LISBON, Portugal - Many people go on golf trips to escape the traffic, crowds and hustle and bustle of the big city.
I'm advocating the opposite after a five-day visit to Lisbon in June. The Algarve along the southwest coast of Portugal gets all the praise for its sunny weather, beaches and dozens of courses. However, within an 90-minute radius of one of Europe's most historic cities lies a smaller yet diverse treasure trove of courses: oceanfront romps through the dunes, fun resort experiences, championship parkland tracks and modern marvels. Mix a little golf with a lot of Portuguese culture for a fascinating adventure.
As a bonus, golfers can still get their beach and sun fix near Lisbon, too. The climate stays mild in winter, delivers ideal temperatures in spring and fall and gets toasty come summer. Golf remains available year-round. Let's explore.
The best sightseeing in and around Lisbon
First off, let's talk logistics. TAP Portugal flies non-stop from six U.S. cities - San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York and Washington D.C. - to Lisbon.
My wife - my personal travel agent - perfectly planned two separate adventure days for our family. The great news for U.S. travelers is Portugal is still relatively affordable compared to Europe's more famous cities like Paris or London. Although there's no single icon like the Eiffel Tower or Buckingham Palace, Lisbon - which became the country's capital in 1255 - delivers tourist sightseeing equally as compelling.
Touring Sintra was simply magical. Two impressive historical attractions - the National Palace of Pena and the Castle of the Moors - share the same hill high above the ancient village. The views stretch for miles. You'll be fighting crowds, so I recommend buying tickets ahead of time and getting there early. There's very limited parking up top, so it's best climbing the hilly, narrow streets by hiring an Uber or tuk-tuk (a tiny local transport). The reward is a colorful palace full of character and an eighth-century castle that comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A few days later, we explored the heart of the city, using the hop-on, hop-off flexibility of a Yellow Bus Belem Lisboa Tour (21 Euros per adult) to see the neighborhoods, stately avenues and architecture of Lisbon. We walked along the shores of the mighty Tagus River for family photos at the Belém Tower and Monument to the Discoveries, a symbol of the Portuguese prowess exploring the world by boat centuries ago. We also tracked down the TimeOut Market and snacked on Pasteis de Nata, which are sweet and tasty Portuguese custard tarts. Attending a Maroon Five concert on the waterfront that night capped off an amazing day. There's no shortage of things to do.
A golf mecca north of the city
Even after a long international flight, the drive to the Marriott Praia D’El Rey Golf & Beach Resort an hour north of Lisbon to Obidos felt relatively simple. The oceanfront cliffs right behind the resort pool left a lasting first impression. With the sun setting, we trekked down a set of stairs to a beautiful, uncrowded beach. The 177-room hotel caters just as well to families as it does golfers.
With my wife and daughter being pampered at the spa and pool for the next two days, I was free to play as much golf as I wished. Dating to 1997, Praia D'El Rey's golf course winds through the forest for its front nine before opening up into a linksy, dunes experience on the back. The contrast was fantastic, just like the scenery. I would have thought it was the signature local track until I teed up West Cliffs the next day. Designed by Cynthia Dye McGarey, West Cliffs debuted to high acclaim in 2017. It's full of blind drives and interesting twists, highlighted by a super-cool three-hole finishing stretch. The elevated final tee box stares out into the ocean with a pond fronting the green. Eventually, development plans call for 469 accommodation units, two 5-star hotels and plenty of real estate.
These two linksy layouts and the nearby Royal Obidos - a water-logged routing that has hosted the Portuguese Open - add up to one fascinating weekend getaway.
Away from the courses and resort, we fell in love with the walled city of Obidos, a unique attraction we just can't experience on our side of the pond. When we weren't walking its castle walls, we went shopping or stopped for dinner and drinks in its restaurants.
I wish we would have gone to a little farther north to see Nazare, the small village that's become the world's most famous - and dangerous - place for 'big wave' surfing. If you haven't seen HBO's documentary "100 Foot Wave", check it out.
Golf in Cascias closer to Lisbon
The Onyria Quinta da Marinha Hotel, which was expertly renovated in 2020, seems like an ideal home base to stay anchored closer to Lisbon proper. It's located in Cascais just 25 kilometers west of Lisbon and next door to Sintra. Many city dwellers and tourists escape the summer swelter by flocking to the famous oceanfront beaches of Cascais. There's a Robert Trent Jones Sr. golf course on the hotel grounds, plus the highly-regarded Oitavos Dunes nearby.
The hotel shuttle can drop hotel guests off at the local marina to enjoy its waterfront restaurants. From there, a short walk reveals the village's busy shopping district and the Cidadela de Cascais, a 15th-century fort. To Europeans, it's just another old building. However, to us Americans, whose national history isn't nearly as profound, it turned out to be another fascinating discovery in a surprisingly good golf destination full of them.
Would you consider a golf trip to Lisbon or Portugal? Let us know in the comments below.
Read more about Jason's Portugal golf travels here:
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