Algarve neighborhood guide

Vilamoura property guide for foreign buyers (2026)

Vilamoura is the planned resort town between Quarteira and Falésia, built around the largest marina in the Algarve and the longest concentration of golf courses in southern Europe.

Vilamoura, Algarve

Median price / m²

€4,400

Rental / m² / month

€17

Gross yield

4.6%

Foreign-buyer share

64%

Who buys in Vilamoura

Golf-focused buyers, retirees, holiday-home owners with high rental demand in summer. Average ticket €450k-€1.2M for apartments, €900k-€3M for villas.

Transport and access

Faro airport 25 km / 25 min by A22. No train station — Loulé station 12 km. Internal shuttle and bus links to surrounding towns. Most car-dependent of the Algarve coastal towns.

Lifestyle, services, and amenities

Five championship golf courses (Old Course, Pinhal, Laguna, Millennium, Victoria); marina with 825 berths; tennis academy; equestrian centre. Strong Irish, British, and Scandinavian retiree presence.

Property types in Vilamoura

Resort apartments and villas, 90-300 m², most with pools and golf-course views. Heavy 2000-2015 construction with newer high-end builds 2020-onward.

Cost-to-buy: IMT + Stamp Duty + notary

Use the calculator below to model the exact IMT, Stamp Duty (0.8%), and notary estimate for your specific purchase price in Vilamoura. The calculator uses the 2026 mainland Portugal brackets and handles primary residence vs other and resident vs non-resident scales.

Portugal IMT calculator (2026 brackets)

Property transfer tax + Stamp Duty + notary estimate on a Portuguese urban residential purchase. AT 2026 mainland brackets.

€50k€2.5M
Buyer profile

Non-residents do not qualify for the primary-residence zero band even when buying their only home in Portugal.

Estimated total transaction tax

€19,725

5.60% on top of the purchase price

IMT (property transfer tax)
€15,709
Effective IMT rate
4.46%
Marginal IMT bracket
€324,058 – €648,022 @ 8.0%
Stamp Duty (0.8%)
€2,816
Notary + registry (estimate)
€1,200

Estimates based on Autoridade Tributária (AT) 2026 mainland brackets. Real IMT charged at escritura may differ if the assessed tax value (VPT) exceeds the purchase price, in which case AT charges on the higher number. Confirm with your Portuguese lawyer before closing.

Next steps

For the full buying process from offer to keys, see our complete buyer guide for foreigners. For mortgage rates and LTV for non-residents, see our mortgage guide. For the Portuguese tax-residency framework see our NHR / IFICI guide.

Other Algarve neighborhoods

Quinta do Lago

Quinta do Lago

€6,800/m²

Quinta do Lago is the premium gated resort within the Ria Formosa Natural Park, the highest-priced address in the Algarve and one of the highest in Portugal.

Carvoeiro

Carvoeiro

€4,200/m²

Carvoeiro is the small fishing village turned premium-villa coastal town between Lagoa and Ferragudo, with the most-photographed cliff-and-cove coastline in the Algarve (Benagil, Marinha, Albandeira).

Tavira

Tavira

€3,000/m²

Tavira is the eastern-Algarve town between Olhão and the Spanish border, with the strongest old-town character on the eastern Algarve and the best fishing village heritage in the region.

Faro

Faro

€2,800/m²

Faro is the regional capital and the Algarve's only major airport hub. Lower-priced than coastal-resort towns, with the strongest year-round services (hospitals, universities, government offices) and the deepest local-employment base.

Albufeira

Albufeira

€3,300/m²

Albufeira is the central-Algarve tourist hub with the largest year-round resident foreign population in the region and the deepest concentration of restaurants, bars, and tourist services on the coast.