The Estoril Golf Coast - One place, a thousand sensations
June 1, 2011

With its mild year-round climate, the Portuguese Riviera - as the region is sometimes known - offers a surprising variety of landscapes and attractions, combining a wide range of possibilities in one very unique destination. From pure leisure to business, golf, sun, sea and water sports, the Estoril Coast simply has it all and offers a new definition of the concepts of eco- and activity-based tourism.

Boasting such a privileged location, the region is a mosaic of both natural and social microclimates. From pre-history to the Roman occupation, from centuries of Moorish rule to the Middle Ages, from Baroque to the Renaissance period, and from New Art to the new schools of architecture and urbanism, there are strong traces of all these in the Estoril Coast.

Wherever you go, you’ll get there quickly in the Estoril Coast – whether it’s the beach or the countryside, a rustic village or a cosmopolitan town centre. There’s a wide selection of hotels, restaurants, bars and attractions available - most notably Estoril Casino, the largest in Europe, with its busy programme of concerts and cultural activities – and Cascais Marina, not to mention the many extraordinary palaces, museums, natural parks and leisure and cultural areas. The region offers a perfect mix of relaxation, sport and opportunities for business meetings. One of the most modern in Europe, the Estoril Congress Centre enables the region to compete in the fast-growing business tourism market.

The Estoril Congress Center has recently achieved the prestigious Green Globe Benchmarked status under the internationally recognized Green Globe certification program.This programme recognises Estoril Congress Center’s commitment to operating to the world’s highest environmental standard. In response to the global climate crisis, Estoril Congress Center has thus committed to avision of operating a meeting facility with zero emissions and zero waste.

Estoril’s main strengths lie in the rich combination of its natural characteristics, high-quality facilities and professional services.

Contributing to this, the Estoril Coast boasts more than 90 year of involvement in the development of tourism in Portugal, having started all those years ago as an important sun and beach destination of international repute.

Today, having adapted itself to the demands and modern profile of the 21st century tourist, it offers a full package of attractions and services, including those most in demand in international markets.

The region is also popular for its excellent natural conditions and facilities for all types of sport, from the most extreme such as paragliding, delta wing gliding, rock climbing, mountain biking, surfing and windsurfing, to the more traditional kind of sport like horse riding, polo, tennis, all kinds of sailing and motorised water sports and motor racing at the famous Estoril Autodrome.

However, golf is the most popular sport in the region, with several of the courses considered among the very best in Europe, all set in prime locations with the most modern facilities and infra-structure.

Proof of the high quality of these golf courses the International Association of Golf Tour Operators chose the region, known as “Lisbon Golf Coast” as its “Golf Destination of the Year 2007” and also as “Established Golf Destination” before.

The region is also blessed with magnificent protected areas. It is rare to find, anywhere in the world, a natural park so close to a capital city. The Sintra Cascais Natural Park has managed to preserve everything natural in this westernmost part of Continental Europe, despite humanity having left its mark over the centuries.

The park features an amazing diversity of landscapes – dunes, forests, lagoons, a rugged stretch of tall, prominent cliffs interspersed with bays and welcoming beaches. The imposing Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of both the Serra de Sintra and the whole area classified by UNESCO as a unique cultural landscape and a place of world heritage. With such a rich and varied fauna and flora, the park is the perfect place for a long walk in calm and peaceful surroundings, as well as all the other eco-tourism activities popular today.

Nearby, the majestic Tapada de Mafra is a must-see attraction for visitors, where it is possible to hunt deer and wild boar in an ecologically-controlled manner. Wolves, foxes, genets and a great variety of birds such as the rare Bonelli eagle can also be found living there in complete freedom. Totally enclosed, the Tapada is excellent for photography, orienteering exercises, archery, horse-riding, mountain biking and chariot riding.

On a cultural level, the region has so much to offer that only the most detailed programme could give a proper idea of everything that’s going on. The annual events calendar includes art exhibitions, jazz festivals, classical music, dance, sailing championships, handicraft and gastronomy fairs and a 5 star horse jumping show among many others.

The Cidadela and historic centre of Cascais, the forts of Bugio, Oitavos and São Julião da Barra dotted along the coastline; the National Palace, Pena Palace, Moorish Castle and Capuchos Convent in Sintra; the national palaces of Mafra and Queluz, with their exquisite gardens and rich Baroque interiors; the chapels, churches and hermitages; the Toy and Modern Art Museums (Sintra), Classic Car Museum (Oeiras), Animal-Powered Transport Museum (Mafra),the Cascais Lighthouse Museum and the new museum dedicated to the painter Paula Rego are places of heritage and culture with permanent collections, exhibitions and various other temporary events.

Foodies can choose from an enormous range that include some of the region’s most typical dishes, the stars being the freshest possible fish and seafood, stewed lobster, sea bass, bream and the famous Cascais sole.

Estoril is a place brimming with life and a great diversity of attractions and experiences, all packed into a relatively small area, unparalleled in terms of nature, culture and heritage.

Quite simply: one place, a thousand sensations.