Palmares Announce New Partnership with European Tour Destinations
Fresh from celebrating its 50th anniversary, Palmares Ocean Living & Golf has continued planning for a golden future by becoming a member of the prestigious European Tour Destinations (ETD) network.
The iconic Algarve resort has enhanced its reputation as a market leader in Portuguese golf tourism by becoming the latest venue to join ETD, a global network of world-class golf destinations spanning 18 countries across three continents. Palmares now sits alongside some of the most celebrated resorts in the industry, including Costa Navarino in Greece, Quinta do Lago in Portugal and Terre Blanche in France.
The new partnership further reinforces Palmares’ growing international standing and places the Algarve resort among a select group of destinations recognized for delivering outstanding golf, residential and lifestyle experiences.
Palmares has established itself as an icon of tourism and golf in Portugal over the last five decades, keeping pace with the industry's transformations and reinventing itself with vision and sophistication. What began as an 18-hole course in 1975 has evolved into an integrated luxury resort with 200 hectares of panoramic views of Meia Praia and the Alvor estuary.
With facilities including a 27-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., an award-winning clubhouse, a five-star boutique hotel and 37 Signature Apartments, this Algarve resort is regarded among Portugal and Europe’s best golf destinations.
Complementing its hospitality and leisure offering, the resort also presents a distinctive residential component, with premium plots and Signature Apartments, further elevating its appeal to those seeking investment opportunities or the prospect of living in a setting defined by over 300 days of sunshine per year.
Further good times lie ahead with the sales launch of a new portfolio of the new Signature Residences III by RCR Arquitectes for this quarter, sea view detached villas and the opening of the first JW Marriott hotel in Portugal in 2028 with its branded residences. The new association with European Tour Destinations further demonstrates Palmares’ ongoing dedication to deliver excellence across every aspect of its customer journey.
“Joining European Tour Destinations is another significant milestone for Palmares,” said Nuno Sepúlveda, co-CEO of Details, Portugal’s largest golf course operator that manages the resort's golf course, accommodation and dining options. “This collaboration not only recognises the quality of golf that the resort offers but also its broader lifestyle vision, and we are honoured to be part of a network that represents the very best in global golf.”
European Tour Destinations brings together some of the most prestigious golf and lifestyle resorts in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Many of its member venues are home to courses that consistently feature prominently in international rankings, reflecting the network’s commitment to excellence, quality and innovation within the game.
Ian Knox, head of European Tour Destinations, said: “We are delighted to welcome Palmares to our global network. With its spectacular setting, outstanding course design and commitment to delivering world-class experiences, the resort is a natural fit for the European Tour Destinations network. Palmares has some incredible plans for the future, and we’re excited to seeing this new partnership evolve and go from strength to strength over the coming years.”
Golfers, couples and groups currently staying at the resort can select from a wide range of luxurious accommodation including a choice of one, two or three-bedroom signature apartments or the chance to stay at the resort’s boutique five-star 20-room Palmares Beach House Hotel.
Palmares Ocean Living & Golf is part of the portfolio of assets managed by Details – Hospitality, Sports, Leisure, which is owned by Arrow Global and is the company responsible for managing its tourism assets in Portugal. Details currently manages 23 hotels, 12 golf courses, an equestrian centre and several dining venues.
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Press release written and distributed on behalf of Palmares Ocean Living & Golf by Azalea.
For media enquiries, please contact Pete Simm on 01730 711920 or email petes@theazaleagroup.com
Palmares Ocean Living & Golf
Opened in 1975 and characterized by breathtaking views across the Bay of Lagos, Palmares Ocean Living & Golf is widely regarded as one of Europe’s bucket-list golf destinations.
Offering the stunning combination of parkland, heathland and links golf in a spectacular seaside setting, Palmares Golf is the stuff that dreams are made of. The course, which was designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Jnr, features three nine-hole linked loops (the Alvor, Lagos and Praia) that sweep down to the ocean, allowing all golfers the opportunity to marvel at the natural beauty and challenge of the 27 holes.
The golf is complemented by award-winning facilities, world-class gastronomy and a stunning selection of real estate. The Palmares clubhouse - designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects RCR Arquitectes and winner of Worlds’s Best Clubhouse at the 2025 World Golf Awards - provides the perfect place to relax and offers world-class gastronomy.
There are also plenty of accommodation options available for golfers, couples and groups. Palmares offers a choice of one, two or three-bedroom signature apartments or the chance to stay at the resort’s boutique five-star 20-room Palmares Beach House Hotel, while future developments will include the opening of a JW Marriott International hotel - the luxury brand’s first property in Portugal.
About Details - Hospitality, Sports, Leisure
DETAILS is a sports and hospitality platform owned by Arrow Global, responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of tourism assets in Portugal. The company currently operates and develops 28 hotel projects, including six units formerly part of the Dom Pedro Group, Hyatt Regency Vilamoura Algarve, Hilton Vilamoura, Palmares Beach House Hotel and Signature Apartments, as well as The Pearl, The Anchor and The Residences in Tróia. In the Sports & Leisure segment, DETAILS holds the largest portfolio of golf courses in Portugal, featuring the iconic Vilamoura courses – Old Course Vilamoura, Pinhal, Millennium, Laguna, and The Els Club Vilamoura, the Algarve’s first private golf course and the first Ernie Els club in Europe. This portfolio also includes the PGA Aroeira Lisbon courses, as well as Palmares, Vale Pisão, Tróia Golf, Monte Rei and San Lorenzo. The sports portfolio further comprises the prestigious Vilamoura Equestrian Centre and a modern Sports Centre currently under development.
About Arrow Global
Arrow Global, founded in 2005 and headquartered in the United Kingdom, is a leading European vertically integrated alternative asset manager, specialising in credit and real estate.
The Group identifies, acquires and manages credit portfolios, as well as real estate assets, primarily sourced from banks and financial institutions. Arrow Global’s business is regulated across several of the eight Western European countries in which it operates. It currently manages €112 billion in assets and employs more than 4,400 people.
Since 2020, the Group’s asset acquisitions have been carried out through its Investment Funds division, which focuses on deploying capital not only in Credit and Real Estate, but also in Hospitality and Tourism.
In Portugal, through Arrow Global Portugal, and in addition to its direct investments in Real Estate and Credit since 2013, the Group holds direct and indirect stakes in Norfin SGOIC and Norfin Serviços (Real Estate), Whitestar (NPLs), Restart Capital (Private Equity), Details – Hospitality, Sports, Leisure (Hotel Operations), Hefesto (Credit Securitisation), Nexor (Affordable Housing), CredImediato (Credit Intermediation), and more recently From (Commercialisation and Activation of the Group’s Real Estate Assets).
The Group also holds significant investments in high-profile assets and destinations such as Tróia, Vilamoura, Palmares, Aroeira, Monte Rei and Vale Pisão, among others.