Monte Rei sits inland from Vila Nova de Cacela, well away from the busy Golden Triangle. It is a single 18-hole course on a 1,000-acre estate, with the Serra do Caldeirão to the north and a strip of Atlantic to the south. The club reopened in September 2026 after a six-month renovation, so this winter is the first full season on rebuilt greens. Come for an unhurried round and a quieter corner of the Algarve.
Monte Rei Golf & Country Club green fees and tee times.
Visitors book tee times online through the club’s Golfmanager booking page, or by email to reservas@monterei.com. Full prepayment secures the time. Groups of up to four can cancel or reduce numbers up to 15 days before play; groups of five to 23 need 30 days. Every guest and visitor must show a valid handicap certificate. The recommended limits are 28 for men and 36 for women, with exceptions at the Director of Golf’s discretion. A shared buggy is part of the experience, and staff take you to it and to the range. On the course, collared shirts, tailored shorts or trousers and soft spikes are required. The club does not publish a standard green fee online; prices appear when you select a date in the booking system.
INDICATIVE GREEN FEE · CHECKED NOVEMBER 2026From €190
One player, buggy included, 15 November to 31 December 2026, as listed by algarvegolf.net, a tee-time reseller. The same listing shows €216 for January and February 2027 and €312 from March to June 2027. Monte Rei shows its own prices only in its booking system.
1 player + buggy, 15 Nov to 31 Dec 2026
€190
1 player + buggy, Jan to Feb 2027
€216
1 player + buggy, Mar to Jun 2027
€312
Twilight, 1 player + buggy, Jul to Aug 2027
€210
Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The round, in perspective.
The North Course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that opened in 2007. It is a par 72 of 7,182 yards from the back tees, laid over valleys and through mature trees on the foothills. Fairways are wide, but the movement in the ground asks for careful positioning into well-protected greens. The 2026 programme was a restoration rather than a redesign: rebuilt greens, upgraded bunkers, new irrigation and a pump station, refurbished cart paths and an improved range tee. Landscaping also repaired areas hit by recent wildfires. Tee times are spaced 12 minutes apart and the club sets a pace of play of 4 hours 30 minutes, so rounds rarely feel crowded. The planned South Course has never been built; there is one course here.
Make the trip work.
Monte Rei works best as the anchor of an eastern Algarve stay rather than a day trip from Vilamoura, which is over an hour away. The 4 hours 30 minutes pace target, valet arrival and range time mean a morning tee time fills most of the day. Book flights after your tee time is confirmed, because prepayment and the 15-day cancellation rule leave little room to move dates. If you are visiting in spring 2027, check the tournament calendar on the club website: charity days and member events can close the tee sheet to visitors.
Faro airport is about 55 km west, roughly 45 minutes by car along the A22 motorway, which uses electronic tolls; rental cars normally carry a transponder. Seville airport is about 1 hour 45 minutes east across the Guadiana. There is no practical public transport to the estate, so hire a car or arrange a transfer.
On the estate you can rent Clubhouse Residences, two- and three-bedroom linked villas, or three- and four-bedroom villas with private pools, all booked through Monte Rei. A 100-room Nobu hotel is planned as part of the next phase, but it is not open yet. Off the estate, Tavira is the obvious base: a river town with hotels and guesthouses about 20 minutes away. Cacela Velha and Monte Gordo give you beaches closer by.
Make a trip of it.
The eastern Algarve has several courses within 30 minutes. Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima sit beside each other near Cacela, and Castro Marim Golfe looks across the Guadiana into Spain. Benamor is close to Tavira. Away from golf, walk the Ria Formosa boardwalks from Cacela Velha, or take the small ferry from Tavira to the sand island of Ilha de Tavira. Seville makes a full day trip.
Find your season.
The course was closed from April to mid-September 2026 for renovation and reopened that month. Winter is the eastern Algarve’s strongest golf season, with mild days and fewer crowds than the Golden Triangle. Inland summer afternoons are hot, so July and August rounds are best booked early in the morning.
Yes. The Nicklaus course closed in April 2026 for green reconstruction, bunker work, irrigation upgrades and cart path repairs, and reopened in September 2026. The club described the work as renewing rather than reinventing the layout, so the routing and character are unchanged.
Do I need a handicap certificate to play Monte Rei?
Yes. The club’s rules say all guests and visitors must provide a valid handicap certificate. Recommended maximums are 28 for men and 36 for women. The Director of Golf can make exceptions, so ask before booking if you are just above the limit.
How much does it cost to play Monte Rei?
Monte Rei does not publish a fixed rate card online. Prices show in the Golfmanager booking page once you choose a date and include a shared buggy. Rates vary by season, and stay-and-play prices are quoted separately with villa bookings.
What is the nearest airport to Monte Rei?
Faro is the nearest airport, about 45 minutes by road along the A22. Seville airport in Spain is roughly 1 hour 45 minutes away and can work for flights that do not serve Faro.
Last checked 10 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
