Overseas - Portugal

Johnny Turner visits two of Portugal’s most prestigious forthcoming golf developments

First impressions about a prospective overseas holiday home or investment are made before the buyer gets to his destination. In fact, getting there – its ease or difficulty – is the first impression. And in the car between two upcoming developments and their respective airports I begin to see how simple, how eminently doable this is. A flight of less than three hours, and a quick, straightforward car journey and there you are.

First, in the Algarve, Oceânico Group is bringing to the market Vilamoura Golf & Gardens, a resort so luxurious, and so thoroughly figured out, that buyers are sure to make a beeline. The emphasis is on golf, but there is much more to it. The properties, for which infrastructure works are to begin by the end of this year, will be an excellent example of the specification and lifestyle options that are perfect for both investing and relaxing.

For golfers, this is heaven. There are presently five courses on the doorstep, recognised as being among the best in Europe – indeed, the Oceânico Victoria course hosts to the PGA Portuguese Masters 2007 to 2009. And as if that weren’t enough variety, two more courses, designed by Nick Faldo and Christy O’Connor Jnr, are to open in autumn next year in a location just 20 minutes away.

The architecture has a Moorish influence, with quiet courtyards, graceful arches, lakes and pools. The 170 acres of landscaped gardens make up 80 per cent of Vilamoura – and, in a move that is characteristic of the care taken over every aspect of the resort, these are created by the renowned garden designer Diarmuid Gavin (see page 32 for more).

Properties at Vilamoura include: two- and three-bedroom apartments with access to communal pools: two- and three-bedroom linked villas with private pools; and four- and five-bedroom villas with private pools and gardens. Prices range start at €485,000 for the apartments and €965,000 for linked villas, while the villas are priced from €2 million to €2.5 million.

Oceânico Prestige is a luxury range of high-spec that come packaged with a luxury lifestyle, including a Home Intelligent System, use of a Sunseeker luxury cruiser, access to an executive car service to and from Faro airport, a choice of four Diarmuid Gavin-designed garden types, and membership of seven world-class golf courses. The fact that many of the British Ryder Cup team have opted for this package says much about the level of lifestyle this plan offers.

In the future, the Vilamoura Beach Club will have a private beach concession to which Vilamoura Golf & Gardens owners will have access. The sea is only a five-minute drive away, giving holidaymakers and owners the choice of a wide range of activities.
Those who buy for investment will have the peace of mind that comes with knowing the property is secure and well managed. Oceânico Resorts & Leisure, the property rental and management division, lets owners get on with their lives without the day-to-day worries that come with running an overseas rental property. The rental service gives holidaymakers a luxury holiday experience, while the owners are provided with a high annual rental return.

Meanwhile, on the Silver Coast, only a 45-minute drive from Lisbon, the Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort will appeal to those in search of golf and the good life. Set in 336 acres of beautiful undulating scenery among pines and eucalyptus trees, this luxurious development will offer a mix of contemporary homes, including two- and three-bedroom apartments and two-, three- and four-bedroom villas.
Golf is a central focus here too, with a premier 18-hole championship golf course designed by the legendary Seve Ballasteros; buyers enjoy membership of the course.

Royal Óbidos is situated 650 metres from the Atlantic coast near Lagoa de Óbidos, a wonderful spot for water sports. Facilities at the resort will include private and communal swimming pools, tennis courts, spa facilities, cycle paths, restaurants and bars, as well as shops and a hotel/conference centre.
Prices start at €365,000 for a two-bedroom lock-off apartment and €945,000 for an exclusive four-bedroom villa. A full launch of Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort will be held at Windlesham Golf Club in Bagshot on 9 October.
For more information on these and other Oceânico Group projects call 0871 990 3388 or visit oceanicodevelopments.com.

With the high profile he has gained from appearances in such programmes as Home Front In The Garden, Diarmuid Gavin has spread the word about good garden design to millions. Now, with his work on the landscape design for the forthcoming Vilamoura Golf & Garden development, he moves garden design to a whole new level.For this project he has explored the Moorish history of the area, taking cues from Islamic design while also letting himself be guided by the character of the land itself. ‘The Islamic word for Paradise is Jidda – garden,’ he says. ‘It’s a magical site, it undulates.’He laughs at the irony of being commissioned to design the gardens of a development that is geared towards golf, when his first job was a not-very-satisfactory stint as a teenage caddy – ‘doing three hours’ work for 50 pence’.But back to the present, and the ancient ideas and shapes that inform his latest project. ‘Islamic gardens are a wonderful thing to with with, and they’re very simple.’ He points out that the afterlife, as portrayed in the Islamic faith, ‘is to live in this wonderful garden with sleet-smelling flowers. That’s what we wanted to create here.’Another consideration is the climate in which he is working, with limited rainfall. His aim at Vilamoura, he says, is ‘to lift it, to create some excitement – and to reduce reliance on water. We work with Portuguese species and other Mediterranean species. We want to lift the game with this one.’He is sourcing crafts from Marrakech, showing particular enthusiasm for a type of Moroccan-made lantern that he hopes to use for this project. ‘The crafts there are second to none. I went there with Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen for the Home Front programme. He left after two days, said it was boring. But I was transfixed.’There will be planted boundaries but the parts will still be interconnected. ‘We want to create a journey throughout the space. You can stop off at little areas, where you can get away from the kids and read a book.His mixture of curiosity and enthusiasm is childlike, which bodes well for the gardens. ‘This is like a botanic gardens with houses on it – that’s how I see it.’