Vilamoura Resort Development Begins

1970s

The planned resort development of Vilamoura, one of the largest private tourism projects in Europe, began in the early 1970s on land that had been part of a large agricultural estate east of Quarteira. The project created a purpose-built marina, golf courses, hotels, and residential developments on a scale previously unseen in the Algarve. The marina, with berths for over a thousand vessels, became the social and commercial centre of the resort. Five golf courses were eventually built within the Vilamoura estate, establishing the area as one of Europe's premier golf destinations. The development attracted international investment and a cosmopolitan resident population. Vilamoura represented a new model of Algarve tourism, upmarket and facility-rich, distinct from the budget package holidays of Albufeira and the simple beach tourism of earlier decades. The resort continues to expand and evolve, and its success influenced tourism development across the region.