'Drive' into the brand new Tivoli Estela Golf & Lodges | Porto
- davidfspinheiro
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
Just 45 minutes north of Porto, Tivoli Estela Golf & Lodges makes a dramatic first impression: eco-lodges tucked behind Atlantic dunes, steps from a broad beach and a short buggy ride from the first tee at Estela golf course.
The new Resort (opened June 2025) centres everything around Stay & Play ease: 80 lodge-style rooms and suites with private decks, one restaurant and two bars, a wellness centre with a gym and hydrotherapy facilities like sauna, steam bath and indoor pool. There are also two heated outdoor pools (one for adults and one for children), and even padel courts, plus direct beach access for post-round sunset strolls.
It’s purpose-built for golfers with a 18-holes golf course in resort serviced by a course shuttle, yet comfortable for non-golfers, too.
Estela Golf Club itself is a true North Portugal headline act: a traditional links laid across three kilometres of dunes right on the Minho coast. Designed by Duarte Sottomayor and opened in 1989, it plays as a par-72 stretching to nearly 6,300 metres from the tips, with firm, fast greens, narrow landing zones and Atlantic breezes that turn club selection into an art form. Practice is serious here as well, with a 240-metre range (including covered bays), short-game areas and two putting greens, ideal for sharpening up before tackling wind-etched fairways.
Base yourself at Tivoli Estela Golf & Lodges and the region unfolds in easy day trips. Classic Oporto Golf Club in Espinho, the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula, is about 1 hour drive. Inland and just over 1 hour drive away as well is Amarante Golf, a scenic hilly test overlooking the Douro foothills. To the north, Ponte de Lima is approximate 45 minutes drive through the greenery of Vinho Verde region. And for a bucket-list finale, Vidago Palace Golf about 1 hour 30 minutes away, an elegant championship layout. Distances and drive times are from Tivoli Estela Golf & Lodges.
Beyond the green, the Douro is irresistible.
From Porto’s Ribeira you can board a traditional rabelo boat for the classic “six bridges” cruise (about 50 minutes) or head upriver for longer valley runs with vineyard stops and tastings (an easy way to swap fairways for terraced vines without losing the day).
And Porto rewards every golf off-day: ride the funicular to the Dom Luís I Bridge, wander the azulejo-lined halls of São Bento Station, browse Livraria Lello, linger in the Serralves gardens and museum, and toast it all in the Gaia port-wine lodges, each a quick hop from the coast.
With Tivoli Estela Golf & Lodges as your base, turn Northern Portugal into a compact golf region where links, parkland and mountain courses mingle with river cruising, culture and cuisine, precision off the tee, and plenty of flavour after the round.
