Isla Canela Old

Isla Canela Old sits inside a nature reserve at the mouth of the Guadiana river, where it meets the Atlantic, on the western edge of the Costa de la Luz near Ayamonte. Designed by Juan Catarineu and opened in 1993, the course is built on flat, easy-walking terrain, with wide fairways running between natural dunes.

Don't let the flat layout fool you: olive, orange, eucalyptus and palm trees were deliberately placed to create natural hazards rather than just decoration, and the course has a habit of catching golfers who underestimate it on first sight. It's genuinely accessible for higher handicaps while still giving low handicappers plenty to think about, and the greens are known locally for their firmness and pace year-round, a hallmark that holds up across most of the course.

With a driving range, academy, locker room and putting green on-site, it's well set up for golfers wanting to work on their game before or after a round. Set within such a scenic stretch of protected coastline, this is one to book for golfers who want a proper strategic test alongside the setting.