Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago are almost impossible to separate and so they share the same entry in this guide. The area is full of high quality villas and apartments with a few hotels. The area is very much aimed at the higher (and richer) end of the holiday market with a five star hotel available if required.
The dominating features in the area are the golf courses. The highly manicured landscaped greens and fairways are interspersed with luxury villas. Until a number of years ago, it was possible for the golfer(s) in the family to enjoy a round of golf while those with equestrian skills could ride among the trees and greens on escorted rides along sandy tracks. Unfortunately the large central 'PineTrees' riding centre is no longer in the hands of a British riding instructor and so this is now not quite as convenient as it used to be. A "new" PineTrees, under the same instructor (BHSIT), is now situated at the southern end of the Almansil to Quinta do Lago road and continues (1998) to offer the safe canters, tuition and beach rides that were so popular in the past.
The eastern area is part of the Ria Formosa nature reserve which stretches east to the Spanish border. This offers a wide range of wildlife and natural/unspoilt countryside and is internationally renowned for its bird life among its salt-pans and marshland. Again, with the demise of the riding centre, it is no longer possible for the visitor to see the area from horseback though the rangers still use horses to patrol the reserve.
See also the surrounding areas of Vilamoura, and Quarteira