The new Herdade Dos Salgados complex of apartments and townhouses, located 30 minutes from Faro airport and just outside the bustling tourist resort of Albufeira, also boasts one significant additional attraction . . . golf.

Property owners in the 20hectare development enjoy special access conditions at the adjacent 18-hole links course currently being upgraded to championship standard by legendary Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros.

Because of the many water obstacles, it's regarded as a challenging course, even for the experienced player. The clubhouse has recently been renovated and there's a new golf academy.

Facilities in the residential complex include a country club, a kids' club, seven public outdoor swimming pools, a heated indoor pool, health club, tennis courts and a spa.

Irish investors have already purchased 50 properties in the 470-unit first phase of the development. One hundred apartments and six town houses are still available for sale and will be ready for occupation in August and September.

The second, 300-unit phase will be completed next year and there are plans to construct two five-star hotels in the complex.

"There seems to be a trend emerging among purchasers, with families opting for apartments . . . probably because of the facilities available in the complex, " says Zita Brady of Irish selling agents, Property Partners. "At the same time, we're finding that a group of golf enthusiasts will sometimes share the cost of a house. You might have two couples purchasing a property between them."

Prices range from around 300,000 for the smaller apartments up to the 1m mark for larger houses.

There's a guaranteed rental income of 3.5% for three years and the developer offers an unusual rental management service for investors, which involves the equal division of rental income between the management and the homeowner.

One potential drawback of this service is the probable unavailability of your holiday home for personal use during peak season. However, most golf-playing investors will probably be content to visit during out-of-season periods when the weather is milder and greens are less congested.

(The privileged status homeowners enjoy on the course, including special start times, and for which they pay an annual charge, is not automatically transferred to others . . . tenants, for example . . .

who stay in the accommodation. ) "I bought this land five years ago and, mindful of the landscape, I have tried to integrate the development as seamlessly as possible, " says developer Carlos Saraiva.

"Seventy per cent of what we have sold so far has been bought by Portuguese people. But the Irish too seem to like the project. Back in Ireland you might not get the sunshine but I think our people enjoy a similar lifestyle.

"This development is just 250 metres from seven kilometres of beach. The sea here is flat . . . so it's a good resort for children.

"And I should point out that from next September on, new regulations will make it illegal to build closer than one kilometre from the water."

The focal point in each apartment is the floor-to-ceiling double-glazed aluminium panels which take up one entire livingroom wall and which slide back fully to allow access out onto the spacious balcony.

Portable wood-panelled shades installed on the balcony offer respite from the hot sun. Floor tiles in the same sand colour as the painted walls contrast with the dark Brazilian succupira hardwood used throughout.

High ceilings accentuate the sense of cool, airy and well shaded interiors. Integrated kitchens are cleverly concealed behind folding wooden panels.

Furniture is utilitarian, perhaps to a severe degree, and is all designed and manufactured in the developer's own Lisbon factory. The units are wired for TV, telephone and broadband and hot and cold air conditioning is installed.

Clean lines and spacious interiors allow the houses reflect the tradition of Algarve dwellings. Smaller houses make optimum use of space: the walls of the atriumstyle livingrooms extend up to the roof.

Glass-sided staircases lead up to the first floor, where balconies look out on small private swimming pools at the rear. Some pools are overlooked by neighbouring balconies and the close proximity of a public road further compromises privacy.

Two-bed apartments measure between 98sq m and 118sq m, plus approximately 23sq m of veranda. One parking space is included and prices range between 307,000 and 340,000.

Three-bed units measure 135sq m and have approximately 29sq m of veranda and come with one or two parking spaces. The units cost between 420,000 and 450,000.

Two-bed townhouses measure 210sq m and have a 28sq m veranda as well as 109sq m green area and a 33sq m swimming pool.

Three-bed units have 238 sq m of floor space, plus a 28sq m veranda and 109sq m green area. Each house has a 33sq m swimming pool. Two parking spaces are included and the price is 780,000.

Four-bed townhouses measure 300sq m plus a 60sq m veranda and 300sq m of green area. The swimming pool measures 45sq m and there are two parking spaces.

Expect to pay in the region of 1m for these houses.

Sales executive Marco Brunner, escorts me along the cobbled paths that wend their way through the series of four-storey apartment blocks. The townhouses are built in rows. The sandcoloured finish, both inside and out, reflects the parched landscape. Workmen toil in the hot sun planting trees and preparing the ochre-tinted soil for rolled strips of grass carpet.

"The trick is to lay the grass at the right time. We're in the process now of planting 15 thousand olive and palm trees, which will help to further integrate the development with the surrounding landscape, " he says.

The scheme's uniformity . . .

block after block without any architectural variation . . . does offer a visually monotonous vista. Whether such aesthetic considerations will concern the investor who, the developer promises, can look forward to a projected capital appreciation of 15% or more per annum over the next five years, is a moot point.

The water supply for the development comes from a nearby lake, which also serves to irrigate the golf course.

The course is set on the flat lands behind the sandy beach of Praia de Gale. The links course is very open to the elements with little vegetation and lots of water hazards. The 18 holes, par 72, are well balanced, with two par fives on the front nine and two more on the back stretch.

The Algarve was recently selected as the best investment location by the Channel 4 series 20 Best Properties To Buy Abroad. And according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the area is set to become the most sought-after holiday destination in Europe.

Further information from Property Partners 01-6282111