Golf in Cascais. A green passport

Holes: 18
Par: 71

Built in the 80's by famous architect Robert Trent Jones, this course is well involved in nature, with 5870 meters, a sea view and overlooking the Sintra mountain range. The route will require some expertise and the use of various clubs to hit some of its legendary holes, such as hole 3 (a par 4), overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and hole 18 (par 5), with two lakes demanding your very best shots.

Quinta da Marinha, Cascais. (+351) 21 486 6100

Time to eat - Monte Mar, right on the rocks, is famous for its hake fillets with cockle rice and never fails in the fresh seafood championship. (Avenida Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 2845, Guincho, Cascais. + 351 21 486 9270)

Time to sleep - Did you come alone, with friends, dating or with the whole family behind? Depending on your answer, decide between the Onyria Quinta da Marinha Hotel or the Onyria Marinha Boutique Hotel. The latter is the most children-friendly in the neighbourhood (Quinta da Marinha, Cascais. (+351) 214 860 100) 

Holes: 18
Par: 69

This is an historic golf course in Portugal, inaugurated in 1929 by Fausto Figueiro, a great promoter of the Estoril region in the first decades of the 20th century, and the stage for the first national amateus championships. It started off as a 9-hole course, designed by Jean Gassiat; in 1945 it grew to 18 by the hands of architect MacKenzie Ross; and later changed again by the Frenchman Jean Jean, when the motorway to Lisbon was built. There’s also a 9-hole course for beginners.

Avenida da República, Estoril. (+351) 21 468 1376

Time to eat - What is perhaps the most Portuguese restaurant in Portugal is known as... English Bar. Head to Cimas for a journey through history, flawless service and luxury traditional cuisine. (Avenida de Sabóia, 9, Monte Estoril. (+351) 21 468 1254)

Time to sleep - There is no shortage of classics in Estoril, such as the Palácio Hotel or the Hotel Londres, but if you want to spend your entire stay looking out to sea, check in the luxurious Intercontinental Cascais-Estoril (Av. Marginal 8023, Estoril. (+351) 21 829 1100)

Holes: 18
Par: 71

A project by architect Arthur Hills, the Oitavos Dunes opened in 2001, in the heart of Quinta da Marinha, within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, surrounded by pine trees, with the sea in the background. The main concern was keeping the field's terrain as close as possible to what it used to be, involving a great deal of work to preserve the trees and the dunes, giving rise to a field that is as beautiful as it is challenging. Part of a hotel, The Oitavos, there are several combinations of stays and golf to choose from. 

Quinta da Marinha, Casa da Quinta, (+351) 25. 21 486 06

Time to eat - The Guincho road concentrates some of the best fish and seafood restaurants in the area (in the country! in the world!) The balcony of Furnas do Guincho is unbeatable to lick yourself with everything that comes fresh from the sea (Estrada do Guincho, Cascais. (+351) 21 486 9243)

Time to sleep - Play, rest, repeat. If you want to sleep and play golf without moving, book your stay at The Oitavos, of course. (Rua de Oitavos, Cascais. (+351) 21 486 0020)

Holes: 18 + 9
Par: 72

The Penha Longa Golf is made of two courses: the Atlântico, with 18 holes, and the Mosteiros, with 9, both designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones. The first, opened in 1992, hosted a Portuguese Open, and is full of surprises and beautiful views. It was even considered, in both 2016 and 2017, one of the 100 best in Europe – just imagine the five-star hotel service extending to the green. 

Estrada da Lagoa Azul Linhó, Sintra. (+351) 21 924 9011

Time to eat - At the Penha Longa Resort, the nights are always starry, even when the sky is cloudy. Two of its eight restaurants have Michelin stars: Midori and LAB by Sergi Arola. When in doubt, book both. 

Time to sleep - Why take the car? While you're here, sleep at the Penha Longa Resort, right on the border between Cascais and Sintra – and with the best of both worlds. (Estrada da Lagoa Azul, Linhó, Sintra (+351) 21 924 9011)

Holes: 18
Par: 72

Let's start with a fun fact: this golf course is watered from the water reserve located on the more than 5500 meters of land. Situated at the foot of the Serra de Sintra, framed between eucalyptus, pine and magnolia trees, lakes and water courses, it is an 18-hole par 72, with two popular holes, the 7th and 17th, both with a tendency to flop even the best players.

Rua das Sesmarias, 3 - Quinta da Beloura. (+351) 21 910 6350.

Time to eat - Since you are getting closer to Sintra, head to the town's historical centre and enter the modern tasca Tascantiga, where you can taste some of the best Portuguese petiscos (Portuguese version of tapas). (Escadinhas da Fonte da Pipa, 2/4, Sintra. (+351) 21 924 3242)

Time to sleep - Righ in Beloura, the Pestana Sintra Golf & Resort is recommended for families and has a spa with sauna, jacuzzi, gym, indoor pool and Turkish bath. In the summer, enjoy the two outdoor pools. (Rua Mato da Mina, 19, Quinta da Beloura, Sintra (+351) 21 042 4300)

Holes: 18
Par: 69

It originates from one of those old clubs in Lisbon, in this case the Lisbon Cricket Club, founded in 1861, having the current name been given to it 100 years ago (1922). It’s been in Serra da Carregueira, in Belas, since the 1960s, but so much history doesn’t make it an outdated place. With 18 holes, par 69, and, due to the morphology of the terrain where it is at, a course in the middle of the green, it has a unique natural beauty and several holes with demanding layouts.

Casal da Carregueira, Belas. (+351) 21 431 0077

Holes: 18
Par: 72

Located within a well-known housing development, but with quite natural surroundings, between hills and valleys, with an immensity of trees, four lakes and, for that very reason, they say, “a real test for any player”. It has 6109 meters, 18 holes and two training areas, with 18 places each.

Alameda do Aqueduto, Belas Clube de Campo. (+351) 21 962 6600