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Despite its size, Portugal offers a great variety of terrain, with a wide range of sports and leisure activities to match.
Golf and tennis facilities have been well established for many years, and in the south the mild climate means that both sports can be enjoyed all year round. Other activities such as walking, cycling, riding and water sports are also widely enjoyed and easily arranged.

Tennis courts are found almost everywhere in Portugal and certainly alongside most tourist facilities. In the Algarve, most of the courts in tourist complexes are hard-surfaced, although elsewhere many are clay. The larger resorts in the Algarve, Madeira and the Estoril Coast & Sintra region offer tennis coaching holidays.

Portugal’s resorts are also famous for their golf courses, which include some of Europe’s finest. The majority offer coaching for golfers of all abilities and specialist holidays are now easy to arrange. Although most of Portugal's best courses exist in the Algarve and the Estoril Coast, although more are being built in Portugal’s lesser-known regions such as on the west coast and in the north of the country.

Surfing, windsurfing and sailing are extremely popular along Portugal’s 800 kilometres of coastline and around the Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Azores. The best beach for surfing is the world-famous Guincho, just outside Cascais in the Estoril Coast, where international championships are often held. More moderate conditions can be found in the Algarve resorts, where windsurfing boards and small sailing boats can be rented and lessons easily arranged. Also in the Algarve, the modern marinas at Lagos and Vilamoura are important yachting centres.

Canoeing and kayaking are popular pursuits on many of the country’s rivers, especially on the Mondego, the Zêzere and the Cávado. Portugal’s coasts and rivers also provide plenty of opportunities for the fisherman, from deep-sea fishing off the shores of the Algarve, Madeira and the Azores, to angling in the mainland rivers for trout and salmon.

Walkers will find excellent conditions in both the Montesinho Natural Park and the Peneda-Gerês National Park, but some of Portugal’s best walks are on Madeira and the islands of São Miguel and São Jorge in the Azores. In Madeira, visitors can walk alongside the levada irrigation channels, some of which date back to the 15th century. Following the levadas allows access to parts of the island where no roads can penetrate. Other areas are well suited to mountain biking, particularly in the Peneda-Gerês National Park which has many scenic routes. Portugal also enjoys a famous riding tradition as a result of the country’s fine Lusitano horses.

In the Serra da Estrela mountains near Penhas da Saúde, ski tows and lifts serve Portugal’s only organised ski resort. Conditions are best between January and March, but the resort is sometimes closed due to too much or too little snow.

TENNIS

Tennis is becoming more popular in Portugal, thanks to an abundance of courts at the larger hotels and resorts in the main tourist areas of the country. The majority of courts have either an asphalt or clay surface, while many are floodlit.

Most towns and cities have public tennis courts available, while dedicated tennis centres can be found in various parts of Portugal, including Vilamoura and Estoril, where racquets and balls can be hired for a small fee. Individual or group lessons can be arranged with the resident professional coach. Lisbon’s main tennis complex boasts a rural location in the heart of Monsanto Forest, on the west side of the city.

GOLF

Golf in Portugal is developing rapidly. Some established clubs are enlarging their courses and new projects are planned all over the country.

Ever since British Port wine producers built the first course near Oporto in 1890, Portugal has been a true paradise for visiting golfers.

And it’s not difficult to see why Portugal and golf go so well together. Besides the mild year-round climate, the country’s varied topography gives each course a character all of its own, meaning that every region offers a different type of golfing challenge.

The volcanic islands of Madeira and the Azores are popular for their lush, green courses boasting unparalleled views, while the Estoril Coast’s unique microclimate ensures high-quality golf all year round. Most famous of all is the long, green ribbon of courses in the Algarve, made famous by leading course designers like Sir Henry Cotton, Frank Pennink and Robert Trent Jones.

But Portugal’s biggest golfing asset is its wide range of accessible accommodation, particularly in the Algarve where luxury resorts intertwine with some of the best courses in Europe. Likewise, the Estoril Coast and Madeira boast quality hotels within easy reach of championship golf courses.

Golf on the Algarve is an established pursuit, having drawn golfers from around the world for decades. The region has gained a reputation as one of Europe’s prime destinations, with golf playable twelve months of the year on first-class courses designed by some of the world’s leading architects.

The Lisbon Coast is another well-established golfing region, with several championship courses within easy reach of the capital. Further north lies Praia D’El Rey, a challenging links course situated on Portugal’s rugged Atlantic coast.

Playing at an altitude of 500 metres certainly makes Madeira Island one of the most unusual golfing destinations in Europe. Set in eucalyptus trees high up in the mountains, the Santo da Serra course affords spectacular views of the ocean and surrounding landscape, while the opening of Palheiro golf course in October 1993 considerably enhanced the island’s reputation as a first-choice golfing destination.

SAILING

Portugal first discovered its seafaring vocation long ago, but it was in the fifteenth century that the Portuguese embarked upon the great cycle of discoveries that was to open up new frontiers and horizons overseas, a natural impulse for a country that has always lived facing the ocean.

These days, many coastal towns and resorts have sailing clubs that hire out boats and run courses both for beginners and more advanced sailors.

Besides Vilamoura in the Algarve, arguably the finest marina of them all, with the best facilities for boats and crew, there are lots of smaller harbours and anchorages right the way along the Portuguese coast, including the Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores.

FISHING

Portugal offers plenty of fishing options both inland and along its extensive Atlantic shoreline, from where over 150 varieties of fish can be caught.

Fishing is a very pleasant leisure activity in Portugal, particularly in the south of the country where the sun shines for most of the year. No permit is required on beaches, rocks and in the sheltered estuary waters, although one is required to fish in the many rivers and lakes inland (ask at the local tourism office).

Tavira in the Algarve is a good place to catch plaice, sole and sea bass from the nearby beaches, while some of the best fishing waters are situated off the Sagres peninsula at the western end of the region.

For deep-sea fishing – generally for swordfish, but occasionally for shark, tuna or marlin – visitors can rent a boat with a knowledgeable sea captain at various places along the Algarve coast, as well as on the islands of Madeira and the Azores. North of Lisbon, the fishing town of Peniche is considered one of the best-organised deep-sea fishing centres in Portugal.

Some species of fish are unique to Portuguese waters, most notably the scabbard fish (peixe espada), which averages two metres in length, and three different varieties of trout. Black bass is most commonly found in lagoons and dams throughout the country, especially in the Algarve, while salmon can be caught in the Minho and Lima rivers in the north of Portugal.

WALKING

Walking is by far the best way to appreciate Portugal’s stunning landscapes, thanks to a well-organised network of footpaths traversing every part of the country.

Madeira is a dream destination for hikers of all abilities due to its famous levada irrigation channels that criss-cross the island, providing natural walkways for visitors exploring the interior.

The hills of northern and central Portugal and the beach cliffs of the Algarve all make for peaceful, pleasant strolls or climbs, while rest areas and dedicated picnic areas are common in the many national parks that exist throughout the country.

Summer visitors are advised to be wary of the afternoon heat, especially in the southern parts of Portugal.