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Palmares Ocean Living & Golf launches new apartment rentals, perfect for family and golf holidays

The Algarve’s stunning Palmares Ocean Living & Golf has launched its first rental apartments. The Signature Apartments, which range from one to three bedrooms, are available for holidaymakers to rent. The apartments, which are owned and operated by Kronos Homes, sit next to the 10th hole of Palmares’ 27-hole golf course, providing amazing views and a stroll of just 700 meters to the long expanse of beach at Meia Praia.

The Signature Apartments, which were built by Pritzker Prize winners RCR Arquitectes, offer a range of layouts, catering for everything from a luxurious weekend away to lengthy family breaks and working holidays. There are one-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom duplexes, plus one-bedroom apartments with one or two external bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, that double as office space. This provides plenty of scope for accommodating families with different requirements. All apartments feature private terraces, with views towards the sea, the Alvor estuary and the golf course. There is a shared pool and landscaped garden for those renting the apartments to enjoy during their stay.

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Holidaymakers can enjoy all the luxuries you would expect from a hotel stay when renting the Signature Apartments: premium bathroom toiletries, bathrobe, slippers, hairdryer, WiFi, air con and heating systems

(working with integrated thermal energy production system through heat pumps), parking spaces with electric vehicle charging, blackout blinds, USB chargers and more. There is also 24/7 room service, with the resort’s gastronomic offering overseen by Executive Chef Louis Anjos.

It is under Chef Anjos’ stewardship that the on-site Al Sud restaurant won its first Michelin star within seven months of opening. The restaurant offers a newly devised summer menu of ten tasting moments, for adults seeking the very best of the Algarve’s wealth of local flavours. The award-winning Palmares Clubhouse also serves food throughout the day, while the Experience Cocktail Bar is the perfect spot to sit and unwind.

For grownup breaks, meanwhile, the Palmares Beach House Hotel is adults-only, providing 20 rooms with delightful ocean views by the 27th hole of the golf course. Relaxation and serenity abound across the whole resort, making it ideal for everything from a grownup golf getaway to a family break. Even the colours and textures of the Signature Apartments feel soothing, with natural tones and materials blending beautifully with the surrounding landscape.

The golf course consists of three ninehole linked courses, designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Jr, with holes that sweep down towards the ocean, to make the most of the spectacular views afforded by its integration into the natural amphitheatre of the Bay of Lagos. According to the Algarve Tourism Association, the Algarve represents 70% of Portugal’s total number of golf rounds. Courses such as Palmares – which has a long list of awards, including being named the best course in Portugal seven consecutive times –entice players to return time and again thanks to the delightful setting and challenging fairways. For those looking to grow their skills while on holiday, Palmares also provides a golf academy within the resort.

Palmares Ocean Living and Golf is just under an hour’s drive from Faro Airport, which connects directly to more than a dozen UK airports during the summer (and many year-round), as well as a range of European destinations and Toronto in Canada. Lisbon Airport, meanwhile, is under three hours’ drive away and serves a wide range of global destinations, including China, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and both coasts of the United States.

For more information about Palmares Ocean Living & Golf, please email realestate@ palmaresresort.com, call (+351) 917 766 932 or visit https://palmaresliving.com/.

To book a Signature Apartment, visit https:// palmaresliving.com/palmares-signatureapartments-rental/.

The Golf Course

The unexpected beauty of the world around us. This is what life - and what the Ombria Golf Course experience - is all about. Far from the ordinary, our 18-hole course is woven artfully into the picturesque hillsides north of Loulé, a region home to more Golf courses than any other in Portugal - and a truly world-class golf destination. This is a special place that captures and captivates. The rolling hills, the sparkling streams - there is nowhere quite like it, so ancient and unspoiled. Ombria Golf Course was designed to reflect this, a unique course for a unique region. Where it truly stands out is the diversity of play and challenge you will discover here. In contrast to a standard ‘championship course’, the course is a par 71 5800 mts long. Accuracy, rather than distance, is the key to success. Here, finesse, rather than power alone, will always win the day. This makes it a true challenge for all skill levels and the perfect venue for any tournament wishing to showcase a variety of play. Furthermore, all 18 holes have been inspired by and integrated into the stunning natural surroundings –inviting players to explore the unexplored heart of the rural Algarve.

Reflecting the rich diversity of the protected natural habitats, the two 9-hole loops are set in a quite different terrain. When preparing for their first tee shot, players are treated to a breath-taking panorama of a front 9 spread throughout an idyllic river valley. Played as a par 5, it works with the 2nd to introduce us to a whole new set of challenges to overcome. Playing along the twisting rivers and streams, golfers must decide when to cross - when to gamble and when to play safe. Picking the right strategy and knowing your game soon becomes crucial as the course winds in and out of the crystal-clear waters. Reaching the final two par 4 holes, a scratch player facing the short 8th, overlooked by the clubhouse & hotel, may well be tempted to drive the green

- but the stream crossing before the green lies ominously in wait. The 9th dog-legs to the left around a splendid lake and we finally say goodbye as the river flows toward it. As we close out our days play on a large green, the final dramatic moments of this strategic, challenging course play themselves out in front of enthusiastic spectators crossing the lakeside road.

The back nine play out at the foot of sweeping hillside banks, leaving them completely untouched and intact. A ‘wall to wall’ design, with well-defined ‘hard-line’ grass, creates a vibrant contrast that will highlight each change of the seasons. Magnificent holm oaks, Azinheiras, have grown on these hills for generations and still stand as natural hazards and regional references. In contrast, the elegantly-designed bunkers work within the contours of the hillsides, marking out geographical features and guiding our eye. Golfers will find their back nine holes an easy walk and play experience, the subtle simplicity masking the demands of an elaborate design, contoured greens and undulating fairways.

The Viceroy Hotel @ Ombria Resort

Ombria Resort has partnered with American hotel group Viceroy Hotels & Resorts for its 5-star hotel. The American brands’ first hotel in southern Europe will offer 76 rooms and suites, 65 apartments, 6 restaurants on site, 5 heated pools, spa, gym , kids club and many activities. The interior decor of the Hotel Viceroy at Ombria Resort, designed by Wimberly Interiors, is in perfect harmony with the architectural project. It draws inspiration from the characteristics, forms, materials and atmosphere of the «barrocal», the Algarve subregion nestled between ocean and mountain. The lime-plastered walls are a tribute to Portuguese traditions; the blue and white palette echoes the famous Portuguese azulejos. Local origin materials are given preference with a genuine commitment to integrating recycled materials as often as possible.

Sustainable development

Ombria Resort cultivates a great passion for the Algarve hinterland. This deep attachment to the territory is reflected in a commitment to sustainable development. Concerned about the impact of the real estate programme on its environment and territory, developer Pontos wanted this approach to be expressed in each dimension of the project: design, construction and operation. Ombria Resort is made up of nearly energyzero buildings, therefore achieving one of the lowest building densities of any project of this scale in Europe. The resort has reduced the use of natural resources to a minimum, building on less than a quarter of the total available area to minimise its impact on local wildlife.

www.ombria.com