This is the second time running that the Algarve golf region gets the top spot, ahead of Turkey and Murcia, getting forty-three percent of the votes. On the whole the Algarve was also the one to get the most awards – six in total.

This means that the Algarve also got the top awards in categories such as Best Golf Course in Portugal and Best Hotel/Resort in Portugal – the awards went to Oceanico Old Course in Vilamoura and Vale do Lobo respectively.

The award-winning Oceanico Old Course – located in the heart of Vilamoura – is one of the oldest courses in the region and is well-known all around the world. The Oceanico Golf CEO was thrilled with the news of winning the award and commented that it is testament to the hard work of the entire team that works there. It would indeed appear that many golfers continue to grace its perfectly maintained classic layout, despite the very strong competition from newer courses.

The president of the Algarve Tourism Board also commented on the new awards saying that the Algarve golf has around forty golf courses and that more than one million rounds are played on these coruses each year. That’s not a coincidence, the courses having garnered many international awards during the years and these latest ones only add to the reputation of the region.

Today’s Golfer has only been giving out the Travel Awards for two years, however the magazine reaches more than two-hundred thousand British golfers each month in total, and that is the most important tourist market for the Algarve, not necessarily the golfers – although they are important – but the UK market in general.

The event also featured the WTA Europe Golf Classic tournament which was played on the region’s best championship course, and considering we’re talking about the Algarve here, that must’ve been quite a hard choice to make, but they set on the Quinta do Lago South Course.

The focus of this Awards ceremony was on the world-class cuisine that the Algarve has to offer, because food is for some travelers a major part of their decision to visit one place over another. For instance, lovers of pizza will go straight for Italy while those more into pretzels and bratwurst will heat for Germany.

Thankfully the Algarve has an incredibly diverse and thriving food industry, thanks to the abundance of many different types of ingredients, geography, and cultural influences. From figs and oranges and the birthplace of ‘piri-piri’ chicken, this area of Portugal can satisfy even the most demanding of tastes and preferences, all of which can be washed down with signature Algarve wine.

In fact much of the non-tourist economy of the Algarve relies on farming oranges, strawberries, figs, carob beans and cork oak. In fact there are large parts of the region, which aren’t on the coast, that are covered with greenhouses meant to ensure the constant and strong growth of these types of products. Obviously these ingredients feature prominently in many Algarve and Portuguese recipes, for instance Portuguese fig cake is a favorite desert of the region while orange rolls and cakes are sold at many bakeries in the area as well. You can actually seek those locations out with the help of Algarve car hire services.

Now the for the famous ‘piri-piri’ chicken we mentioned earlier, an invention of the Algarve which you can find pretty much anywhere, from roadside takeaways to the most exclusive of restaurants. This regional dish has spread like spicy wild fire and you can find chain restaurants dedicated to it.