Wine tastingPortugal is renowned for its Port but is also establishing a good reputation for its still light wines that use a variety of indigenous grapes. For its size Portugal boasts a surprisingly high number of different styles of wine and vineyards can be found throughout the country. Oporto is famous for port wine, which became a major trade following a 1703 agreement with the United Kingdom, and there are many wine lodges (still bearing English names like Croft or Graham) where visitors are welcome. (For information on Madeira wine, see the
Madeira section.)
Music and folkloreThe melancholic
fado, said to have originated from 16th-century sailors’ songs, is Portugal’s best-known musical form. One of the best places to experience it is Lisbon, with many fado clubs located in the Alfama and Bairro Alto neighborhoods. One of the country’s main traditional crafts is the making of decorative tiles known as
azulejos. Visitors wishing to learn the craft should enquire locally. Traditional folk dancing is still practiced in rural areas and there are numerous colorful festivals (see
Special Events in the
General Info section).
WatersportsPortugal’s coastline offers excellent beach holidays with all the usual activities – swimming, snorkeling, water-skiing, sailing and windsurfing – widely available. For information on diving, which is practiced in many areas along the coast, contact the Portuguese Federation for Underwater Activities (FPAS), Rua Frei Manuel Cardoso 39, 1700 Lisbon (tel/fax: 2181 41148; e-mail:
fpas@fpas.pt; website:
www.fpas.pt). The Algarve has a perpetually mild climate, although the tides can be strong in the winter, and big-game fishing is popular here. The west coast is best for surfing; the Beiras in the north has big Atlantic breakers and is still fairly undeveloped, with many deserted beaches. The wetlands around Rio de Aveiro (crossed by numerous canals) offer some interesting boat trips in traditional Portuguese
moliceiros (gondola-like sailing barges). Another good boating destination is the Douro Valley, stretching from Oporto to the Spanish border, where the River Douro is navigable. Canoeing is available in the Peneda-Gerês National Park.
GolfPortugal is a well-known golfing destination and the south in particular has many championship golf courses (there are 19 in the Algarve alone). The climate allows playing all year round. Some of the best-known 18-hole courses include
Estoril, one of the oldest, close to Lisbon, hosting many major competitions;
Quinta de Marinha, on the Estoril coast near Lisbon, with good views of the Sintra mountain range;
Golden Eagle, near Rio Maior, boasting a typically US design, open to non-members;
Ponte de Lima, a typical mountain course in the northern Minho region, close to vineyards, fruit gardens and mountains;
Estela, on the coast near Póvoa de Varzim;
Tróia, in Alentejo, southern Portugal, reputedly the country’s most difficult course; and the
Royal Golf Course, in the Algarve, said to be one of the world’s most famous and most photographed courses.
OtherThe Peneda-Gerês National Park, a wilderness park in the far north near the Spanish border, has many short-distance walking trails with places to swim along the way. The dense
Foia forest in the Algarve highlands also offers good scenic walks. Horseriding is also available in the park as well as in many resorts elsewhere. Portugal offers some excellent cycling routes, notably in the Minho region in the north, where the most interesting villages and towns are sometimes not accessible by car.
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