Plan Your Trip

Portugal Outdoors

Outdoors enthusiasts will find plenty to appreciate in Portugal. With 830km of coastline, there’s first-rate surfing all along the coast. Inland, rolling cork fields, granite peaks and precipitous river gorges form the backdrop for a host of other activities – from walking to birdwatching, horse riding to paragliding.

Best Outdoors

Best Surf Spots

Peniche (Click here)

Ribeira d’Ilhas (Click here)

Carrapateira (Click here)

Cabedelo, Viana do Castelo (Click here)

Meia Praia, Lagos (Click here)

Best Places to Walk

Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês (Click here)

Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela (Click here)

Via Algarviana (Click here)

Parque Natural de Montesinho (Click here)

Rota Vicentina (Click here)

Best Places to Watch Wildlife

Parque Natural da Ria Formosa (Click here)

Sado estuary (Click here)

Parque Natural do Douro Internacional (Click here)

Surfing

Portugal has some of Europe’s most curvaceous surf, with 30 to 40 major reefs and beaches. It picks up swells from the north, south and west, giving it remarkable consistency. It also has a wide variety of waves and swell sizes, making it ideal for surfers of all levels. Numerous surf schools in the Algarve and along Portugal’s western Atlantic coast offer classes and all-inclusive packages for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced.

When to Surf

The best waves in southern Portugal generally occur in the winter from November to March. Further north, spring and autumn tend to be the best seasons for surfing action. Waves at these times range from 2m to 4.5m high. This is also the low season, meaning you’ll pay less for accommodation, and the beaches will be far less crowded. Even during the summer, however, the coast gets good waves (1m to 1.5m on average) and, despite the crowds, it’s fairly easy to head off and find your own spots (with your own wheels, you can often be on your own stretch of beach just by driving a few minutes up the road).

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WAVES

In 2009 Portugal’s surf scene got a real shot in the arm when Supertubos beach near Peniche was chosen as one of 10 stops on the ASP World Tour, the most prestigious international competitive surfing event. For 12 days in October, the beach was packed with surfers from around the world showing off their best moves. The event’s organisers apparently liked what they saw – Supertubos has hosted the international contest every year since then.

Supertubos isn’t the only spot in Portugal with great breaks. Some 60km north of Peniche, you’ll find some of the world’s tallest waves, thanks to a deep-water canyon connected to the shoreline. In 2011 Hawaiian surfer Garret McNamara set the world record for the biggest wave ever ridden by riding a wave reportedly 30.5m (100ft) high.

What to Take

The water temperature here is colder than it is in most other southern European countries, and even in the summer you’ll probably want a wetsuit. Board and wetsuit hire are widely available at surf shops and surf camps; you can usually score a discount if you rent long-term – otherwise, you’ll be paying around €20 to €30 per day for a board and wetsuit, or €15 to €25 per day for the board only.

Prime Spots

One of Portugal’s best breaks is around Peniche (Click here), where you can count on good waves with just about any wind. An excellent hostel and several residential surf camps make this an affordable base. Super­tubos and Baleal are the most popular local beaches.

Other fabled surf spots include Ribeira d’Ilhas in Ericeira (Click here) and Praia do Guincho (Click here) near Cascais, which often host international championships. Another break that’s famous among the global surfing community is Carrapateira (Click here) in the western Algarve. Schools and clubs head over this way from Lagos and further afield to take advantage of the crashing waves. Nearby, the area around Praia do Penedo is a good choice for beginners.

There are countless other good surf spots up and down the coast including, but by no means limited to, the following, from north to south: Viana do Castelo (Click here), Praia da Barra (Click here), Costa Nova (Click here), Figueira da Foz (Click here), Nazaré (Click here), Costa da Caparica (Click here), Sesimbra (Click here), Vila Nova de Milfontes (Click here) and Zambujeira (Click here).

Information

There are dozens of schools that can help you improve your surfing. Most offer weekly packages including simple accommodation (dorms, bungalows or camping), meals and transport to the beach.

Recommended surf camps north of Lisbon include Ericeira’s Ribeira Surf Camp (Click here) and the camps at Baleal (Click here).

In the Algarve you’ll have your pick of countless operators, many of them concentrated around Lagos (Click here), Sagres (Click here) and Carrapateira (Click here).

Surfer Sites

For information on wave conditions, competitions and more, surf on over to one of these helpful sites.

www.magicseaweed.com International site with English-language surf reports for many Portuguese beaches.

www.surfingportugal.com Official site of the Portuguese Surfing Federation.

www.surftotal.com/pt Portuguese-language site with news about the national surf scene and webcams showing conditions at a dozen popular beaches around Portugal.

Walking

Portugal’s wonderful walking potential is all the better because so few people know about it. Most organised walking clubs are found in the Algarve, there is a cluster of organisations around Monchique but other good bases are Sagres and Vila Real de Santo António. Northern Portugal has more mountainous terrain and several lovely, little-visited natural parks.

When to Walk

Summer temperatures can get stiflingly hot in some regions – particularly Trás-os-Montes, Beira Baixa, the Alentejo and the Algarve. To beat the heat, consider travelling in spring (April and May) or autumn (late September and October).

What to Take

Wherever you go, you’ll want a hat, strong sun protection and some type of palliative for aching feet. A compass can come in handy, as trail maintenance and signposting are often spotty. Maps (or photocopies thereof) are best obtained at local turismos (tourist offices). If you’re headed to the showery north, be sure to bring reliable rain gear.

BEST READS BEFORE HITTING THE TRAIL

The following books, available online or at bookstores in Lisbon and Porto, are great planning aids for some of the country’s best hikes.

» Walking in the Algarve: 40 Coastal & Mountain Walks , by Julie Statham and June Parker (2006), Cicerone Press − An excellent guide co-authored by British-born Algarve resident and tour leader, Julie Statham.

» Landscapes of Algarve: Car Tours and Walks , by Brian and Eileen Anderson (revised 2012), Sunflower Books − Lots of useful information for exploring the southern coast.

» Routes to the Landscapes and Habitats of Portugal , by Pedro Castro Henriques, Renato Neves and João Carlos Farinha (2005), Assirio & Alvim − Features environmentally -focused routes all over Portugal.

» Portugal Passo-a-Passo: 20 Passeios por Portugal , by Abel Melo e Sousa and Rui Cardoso (2004), Edições Afrontamento − A great little guide for anyone who reads Portuguese, with full-colour pictures and maps outlining 20 hikes all around the country.

Prime Spots

Southern Portugal offers some lovely hiking opportunities. One of the newest routes (opened in 2013) is the Rota Vicentina (Click here), which consists of two signed long-distance trails in the Alentejo – one along the coast (120km), one inland (230km) – both of which offer picturesque scenery, and there are opportunities to stay in guesthouses along the way.

Those interested in walking the breadth of the country should consider the Via Algarviana (Click here), a 300km route following paved and unpaved roads between Alcoutim and Sagres that takes two to three weeks. Day hikers will find the Algarve equally rewarding, in places like Monchique (Click here) and Rocha da Pena (Click here).

In the Beiras, the Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela (Click here) forms a beautiful backdrop for walking, with both day hikes and multiday itineraries. In many places you’re likely to have the trail to yourself. Especially beautiful is the Vale do Zêzere, a glacial valley at the foot of Torre, Portugal’s highest peak. A good base in this region is the mountain village of Manteigas. Also in the Beiras is the beautiful multiday GR-22 walking route, a 540km circuit of historic villages including medieval hill towns such as Sortelha, Linhares and Monsanto.

Perhaps the country’s best walking is in the far north, where Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês (Click here) offers gorgeous hikes over mountainous terrain, encompassing forests, villages, high-altitude boulder fields, archaeological sites and ancient Roman milestones. A quiet base for adventure is Campo do Gerês (Click here), while a busier touristy base (but with lots of services) is Vila do Gerês. In neighbouring Trás-os-Montes, the natural parks of Montesinho (Click here), Alvão (Click here) and Douro Internacional (Click here) also have some splendid trails connecting the region’s remarkably picturesque stone villages.

Closer to civilisation, there are some great day hikes in prime tourist areas, including the walk along the top of Évora’s 16th- century aqueduct and the climb from Sintra to its 9th-century Moorish castle (Click here).

Walking Tours

If you love to walk but hate to plan, why not consider an organised walking tour? The companies listed here offer both group walking tours – complete with tour leader – and self-guided tours where you walk independently, following an itinerary provided by the tour company, with pre-arranged meals and lodging included in the price.

Based about 10km north of Sagres, Portugal Walks (www.portugalwalks.com) offers week-long packages (self-guided/group walks from €490/610) in mainland Portugal as well as Madeira and the Azores.

Another dependable Portuguese outfitter offering guided walks is A2Z Adventures (www.a2zadventures.com) .

Ecotourism company Sistemas de Ar Livre (Click here), in Setúbal, arranges activities including three-hour guided walks. Also try the following UK-based companies:

ATG Oxford (www.atg-oxford.co.uk) Offers weeklong guided walking holidays between Sintra and Cascais, and also in the Azores.

Headwater (www.headwater.com) Weeklong jaunts in the Serra da Estrela, Alentejo and Algarve regions.

Ramblers Holidays (www.ramblersholidays.co.uk) Guided seven- to 10-day walking holidays in the Minho, the Douro and the Algarve.

VBT Bicycling & Walking Vacations (www.vbt.com) Guided weeklong walking tours in the Douro region.

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Every year thousands of walkers from around the world hike the Camino de Santiago , the classic pilgrimage route from France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. But what if you’re already in Portugal? Portuguese pilgrims have their own route to Santiago, less crowded but just as interesting. Like its sister trail to the north, the Caminho Português has multiple starting points, but the best-known section originates in Porto. Information is available through the Associação dos Amigos do Caminho Português de Santiago (www.caminho­portuguesdesantiago.com) .

Information

Many turismos and natural-park offices offer free brochures about local walks, although materials frequently go out of print due to insufficient funding. Other organisations that produce free maps of their own trails include Odiana in the Algarve and the Centro de Interpretaçaõ da Serra da Estrela (CISE) in the Serra da Estrela.

Portugal uses a system of coloured blazes to mark its trails. White and red are the colours of choice for the major multiday trails known as Grandes Rotas, while red and yellow blazes indicate Pequenas Rotas (shorter day hikes). Common blaze patterns and their meanings are outlined here.

Other Outdoor Activities

While walking and cycling can be done at the drop of a hat, many other outdoor activities need a bit more organisation – and often specialist gear, as well as guides or instructors. Below are a few ideas to inform and inspire. If you need more details while you’re travelling in Portugal, turismos can advise about specialist local operators and adventure centres.

Natural Parks & Reserves

Portugal’s mixed bag of natural parks and reserves is worth the effort. The Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês is the country’s only bona fide parque nacional (national park), but there are 24 other parks of varying designations. These areas total some 6500 sq km – just over 7% of Portugal’s land area.

The Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e da Biodiversidade (ICNB; http://portal.icn.pt) is the government agency responsible for the parks. It has general information, but detailed maps and English-language materials are sometimes hard to come by. Standards of maintenance and facilities vary wildly. For a picture of all the rich wildlife and diverse landscapes on offer, browse the table below.

Park/Reserve	Features
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês (Click here)	lushly forested mountains, rock-strewn plateaus, deer, birds of prey, hot springs, wolves, long-horned cattle
Parque Natural da Arrábida (Click here)	coastal mountain range, birds of prey, diverse flora, damaged by wildfire
Parque Natural da Ria Formosa (Click here)	salty coastal lagoons, lakes, marshes, dunes, rich bird life, beaches, Mediterranean chameleons
Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela (Click here)	pristine mountains – Portugal’s highest, rich bird life, rare herbs
Parque Natural das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros (Click here)	limestone mountains, cave systems, covered in gorse & olive trees
Parque Natural de Montesinho (Click here)	remote oasis of peaceful grassland & forest, last wild refuge for Iberian wolf
Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais	rugged coastline & mountains, diverse flora
Parque Natural do Alvão (Click here)	granite basin, pine forest, waterfalls, rich bird life, deer, boar
Parque Natural do Douro Internacional (Click here)	canyon country with high cliffs & lakes, home to many endangered birds of prey
Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana (Click here)	gentle hills & plains, rivers, rare birds of prey, snakes, toads, prehistoric sites
Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina (Click here)	coastal cliffs & remote beaches, unique plants, otters, foxes, 200 bird types
Reserva Natural da Berlenga (Click here)	remote islands in clear seas, rock formations, caves, seabirds
Reserva Natural das Dunas de São Jacinto (Click here)	thickly wooded coastal park, rich in bird life
Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado (Sado estuary; Click here)	estuary of mud, marshes, lagoons & dunes, bird life including flamingos, molluscs, bottlenose dolphins
Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo António (Click here)	marshland & salt pans, flamingos, spoonbills, avocet, Caspian terns, white storks

Rock Climbing, Paragliding & Adrenalin Sports

In the far north, the granite peaks of Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês (Click here) are a climber’s paradise. Other popular places are the schist cliffs at Nossa Senhora do Salto, east of Porto; the 500m-tall granite Cántaro Magro in the Serra da Estrela (Click here); the limestone crags of Reguengo do Fetal near Fátima ; the sheer rock walls of Penedo da Amizade, just below Sintra’s Moorish castle; the dramatic quartzite ridge of Penha Garcia (Click here), near Monsanto in Beira Baixa; and Rocha da Pena (Click here) in the Algarve.

Useful climbing organisations include Clube Nacional de Montanhismo (www.cnm.org.pt) and Grupo de Montanha e Escalada de Sintra (www.gmesintra.com) . The latter publishes free downloadable guides to crags as well as the online climbing magazine, Vertigem (www.vertigem-mag.com) .

Paragliding is also popular in the north. Two prime launch sites are Linhares (Click here) in the Serra da Estrela and Alvados (Click here) in the Parque das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros.

Several local adrenalin-sports outfitters have English-language websites.

Eco-aware, Sesimbra-based Vertente Natural (Click here) offers trekking, canyoning, canoeing, diving and rappelling.

Capitão Dureza ( 239 918 148; www.capitaodureza.com) This outfit located outside of Coimbra organises high-adrenalin activities including rafting, canyoning, abseiling (rappelling), mountain biking and trekking.

Freetour (www.freetour.pt) This Leiria-based agency organises rafting, canyoning, abseiling, mountain biking and trekking, plus paragliding and skydiving throughout Portugal.

Trilhos (www.trilhos.pt) A Porto-based company promoting environmental tourism, offering climbing, caving, canyoning, trekking and other adventure sports.

PENNILESS PEDALLING

Fancy a ride without spending a euro-cent? An increasing number of Portuguese towns have adopted free bike programs . In places like Aveiro and Cascais you can show up at the local free bike agency, provide a photo ID, fill out a short form and presto! – off you go on your very own bicycle.

Boating

Along the coast, especially in the Algarve, pleasure boats predominate, offering every­thing from barbecue cruises and grotto tours to dolphin-spotting excursions. Inland, Portugal’s rivers, lagoons and reservoirs offer a wide variety of boating opportunities, including kayaking, sailing, rafting and canoeing. Rivers popular for boating include the Guadiana, Mondego, Zêzere, Paiva, Minho and Tâmega.

Companies that rent boats and/or operate boat trips can be found in Lagos, Mértola, Barragem do Alqueva, Tomar, Coimbra, Ponte de Lima, Rio Caldo and Amarante, just to name a few.

Cycling

Portugal has many exhilarating opportunities for mountain biking ( bicicleta todo terreno; BTT). Monchique (Click here) and Tavira in the Algarve, Sintra (Click here) and Setúbal (Click here) in central Portugal and Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês (Click here) in the north are all popular starting points.

Bicycle trails are also growing in popularity. Rio Lima in the north has a handful of short greenways (ranging from 8km to 13.3km) that are popular with cyclists, walkers and runners. Another rail-to-trails initiative, the 49km Ecopista do Dão between Viseu and Santa Comba Dão in the Beiras, opened in 2011. There are even places to rent bikes near the start in Santa Comba Dão. Down south, the ambitious Ecovia do Litoral is a 214km cycling route across the Algarve that will eventually connect Cabo de Sao Vicente at Portugal’s southwestern tip to Vila Real de Santo António on the Spanish border. Meanwhile, bike paths have become fixtures of the urban landscape around Lisbon and in northern cities like Porto, Coimbra and Guarda; popular bike trails have also cropped up in coastal venues such as the Estremadura’s Pinhal de Leiria and the Lisbon coast between Cascais and Praia do Guincho.

GREAT OUTDOOR ADVENTURES FOR FAMILIES

» Mountain bike through the outback to see the Palaeolithic petroglyphs at Parque Arqueológico do Vale do Côa (Click here).

» Kayak with your kids down the Rio Mondego (Click here) from Penacova to Coimbra.

» Learn to surf with the whole family at Hooked Surf School (Click here) in Costa da Caparica.

» Take the invigoratingly bouncy boat ride (Click here) from Peniche to Berlenga Grande, then stay overnight in a 17th-century fort converted into a hostel (Click here).

» Look for dolphins (Click here) – and learn about them from an onboard marine biologist – as you ply the Atlantic waters off the Algarve coast.

» Walk through a landscape of dramatic mountains and stone shepherds’ huts as you climb the glacial Zêzere Valley, then cool off with icy water from a natural spring in Parque Natural Serra da Estrela (Click here).

» Scan the horizon for pirates from the 17th-century fort (Click here), play king of the castle at the Moorish castelo , or build sandcastles of your own on the beach at Sesimbra.

» Take the narrow-gauge train to the lovely, wild beaches along Costa da Caparica (Click here).

» See dinosaur footprints – yes, real dinosaur footprints! – at Cabo Espichel (Click here) or Monumento Natural das Pegadas dos Dinossáurios (Click here).

Cycling Tours

If you’re looking for a good day trip or a longer cycling holiday, the following excellent local companies can point you in the right direction.

Portugal Bike (www.portugalbike.com) Lisbon-based operator that offers an excellent selection of bike tours – on road bikes, mountain bikes or hybrids – available year-round. Trips go through the Algarve, Minho or Alentejo. There’s also a route that follows the Camino de Santiago through northern Portugal and into Spain. Tours run five to 10 days and are available guided or self-guided.

Blue Coast Bikes ( 265 092 172; www.bluecoastbikes.travel; Rua das Fontaínhas 82; bike hire per day from €15, guided tours from €70) An American-Portuguese partnership based in Setúbal, offers six- and eight-day guided tours through the Douro Valley, around the Alentejo and along the Costa Azul. Their mechanic is a former Portuguese downhill and cross-country champion.

Pedal in Portugal (www.pedalinportugal.com) A well-established, Portugal-based company offering both guided and self-guided road- and mountain-bike tours in both the Alentejo and the Algarve. It also runs day tours in the Algarve.

You can also try the following UK- and US-based companies.

Easy Rider Tours (www.easyridertours.com) Features several guided cycling itineraries in the Minho, Alentejo and Algarve and along the Lisbon coast near Sintra.

Saddle Skedaddle (www.skedaddle.co.uk) Offers both guided and self-guided tours lasting eight to nine days. Trips go through the eastern Beiras and the Alentejo (with a coastal and an inland route). The ambitious can sign on for a 16-day trip.

Saranjan Tours (www.saranjan.com) High-end cycling tours in the Algarve, Alentejo, Minho and Douro regions.

Diving

Portugal’s best dive sites are concentrated in the Algarve. The water temperature is a bit crisp (around 14°C to 16°C, though it doesn’t vary much between summer and winter); most divers prefer a 5mm suit. Visibility is usually between 4m and 6m; on the best days, it can range from 15m to 20m.

One of the best places for beginners to learn to dive is off Praia do Carvoeiro (Click here), with several operators offering PADI-accredited courses in English. PADI-accredited courses are also offered in Lagos (Click here) and Sagres (Click here).

Closer to Lisbon, there are diving outfits at Costa da Caparica (Click here), Sesimbra (Click here) and Reserva Natural da Berlenga (Click here).

Golf

Portugal is a golf mecca, and its championship courses are famous for their rolling greens and ocean vistas. Although many courses are frequented mainly by club members, anyone with a handicap certificate can play here. Greens fees run from €35 to more than €120 per round.

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 including three lifts and equipment rental. Truth be told, Torre offers more curiosity value than actual skiing excitement, 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 surreal ‘dry ski’ run at SkiParque (Click here) east of Manteigas.

Horse Riding

Horse riding is a fantastic way to experience Portugal’s countryside. Lusitano thoroughbreds hail from Portugal, and experienced riders can take dressage lessons in Estremadura. Otherwise, there are dozens of horse-riding centres – especially in the Alentejo, 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 Portugal costing €998 to €1710 per person, including accommodation and some meals. Its signature tour follows the Alentejo Royal Horse Stud Trail, with stays at grand country estates.

The Wyoming-based outfit Equitours (www.ridingtours.com) , offers a year-round classical dressage program on Lusitano horses at the Escola de Equitação de Alcainça, near Mafra, including accommodation plus 90 minutes/three hours of riding per day for US$195/240 in the low season, to US$220/265 in the high season.

Wildlife Watching

Portugal has excellent birdwatching , especially in Atlantic coastal lagoons and the deep river canyons along the Spanish border. In the south, prime spots include the Serra do Caldeirão (Click here), Parque Natural da Ria Formosa (Click here), Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana (Click here) and the Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo Antonio (Click here). In the Alentejo, Castro Verde is near good birdwatching (in particular the LPN Interpretative and Environmental Centre; Click here), while the nature reserve of the Sado estuary (Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado; Click here) near Setúbal is also a big draw.

North of Lisbon, the Ilhas Berlengas are a perfect place to observe seabirds. Other good places for birdwatching include Reserva Natural do Paúl de Arzila near Coimbra; Dunas de São Jacinto (Click here) near Aveiro; and the Tejo and Douro gorges, where vultures and eagles nest in the Parque Natural do Tejo Internacional (Click here) and Parque Natural do Douro Internacional (Click here).

Portugal’s leading ornithological society is the Sociedade Portuguêsa para o Estudo de Aves , which runs government-funded projects to map the distribution of Portugal’s breeding birds.

For birdwatching and other nature- oriented guided excursions in the Algarve, there are several excellent options:

Wildaway (www.wildaway.com) , based in Portugal, offers day tours of the Algarve’s lagoons, wetlands, salt marshes and tidal flats. Prices for a guided seven-hour day trip start at €120 for one to three people without transport, or €180 with transport. Multiday group and private tours can also be arranged.

UK-based Naturetrek (Click here) runs an eight-day birdwatching excursion around southern Portugal starting at £1295.

Various companies in the Algarve and around the Sado estuary offer dolphin-spotting trips, including Mar Ilimitado (Click here), Dolphins Driven (Click here), and Algarve Dolphins (Click here).

Formosamar (www.formosamar.com) The local environmental organisation offers three-hour tours for €140 per tour (one to four people) in Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, employing marine biologists and raptor specialists as guides.

Windsurfing & Kitesurfing

Praia do Guincho, west of Sintra, and Portimão in the Algarve are both world-championship windsurfing sites. Other prime spots include (from north to south) Viana do Castelo’s Praia do Cabedelo (Click here); Lagoa de Óbidos, a pretty lagoon that draws both sailors and windsurfers; and (closer to Lisbon) the Costa da Caparica’s Fonte da Telha. In the Algarve, Sagres (Click here) attracts pros (its strong winds and fairly flat seas are ideal for free-riding), while Lagos (Click here), Albufeira (Click here) and Praia da Rocha (Click here) cater to all.

Popular venues for windsurfing and kitesurfing lessons include the beaches around Viana do Castelo (Click here), Foz do Arelho (Click here), Peniche (Click here), Praia do Guincho (Click here), Lagos (Click here) and Tavira (Click here).