Where to stay to play Penina's Resort and Championship courses: the resort hotel with its free daily round, a top-rated B&B overlooking the course, and four Alvor hotels within 20 minutes.
Penina Hotel & Golf Resort, between Portimão and Alvor, is where Algarve golf began: Sir Henry Cotton's Championship Course opened here in 1966. Alongside it sits the Penina Resort Course, a nine-hole layout of almost 3,000 metres from the white tees that you can play once or twice round for a full 18, and a relaxed option for families, beginners or a warm-up round.
This guide covers where to stay to play Penina. We have kept the list deliberately short and close to the course: the resort hotel itself, a small B&B a few minutes away overlooking the fairways, and four well-rated hotels in Alvor, the nearest town, around 15 to 20 minutes by car.
Map of hotels near Penina Golf Resort
The black pin is Penina (tap it to see the Resort Course details). The blue pins are the hotels in this guide; tap one to check prices and availability.
How we chose these hotels
Every hotel here is rated at least 8 out of 10 by guests on Booking.com and is within about 20 minutes of Penina by road. Drive times are calculated by road to the resort, not in a straight line. Breakfast hours and golf services come from each hotel's own website wherever possible, and we only mention a golf perk if the hotel actually states it.
Prices are the lowest average nightly rates we found in October 2026, usually for the quietest winter months. Spring and autumn, peak golf season, cost more, so treat them as a guide rather than a quote.
Staying at Penina itself
1. Penina Hotel & Golf Resort
On-site- From the course
- On the resort, Resort Course across the road
- Price
- from about €97 a night
- Guest rating
- 8.5/10 on Booking.com
- Breakfast
- 07:00–10:30
The obvious choice if golf is the main reason for your trip. The hotel sits on the Championship Course and the Resort Course is just across the road. Penina's "Best Available Rate for Golfers" includes breakfast and a complimentary round every day on one of the resort's courses, for up to two golfers per room and subject to availability (a handicap certificate is needed for the Championship Course: 28 for men, 36 for ladies). There are also three- and seven-night golf packages, a driving range and practice area with PGA professionals, several restaurants including the Sir Henry Cotton Club golf bar, and breakfast from 7am.
- Free daily round on the golfer rate
- Breakfast from 07:00
- Driving range and golf academy
- 3- and 7-night golf packages
- Airport transfer on request
- Kids' club (ages 3–12)
A boutique B&B overlooking the course
2. Casa Penina Guesthouse
Value- From the course
- 1.2 km · about 4 min drive
- Price
- from about €53 a night
- Guest rating
- 9.7/10 on Booking.com
- Breakfast
- 08:00–10:00 (€12 per person)
A tiny guesthouse with just four suites and a 9.7 rating on Booking.com, the highest on this list. Its pool overlooks the Penina golf course and breakfast is served facing the fairways. Rates start at about €53 a night in the quieter months (minimum two nights, breakfast €12 per person extra), making it the best-value base for Penina by some distance. It is not suitable for children under 14, and the pool is open from April to October.
- Pool overlooking Penina golf course
- Breakfast facing the course
- Packed lunches
- No children under 14
- Only 4 suites
Hotels in Alvor, 15 to 20 minutes from Penina
Alvor is the nearest town to Penina: a pretty fishing village with a long beach, restaurants and bars. Staying here means a short drive to the course each morning, but much more to do in the evening.
3. RR Alvor Baía Resort
Value- From the course
- 9.7 km · about 17 min drive
- Price
- from about €85 a night
- Guest rating
- 8.3/10 on Booking.com
- Breakfast
- 07:00–10:00
A large, family-friendly resort of suites with kitchenettes, with a spa, gym and heated hydrotherapy pool. For golfers the useful detail is breakfast: it starts at 7am, and the hotel offers a breakfast pack for early-morning departures if you ask at reception the day before, ideal for a first tee time at Penina.
- Early-departure breakfast pack
- Breakfast from 07:00
- 5 Senses Spa
- Free beach shuttle
- Airport transfer on request
4. Pestana Alvor Praia
Value- From the course
- 10.1 km · about 18 min drive
- Price
- from about €89 a night
- Guest rating
- 8.2/10 on Booking.com
A five-star hotel on the clifftop above Praia dos Três Irmãos, which can cost under €90 a night in winter. There is a heated indoor pool, sauna and Turkish bath for after your round, plus a seasonal kids' club. It does not offer specific golf services, but Penina is about 18 minutes away by car.
- Five-star clifftop hotel
- Heated indoor pool, sauna and Turkish bath
- Kids' club (seasonal)
- Free parking
All-inclusive resorts in Alvor
5. Pestana Blue Alvor Beach
All-inclusive- From the course
- 9.8 km · about 17 min drive
- Price
- from about €157 a night
- Guest rating
- 8.4/10 on Booking.com
- Breakfast
- 07:30–10:30
A five-star all-inclusive by Três Irmãos beach, so the price covers meals and drinks. It suits golfers travelling with family: there is a kids' club for 4 to 12-year-olds, a 24-hour gym and a padel court. The hotel does not offer golf services, so book your Penina tee times directly with the resort.
- All-inclusive
- Breakfast from 07:30
- Kids' club (ages 4–12)
- 24-hour gym
- Padel court
6. Tivoli Alvor Algarve – All Inclusive Resort
All-inclusive- From the course
- 9.7 km · about 16 min drive
- Price
- from about €200 a night
- Guest rating
- 8.3/10 on Booking.com
- Breakfast
- 07:30–11:30
A five-star all-inclusive resort with a spa (indoor heated pool, sauna, jacuzzi and Turkish bath) and a complimentary shuttle into Alvor and down to the beach. UK golf tour operators sell golf packages here, typically with rounds at nearby courses such as Alamos, Salgados and Morgado, and Penina is about 16 minutes away.
- All-inclusive
- Golf packages via tour operators
- Spa with indoor pool
- Shuttle to Alvor town and beach
- Kids' club
Penina Resort Course green fees and practice facilities
The Resort Course is open to visitors as well as hotel guests. On Penina's most recent published price list (2024/25), visitors paid around €32 to €34 for nine holes and €53 to €57 for 18, with small discounts for booking online, and hotel guests paid less. A buggy was €35 for nine holes and €55 for 18, and a full set of hire clubs €25. Penina has not published a newer list, so check current prices when you book.
Both courses share Penina's practice facilities: a natural-grass driving range, putting and chipping greens, a practice bunker and lessons with PGA professionals. Penina's Resort Course page says no handicap is required, though its price lists mention handicap certificates, so confirm when booking. The Championship Course does require one (28 for men, 36 for ladies).
Tips for golfers staying near Penina
Stay on the resort if golf comes first. With a free round every day on the golfer rate, Penina Hotel quickly pays for itself if you play daily. If you stay elsewhere, book your tee times directly with Penina.
Plenty of golf within 20 minutes. Alto Golf is around 13 minutes away, Palmares about 16, and Morgado about 18, so a base near Penina covers most of the western Algarve. Can't decide between Penina's two courses? Read Penina Championship vs Penina Resort.
Check winter openings. Some Alvor hotels close for part of the winter. Pestana Dom João II, for example, is closed for renovation until 1 May 2027. Faro Airport is about 70 km away, roughly 45 minutes to an hour by car.
Frequently asked questions
Which hotel is closest to Penina Golf Resort?
Penina Hotel & Golf Resort itself, which sits on the Championship Course with the Resort Course across the road. The closest alternative is Casa Penina Guesthouse, about 4 minutes away by car, whose pool overlooks the golf course.
Can you play the Penina Resort Course without staying at the hotel?
Yes. Penina sells green fees to visitors, and you can book online through the resort's website. Hotel guests pay lower rates.
What is the cheapest place to stay near Penina?
Casa Penina Guesthouse, with rooms from about €53 a night in the quieter months. In Alvor, RR Alvor Baía Resort starts at about €85.
Playing several courses? Find the best base for your trip
If Penina is just one stop on your golf trip, try Find Your Base on the Algarve Golf Map. Pick the courses you want to play and it shows you the area that sits closest to all of them, along with well-rated hotels nearby, so you spend less time driving and more time on the course.
