triangle of Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and nearby Vilamoura, where gated villa estates, championship golf courses and upmarket restaurants define the scene. The town itself, home to just under ten thousand people, is not the attraction. Its one real cultural sight is the Church of São Lourenço, whose interior is covered in eighteenth-century blue-and-white azulejo tiles and is among the finest in Portugal.

Beyond that, the appeal lies a few kilometres south, where Quinta do Lago borders the lagoons and birdlife of the Ria Formosa Natural Park and long sandy beaches. Almancil's centre is largely a functional strip of shops, estate agents and traffic along the main road. Without a car you'll feel stranded, and prices across the area run well above the Algarve average. Faro airport is only a short drive away, which makes arrivals easy. Stay toward Quinta do Lago or Vale do Lobo rather than in town itself, so you're within reach of the beaches, the lagoon and the golf that bring people here.