SETUBAL, PORTUGAL TROIA
We went to Troia after being sucked in by a picture and the impulse to escape the dreary window of the office.
One of football’s greatest whiners and winners, Jose Mourinho, was born here and that further piqued my curiosity. As a destination, there are definitely far easier places to find than this peninsula off the coastline of the city of Setubal.
So, it’s a bit of a pig to get to, but that soon fades as you absorb why legendary golf course architect, the late Robert Trent Jones Sr, took on the job of building something special here.
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Put simply, there are few better things in life than a golf course bathed in sun and surrounded by a backdrop of the ocean and mountains, and Troia as a resort delivers all of the above.
I had coerced my better half into this sunshine break, promising her a wonderful trip and as much seafood as she could eat. So, she trotted off to the beach every morning while I had a knock, and she even managed to talk me into taking the short ferry ride to Setubal to do some dolphin spotting.
If you like sun, sea, and beautiful golf courses then Troia is well worth the travel, and if you don’t like all of the above then you really don’t know what you’re missing.
This explains why the beaten track might not offer the best experiences as we take a wander up Portugal’s hidden gems...
Having put a flag in everything that was green, the Algarve, understandably hogs the limelight in Portugal. But I’m one of those bores who likes to ‘immerse myself in the culture of a country’ and so shunned the all-inclusive, ‘sleep and score’ appeal of the Algarve for what’s known as the Silver Coast between Lisbon and Cascais.
It’s called this because of the way the Atlantic shimmers in the sun. That laidback image pretty much reflects the local attitudes that you’ll find in the pretty fishing villages that pepper the coastline, where old men in a flatcaps chew the fat while leaning on sticks. You will, however, occasionally see mountain bikers tearing through Lisbon’s cobbled streets.
The golf is pretty special too. The European Tour have been regular visitors to this corner, often playing over Oitavos Dunes, which I think is one of the prettiest courses in the country. There’s a linksy feel to the fairways and layout, especially when the breeze blows in from the sea. You do, though, get some protection from the tall bushy pines and shrubs which you’ll either love or hate depending on how many times
you’re in them. I remember playing here in twilight thinking that this is what the end of the rainbow must look like.
They’ve recently properly tarted up the clubhouse too. Not in the jacket and tie stakes. Just in a super-chilled out spec. I would also strongly recommend a night out in Cascais itself. Once a quaint little fishing town, the Portuguese Royal Family loved it so much they planted their holiday home here. It’s since grown into a buzzing little town packed with thin, crowded bars, restaurants and a buzzing little marina — a really cool place to toast a well-chosen holiday.
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