Plan Your Trip Portugal Outdoors - Portugal - page 96

Estoril has nearly a dozen spectacular courses. Golf do Estoril, one of Portugal's best-
known, has hosted the Portuguese Open Championship 20 times. It's 5262m long and set
among eucalyptus, pine and mimosa trees. Two other Portuguese Open venues lie nearby:
Oitavos Dunes, which rolls over windblown dunes and rocky outcrops; and Penha Longa,
ranked one of Europe's best courses, with superb views of the Serra de Sintra. See
www.estorilsintragolf.net or the Estoril and Cascais turismos for full details of all courses.
Two well-regarded courses around Lisbon are Troia Golf near Setúbal and Praia d'El
Rey Golf & Beach Resort near Óbidos.
The Algarve has three-dozen courses at last count - including the renowned Vilamoura
Oceânico Victoria, San Lorenzo, Monte Rei and Vale do Lobo courses. For a general
overview, see the complete course guide at www.algarve-golf.com .
For golfing packages around Lisbon and in the Algarve, try UK-based 3D Golf
( www.3dgolf.com ) .
Bear in mind that golf courses' toll on the environment can be significant, especially in
fragile coastal settings like the Algarve.
SKI PORTUGAL?
Switzerland it isn't - or not even Spain! - but believe it or not, Portugal has a downhill ski run. The country's
highest peak, 1993m-high Torre in Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela ( Click here ) , offers basic facilities in-
cluding three lifts and equipment rental. Truth be told, Torre offers more curiosity value than actual skiing excite-
ment, and the mountain landscape is so fragile that it's hard to recommend this as sustainable tourism. If you're
really hard-up, and want a (slightly) less environmentally damaging alternative, you can always hit the rather sur-
real 'dry ski' run at SkiParque ( Click here ) east of Manteigas.
Horse Riding
Horse riding is a fantastic way to experience Portugal's countryside. Lusitano thorough-
breds hail from Portugal, and experienced riders can take dressage lessons in
Estremadura. Otherwise, there are dozens of horse-riding centres - especially in the Alen-
tejo, and in the Algarve at places like Silves, Lagos, Portimão and Albufeira. Northern
Portugal also offers some pleasant settings for rides, including Campo do Gerês ( Click
here ) at the edge of Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês. Rates are usually around €20 to
€30 per hour.
Switzerland-based Equitour ( www.equitour.com ) offers eight-day riding holidays around Por-
tugal costing €998 to €1710 per person, including accommodation and some meals. Its