Soccer
In Portugal, they don't joke about football! It is the number 1 sport, without sharing. A Bola, the daily soccer newspaper, is as famous as the sport it specializes in. It is also the best-selling daily newspaper in the country, far ahead of the general newspapers. You just have to turn on the television, there is always a match going on. And it is always a moment of reunion for the whole family or for groups of supporters, whether in the stands of the stadiums or in all the bars of the country.
Players who have become legends. In recent decades, Portugal has provided talented players who have left their mark on the history of world soccer. In 1961, the world discovered the first Portuguese legend: the striker Eusébio. The "black panther", originally from Mozambique (a former Portuguese colony), would soon become a legend of Benfica Lisbon, scoring goals throughout Europe. Retained in the country by the authoritarian regime of Salazar, the "king" will score a whopping 733 goals (including 41 in 64 games with the national team). Logically, he will add to Benfica's trophy cabinet like no other, winning 11 championships. The first black player to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 1965, he will leave an indelible mark on a country that declared three days of national mourning upon his death in January 2014. A legend!
In the 1980s, it was Paulo Futre who would thrill the country by shining with Porto. In the northern club, he will win two championships (1985 and 1986) and especially the Champions League in 1987, before making the happiness of Atletico Madrid where he will leave an indelible memory in the hearts of fans. The kind of memories that will be left by the solid defender Fernando Couto, captain of the Seleção (the national team) at the beginning of the 2000s and with a record as long as the arm (including 2 European Cups, 3 Portuguese championships, 1 in Spain and 1 in Italy). At the same time, the goalkeeper Vitor Baia (525 games for Porto) has made the best strikers in the world tremble with his gloves. He is one of the symbols of a golden generation, along with midfielder Rui Costa, emblem of Benfica, who won the Champions League with AC Milan and finished2nd in the Euro 2004 with Portugal. And how can we not mention their partner in attack, the great Luis Figo? Trained at Sporting Lisbon, he played for Barça and Real Madrid for 10 years before ending his career at Inter Milan. The elegant attacking midfielder made history in the game by winning the Golden Ball in 2000 and the Champions League, but also in the national team by pulling on the Portuguese shirt no less than 127 times. A record until the arrival of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo... Because if at the same time the PSG striker Pedro Miguel Pauleta (nicknamed the Eagle of the Azores) has scored a lot, what about the legend CR7? Cristiano Ronaldo has left his mark on the 21st century and his long-distance duel with Messi is the most important in the history of soccer. The numbers are staggering. The native of Funchal (Madeira) has piled up no less than 5 Golden Ball awards, as many Champions Leagues, 7 championships in three different countries (England, Spain, Italy) and the Euro 2016 with Portugal. A national team that he marks moreover a little more of his mark (196 selections at the end of 2022) and of his strokes (118 goals, a record) at each exit. A legend, especially in Madeira where he has a museum, a hotel and... the airport in his name!
Sporting, Benfica or Porto? In the Portuguese capital, it is impossible not to choose! In Lisbon, people support Sporting or Benfica and show their colors. Red for Benfica and green for Sporting. On match nights, if the city's bars are packed and all the televisions are on, the best thing to do is to go to the Estádio da Luz to support the Benfica Eagles or to the Alvalade to push behind the Sporting Lions. Despite the green and white, Benfica is the most successful club in the city. It is also the most popular club in the country and it has socios all over the world. However, the Lisbon derby, also known as the eternal derby, is always a crowd-puller between fans of clubs only 3 km apart. If the rivalry is fierce on the green rectangle, the fans also fight to celebrate the greatest player in history. It must be said that if the panther Eusébio has defended the colors of Benfica, Cristiano Ronaldo has worn the shirt of Sporting. Eusébio or CR7? Benfica or Sporting? You'd better make up your mind before putting your bags on the banks of the Tagus.
In the north, on the banks of the Douro River, you will find the other great soccer institution of the country: FC Porto, which completes the famous Os Três Grandes ("the three big ones"). A visit to the city is often synonymous with a visit to the lively Estádio do Dragão.
Soccer is more than a game in Portugal, and when the stars are not on the pitch, the game is the talk of the town, with children in village squares and teenagers on the country's beaches. Unless the waves are out and they indulge in the other national passion: surfing.
Surfing, bodyboarding and kitesurfing
Portugal is known all over the world for the quality of its spots and waves, so it has many enthusiasts and welcomes streams of tourists eager to get into the water. It must be said that between Lisbon and Porto, the coast offers many spots.
In the south of Lisbon, the riders often meet on the Lagoa de Albufeira towards Sesimbra. A spot where you can find experienced surfers but also beginners who can also enjoy themselves along the coast of Caparica, about 30 km from Lisbon. They especially put their boards in Carcavelos and Cascais. Fifteen minutes by train and in the water! And don't be afraid to take your surfboard by bus or train, everyone does it!
A little further north, the rocky coastline from Cascais to Guincho (10 km) is perfectly impassable for swimmers and is a rider's paradise. And the beach of Guincho, with its incredible panorama, is one of the most beautiful spots on the planet.
As you head north, the famous Peniche peninsula comes into view. The MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal is a mythical event of the World Tour, the world championship of surfing (it is imperative to attend if you are in the area in mid-October), and Peniche attracts surfers from all over the world. Normal for a wave which is considered as one of the most beautiful in Europe, in particular on the well named spot of Supertubos. If the tubes are not offered to the first come, some beachbreaks will make the happiness of the beginners.
About sixty kilometers away, the riders are getting ready to challenge the legend, the wave of Praia Norte in Nazaré. A spot that went down in history. It is there that the German Sebastian Steudtner set the world record for the biggest wave ever surfed, for a breaker of 86 feet (26.2 meters), ridden on October 29, 2020 erasing from the shelves Rodrigo Koxa and his record for the highest wave (24.38 m) in November 2017 and before him Garrett Mc Namara and his performance on a wave surfed 23.77 m, also in Nazaré. At the beginning of 2023, the Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire, alias "Mad Dog", lover of big waves, unfortunately killed himself on this spot. Finally, the beaches north of Porto, in Viana do Castelo, are also frequented by surfers in search of adrenaline. These spots are also very popular with windsurfers. Because in Portugal, if surfing is king, we should not forget that the spots of the coast between Lisbon and Porto, and in Algarve between Sagres and Aljezur, are also very famous for windsurfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. To your boards!
Green tourism in full development
On land too there are many possibilities! With its grandiose landscapes, Portugal has a lot of possibilities for sportsmen, especially near the Spanish border in the Peneda-Gerês national park where hiking and climbing are practiced with happiness. For hiking enthusiasts, there are also regional parks and nature reserves with many marked hiking trails. The dense forest of Fóia in the highlands of the Algarve offers interesting tourist walks. In recent years, local associations have been developing hiking trails that cross the region, such as the Via Algarviana and the Rota Vicentina.
The other trendy activity is birdwatching. With approximately 430 species of birds to observe, Portugal is one of the best destinations in Europe for this activity. The most popular region is still the Algarve. In a few hours, you can discover a wide variety of landscapes and ecosystems, from coastal areas to forests, from beaches to agricultural areas. Pink flamingo, blue magpie, griffon vulture, red swallow, red heron, ibis, sultana hen, Canary nightingale, peregrine falcon are some of the species to discover. Many birds can also be seen in the Tagus estuary, near Lisbon, and in many nature reserves.
To see the country, it is also possible to climb on a bicycle. Cycling is quite developed and there are excellent cycling paths, especially in the Minho region in the north, where tours to interesting villages can be considered. For mountain biking, the areas of the natural parks are well suited throughout the country.
For the amateurs, horseback riding is possible in many regions. Lusitano thoroughbreds (mostly grey) are world famous and are among the oldest breeds ever ridden. Some equestrian centers offer demonstrations, as in the region of Vila Franca de Xíra, near Lisbon.
Finally, aficionados of the little white ball will find some beautiful greens. Portugal is a well-known destination for golfers, especially in the south of the country, where there are many competitive courses (there are about 20 in the Algarve).
Among the most famous 18-hole courses are Estoril, Quinta de Marinha, near Lisbon, the Golden Eagle near Rio Maior, Ponte de Lima in the Minho region, Estela, near Póvoa de Varzim, Tróia in the Alentejo, known as the most difficult course in the country and, of course, the Royal Golf Course (Algarve), one of the most famous greens in the world
