An Adventurer's Guide to Traveling Portugal

With 1,115 miles of coastline, water sports are a big deal in Portugal. But surfing is the crown jewel. The Atlantic Coast offers a wide range of world-renowned surf spots, from peaceful beaches for beginners to gnarly big waves.

The central coast has many of the country's best surf spots, like Peniche, Ericeira, Nazaré and the beaches near Porto and Lisbon. The coastal city of Nazare in particular is a hot spot for surfing, with monster waves that have drawn competitive surfers from across the globe.

If surfing isn't your thing, the Atlantic Ocean offers plenty of other watersports to enjoy. In the crystal-clear waters off the Azores Islands and Madeira, scuba diving and snorkeling are popular ways to explore the underwater worlds of shipwrecks and marine wildlife habitats. Finally, if you prefer to just admire the surf or splash in the shallows, Portugal has plenty of beautiful beaches where you can just unwind and enjoy a day by the ocean. The vast, sandy beach at Praia do Norte is one of the best in the country, and while exploring the Algarve Coast, you'll find plenty of popular and secret beaches to enjoy on hot summer days.

But the ocean isn't the only water you can play in around Portugal. On the beautiful Douro River in the north of the country, you can kayak, stand-up paddleboard, water ski, or sail along the river right through the heart of wine country, surrounded by vineyard-covered hills.

Portugal is a fantastic country to explore by bike, whether you want to enjoy a leisurely ride along the ocean or take on challenging routes while mountain biking. Popular walking routes like the Rota Vicentina and the Portuguese Way also double as bike trails, allowing you to cycle along historic routes and soak up the culture and history as pilgrims as well (but some sections of trail, like the northern Coastal Way, are off-limits to bikes).

 In the Douro Valley, the Douro Valley cycling route offers breathtaking (literally and visually) climbs through the vineyard-covered hills overlooking the river valley. In both the Douro wine region and the Alentejo, it's easy to cycle between vineyards and wineries for wine-and-bike tours as well. Along with wine tasting, going on a bike tour of Portugal helps you work up an appetite to enjoy hearty lunches and dinners of regional delicacies and cuisine, like salted cod (bacalhau) and seafood dishes like octopus.

The southern Algarve Coast or Faro District along Portugal's Gulf of Cadiz has some of the best beaches and coastal areas in the country, offering swimming, hiking and cycling.

While it is possible to surf here, the protected gulf makes for calmer waters and fewer big waves. Ideal for beginners, more experienced surfers will have a better time trying their hand at the bigger waves on the central coast.
 

Another archipelago off the coast of Portugal, the Madeira islands are often called ‘Europe's Hawaii’ and it's easy to see why with the towering coastal cliffs, lush forests and idyllic beaches. Along with hiking the Levada network of trails that crisscrosses the islands, Madeira also offers whale-watching, swimming and oceanic watersports.