Portugal, Porto Santo

FACTS PORTO SANTO
Where: Island in the Atlantic north of Madeira, Portugal.
Language: Portuguese (English works well)
Population: 5,000
Capital: Vila Baleira Currency: Euro.

PORTO SANTO GOLF
Number of holes: 18 (plus 9 practice holes). Par: 72
Length: 6,435 metres
Designer: Severiano Ballesteros
Character: Typical "Seve-course" with long and wide holes. Modern design and overall symmetry with an equal number of par three, par four and par five holes, six of each in other words. Mixed character with both parkland and spectacular holes along the cliffs.
Opened: October 2004

Travel: Via Lisbon or Madeira, with flights to Porto Santo. There are also boats between Madeira and Porto Santo, which take about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Portugal, Porto Santo - Colourful golf at Porto Santo, GC

Portugal's beautiful smear of colour puts a stamp on the holiday. Porto Santo offers golden sandy beaches, indigo blue sea and green Ballesteros creations - Porto Santo Golf.

Your body shudders at the same moment as the Atlantic’s cool water hits morning warm skin. Under your feet the golden sand tickles comfortably and the sun is about to take hold ever higher in the sky. Out in the Atlantic Ocean, about 37 kilometres away, the rocky big sister Madeira glances enviably at one of Europe's most exquisite beaches. Just as it should, the day in Porto Santo has begun with a morning swim.

Apart from the experience being like a soothing medicine for the soul, the body is also rewarded by the rich minerals in the golden sand that are frequently used by the island's growing number of spas.

For some time now, it has not only been the miles of sandy beach that attracts visitors to Portugal's new darling. After Severiano Ballesteros got a free hand on the island there is now a dramatic golf course of championship class. With perfect symmetry and even distribution between the par three, four and five-holes, the course offers a varied and spectacular round. In the true spirit of “Seve”, you can spread the strokes quite considerably before you are completely out of the game. Long and broad is the character of the first nine holes, but when you are on the thirteenth hole, you realize that everything experienced before was far from what is to come. Here the holes begin to climb along the cliffs and after the out of bounds pegs there is a precipice straight down into an indigo blue sea. If you hit crooked here there is no point in teeing up again.

A round at Porto Santo Golf makes an impression and after a visit to the club house, you are guaranteed sold. Here Moroccan and Portuguese meet in a tasteful design and it can be difficult to choose between enjoying the view on the veranda or curling up in a hot jacuzzi.

Porto Santo is a place that offers such peaceful tranquility that you probably have time for both. The world's oldest tourist - Christopher Columbus- also had much to choose from. It is therefore not surprising that the islanders are proud of Columbus, who had the world as a workplace, chose to marry at Porto Santo. A better rating is difficult to obtain.

By Anna Brolin

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Portugal, Porto Santo