Introduction to Lisbon, Portugal
The city of Lisbon is not only the capital of Portugal, but is also a fantastic golf holiday destination which when these 2 factors are combined provides a unique golf travel experience unrivalled anywhere in Europe, if not the world!
When we refer to “Lisbon” in terms of golf travel we are referring in fact to an area to the north, south, east and west of the city itself that encompasses the Costa de Prata (Silver Coast) to the north, the Cascais area to the west of the city, the Costa de Caparica to the south and inland from Lisbon along the shores of the mighty Tagus River.
So, with such a large region you are sure to find plenty on a visit to Lisbon that caters for all interests and holiday requirements as Lisbon can offer travellers the widest variation in opportunities for tourism available anywhere…
Location Map of Lisbon, Portugal
When to Travel to Lisbon, Portugal
The stunning climate of Lisbon allows visitors to enjoy the many delights of this city and its surroundings all year around.
Never too hot and usually not too cold, the Lisbon region has a distinct advantage over many other destinations that can be too hot or too cold at certain times of the year. Granted, it doesn’t usually offer the sweltering heat that can be found in Turkey or the Canaries for example, but neither does the Lisbon area have the cold winter temperatures that can be found in other golfing destinations like Barcelona or Girona for example…
One of the main points to note regarding the weather in Lisbon is that some of the coastal regions can be quite windy at certain times of the year, and during the winter months the strong winds in combination with the cold Atlantic currents can bring some days that are a little chillier than you may have expected. That said, if you aim to stay inland in the city of Lisbon itself on those days or to play golf on more sheltered inland courses you will find escape from the sea breezes there…
Average Temperatures in Lisbon, Portugal
Average Rainfall in Lisbon, Portugal
Average Sunshine Hours in Lisbon, Portugal
Average High/Low Temperatures in Lisbon, Portugal
Top Tip from Andrew at The Golf Travel People
“My personal recommendation is actually to travel to Lisbon for a golf break in the summer months. Unlike our other golf holiday destinations where we usually recommend avoiding the summer months because of the heat and higher prices, Lisbon is actually at its very best in the summer when the city resonates to the joyous sounds of residents and tourists alike enjoying themselves around the clock!
Golf-wise the courses don’t get burnt out as much by the summer sun as in other destinations, so perfect conditions can be found all year around for golf in the Lisbon region. Playing golf by the sparkling sea in the warm summer months is one of my favourite golfing experiences and the Lisbon area with courses such as Praia d’el Rey, West Cliffs, Royal Obidos, Oitavos Dunes and Troia offers plenty of top rated courses to enjoy in these circumstances.”
Getting to Lisbon, Portugal
The International Airport of Lisbon – Portela – is superbly located just to the North of the city centre of Lisbon high up on a flat area overlooking the city.
The approach to the airport during the day or night from either the east or west always offers spectacular views of the city, the might River Tagus and the surrounding areas so it’s worth not being asleep during this portion of your flight to Lisbon!
Once landed at Lisbon Airport, your journey through any of the terminals is smooth and rapid, and once through to landside the city centre is only minutes away by taxi or shuttle bus, and access to the adjacent motorway network is very easy to speed you on your way to any of the superb golfing destinations that surround the city itself.
If you are travelling south to Sesimbra, Setubal, the Costa de Caparica, Troia etc it is worth ensuring that you take the recently built Ponte Vasco da Gama bridge across the river rather than navigating the city traffic to cross via the Ponte 25 de Abril as even though the distance is extended by this route, the driving time is usually significantly less – especially at morning and evening rush-hours even when the tidal flow traffic system is in operation on the older crossing via the city centre.
Top Tip from Dan at The Golf Travel People
“If you opt to stay in the city centre of Lisbon rather than on one of the golf resorts in the surrounding areas we would highly recommend utilising our private airport and golf transfer services to get you around the region. Driving and parking in the city itself can be quite hair-raising if you aren’t certain of your route and for no other reason than keeping calm it is worth paying a little extra to be chauffeured around by a local driver!
On the other hand, if you are staying outside the city we definitely recommend a self-drive option as you are certain to want to explore the many delightful towns, villages and countryside areas to be discovered in the Lisbon region.”
Our partners recommend 1...
Our friend José Maria Cazal-Ribeiro, Commercial Director of the Orizonte Lisbon Golf Group has kindly recommended the following places of interest in his home city of Lisbon:
“Lisbon is a Great city, it might be the city with the most beautiful light in the world!
There are plenty of things to do in the Portuguese capital… centuries of history with beautiful monuments and museums, like Castelo de São Jorge (where city started), Torre de Belem, Museu do Fado, MAAT etc…
There are restaurants with all type of foods, spread out through the city. But the trendiest districts in Lisbon are Principe Real, Bairro alto and Chiado, all of them are them full of gastronomy, night life and nice stores.
The trendiest night life spots are “Pink Street”, located in Cais do Sodré with loads of different bars.
The best disco in the city is Lux, by the river which one of the owners is John Malkovich…
Some of my favorite spots in Lisbon (upper class) are JNCQUOI and JNQUOI Asia, these might be the most trendiest restaurants in the city. Here you’ll find many Portuguese people, but also tourists… They’re located at Avenida da Liberdade, where you can find all the luxury brands.
Another nice place is LX factory, this used to be an huge factory https://lxfactory.com/ , that became a trendy spot with restaurants, bars, stores, art galleries and some days in the week they have nice markets. This is a different place but with a really good atmosphere.”
Our partners recommend 2...
With Lisbon and it’s surroundings having so much to offer, we have also asked another of our valued partners in the area to provide his recommendations. So, Eusebio Lima – our friend from Eagle Travel & Tours – has offered the following thoughts on his favourite places to visit in the Lisbon area:
Historical Village of Sintra UNESCO World Heritage
It is a village 30 minutes from Lisbon and 10 minutes from Cascais with a lot of history, full of monuments, Palaces, Secret Places, where Churchill spent a lot of time to rest, and where the writer J. K. Rowling was inspired by some scenes from the Harry Potter film.
We can visit the village and eat the typical sweets that are the Queijada de Sintra and the Travesseiro de Sintra.
Visit the National Palace of Sintra, which was conquered from the Moors, and where all Portuguese royal families spent summers until 1910. Where King D. Manuel received the News in the early 16th century that the Portuguese had discovered Brazil and that Vasco da Gamma had discovered the sea route to India.
Next to the village we can visit Quinta da Regaleira, which is a place of mystery, with many mystical and esoteric symbols, and the descent by a stairway to the bottom of an Initial Well, where you will find beautiful gardens
At the top of the mountain, we have the possibility to visit the Moorish Castle of the 9th century.
We can also visit the Pena Palace, which is considered the most Romantic Palace in Europe.
It´s a place that is recommended for a full day visit
Historical and Medieval Village de Óbidos
Medieval Village of Óbidos, surrounded by walls, we find a well-preserved Castle, several churches, and a labyrinth of streets and white houses that enchant. Among Manueline porches, flowered windows and small squares, there are several reasons to visit, strolling through its historic streets from the 13th century, where it is mandatory to drink a typical drink (Ginjinha de Óbidos in a chocolate cup), made from Ginjas (wild cherries) ).
During the year there are always many festivals (Medieval, Chocolate, Ice, Christmas … etc), it´s a place that is recommended for a half-day visit.
Lisbon and surroundings
We can start our visit around Belém, have a coffee and eat the famous Pastel de Belém, then we can visit The Jerónimos Monastery the World Heritage Monument.
The Jeronimos Monastery (pictured right) is the most impressive symbol of Portugal’s power and wealth during the Age of Discovery. King Manuel I built it in 1502.
Then we visit the Belém Tower, and the Monument to the Discoveries.
We head south towards the 25 de Abril Bridge, and we will visit the Cristo Rei, which was built to thank God that Portugal was in World War II to help the British and that no Portuguese died.
We return to Lisbon and we will walk through the streets of Alfama (the most typical neighborhood in old Lisbon).
Visit Rossio, which is the meeting point in Lisbon, Commerce Square, and downtown Lisbon.
We cannot forget the Elevador de Santa Justa, built by Eiffel, the São Jorge Castle from the 1st century BC, and the View point of Senhora do Monte, with the best view over Lisbon.
It´s a place that is recommended for a full day visit.
Lisbon, Portugal Golf Clubs & Golf Courses
Golf in Lisbon can be divided into 5 main regions:
- The City of Lisbon
- The Costa de Prata (Silver Coast) to the north
- The Cascais area to the west of the city
- The Costa de Caparica to the south
- Inland from Lisbon along the shores of the mighty Tagus River
All 5 of these regions have a good selection of excellent golf courses of all types and design styles, including commercial golf resorts, true members clubs, seaside links, mature parkland and spectacular cliff top layouts to name but a few.
World famous designers including Seve Ballesteros, Donald Steel, Robert Trent Jones, Frank Pennink and many more have weaved their golf course design magic across the Lisbon golf destination and as such you will enjoy a wide selection of fabulous and challenging golf course layouts in the Lisbon area.
With such a wonderful climate, the condition of the golf courses in Lisbon is generally first-class and suited to golf all year around.
Whatever your golfing preference, Lisbon is certain to offer something that suits you, so check out the Lisbon region golf courses below to discover more…
City of Lisbon, Portugal Golf Clubs & Golf Courses
Costa de Prata (Silver Coast) Golf Clubs & Golf Courses
Cascais Area Golf Clubs & Golf Courses
Costa de Caparica Golf Clubs & Golf Courses
Golf Clubs & Golf Courses Inland from Lisbon
Top Tip from Jonathan at The Golf Travel People
“The six 18-hole championship golf courses that make up the Orizonte Group of golf courses located to the south and east of the city of Lisbon offer the most choice and highest quality group of courses in the region. The Orizonte golf pass is a great value way to enjoy championship quality golf in Lisbon at the best possible prices.
To the north of the city it is also possible to enjoy another 5 superb golf courses for one price by staying at one of the superb golf resort hotels that offer the Legends or Royal Golf Packages that include up to 5 different championship golf courses for one price!
Any of us here at The Golf Travel People will be happy to advise on the best options for a superb golf holiday in Lisbon, so feel free to contact us for more information and your bespoke quotation.”
Lisbon, Portugal Golf Resorts & Golf Hotels
Travelling to Lisbon for a golf holiday allows you to enjoy one of the widest ranges of golf holiday accommodation options anywhere!
With superb 4 and 5 star hotels and guest houses available in all 5 of the Lisbon golf holiday regions including a huge number of options in the city centre, we are certain to have a great choice to suit your specific requirements.
If you have booked your own accommodation through Airbnb or another booking website, and you only want us to provide your golf arrangements then that is fine and we will be more than happy to assist in this regard, but it is worth noting that some of the best golf green fee rates and packages are available if both your accommodation and golf are booked together in order to access the superb stay and play rates that we always have available at many of our Lisbon region partner hotels.
All the resorts and hotels listed below have been visited and inspected by a member of The Golf Travel People team and come highly recommended as being very suitable for your golf break in the Lisbon area, however if you have a preferred hotel that is not listed here then please do let us know as we should be able to access preferential rates for your choice of Lisbon golf holiday accommodation through our extensive network of supplier partners.
Nowhere in the Lisbon area is too far from any of the amazing Lisbon golf courses that are available for your golf break, so even if you are staying in the very north of the area and want to play in the south, or vice-versa, there is no problem with that!
Frequently Asked Questions about Lisbon, Portugal
The capital city of Portugal, Lisbon is located midway up the Atlantic coast of the country at the mouth of the mighty Tagus River.
The city of Lisbon itself has a population of around 500,000 people, whereas the whole Lisbon metropolitan region has a population of over 3 million people.
Lisbon Portela Airport is the best option for access to Lisbon from all over the world and is particularly well served by both low-cost and flag-carrying airlines from many cities throughout Europe and beyond with particularly good long-haul connections to the old colonial countries of Portugal in South America and Africa.
Lisbon Portela Airport is well served by multiple international airlines from all over Europe and beyond. Check out our flights page https://golftravelpeople.com/golf-holiday-flights/ to search for flights to Lisbon from your preferred local airport.
Being the capital city of Portugal, Lisbon has many historic and modern claims to fame, but you could say that the following are among the most well-known reasons for Lisbon's excellent worldwide reputation: - Incredible opulent architecture including Roman relics - Fantastic nightlife and restaurants throughout the city and greater region - 2 top-class professional football teams - Benfica and Sporting Lisbon - Influences of Europe, Africa and the Middle East meet and combine in Lisbon to produce wonderful cultural experiences - The Alfama - the oldest district of the city of Lisbon
Details of flights to access the Lisbon, Portugal region.
Check out flight options to Lisbon for your best available flight options to the city.
Lisbon, Portugal is blessed with an incredible climate – perfect for your next golf holiday!
Details of all Lisbon, Portugal Golf Resorts
Details of all Lisbon, Portugal Golf Hotels
Details of all Lisbon, Portugal Golf Courses