Same designer, same estate, same all-inclusive hotel near Tavira — but Quinta de Cima bills itself as the championship test, and the numbers back it up. Here's how the two compare.
Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima sit on the same estate near Tavira, share a designer, opened months apart, and share the same all-inclusive hotel. They're about as close to sibling courses as it gets in the eastern Algarve — but the resort itself markets one of them as the tougher test, and the numbers back that up.
Same architect, same year, same estate
Both courses were designed by Rocky Roquemore and opened in 2002 — Ria first, in March, followed by Cima that July — on a 660,000 m² estate inside the Ria Formosa Natural Park. Both use bentgrass throughout, on tees, fairways and greens, which is a step up from the Bermuda grass used on most Algarve courses and keeps conditioning consistent whichever one you play.
Quinta da Ria: the scenic original
Ria plays a shorter 6,053 metres par 72 across two loops of nine, each with two par 5s, five par 4s and two par 3s, with five purpose-built lakes bringing water into play on several holes. It's the more scenic of the two, with panoramic views over the Ria Formosa lagoon and the eastern Algarve hills, and the more permissive handicap ceiling of the pair, at 24 for men.
"The Championship Course": Quinta de Cima
Cima is longer and, by the resort's own description, the more exacting of the two — its own website calls it simply "The Championship Course." At 6,586 metres par 72 (four par 3s, ten par 4s, four par 5s), a creek crosses several fairways to create strategic water hazards, and it carries a maximum handicap of 36 for all players — technically more open to beginners on paper, but the extra length and tighter demands mean it plays harder in practice.
Which one should you play?
If you want the more scenic, slightly shorter round with lagoon views, play Ria first. If you want the genuine championship test — more length, tighter water hazards, the course the resort itself puts forward as the serious one — play Cima. Green fees start from the same €100 at both, so most golfers staying nearby simply play both across a trip.
Where to stay
Both courses share the same on-site hotel, Robinson Club Quinta da Ria, a 4-star all-inclusive resort with 259 rooms overlooking either the fairways or the Ria Formosa nature reserve, three pools, a spa and a kids' club. You can book it directly on Booking.com.
Want the numbers side by side instead? Open the course comparator to see Ria and Cima's price, length, handicap limits and facilities pulled straight from our live course data.
