Golf, sightseeing & food – Portugal’s
MY first shot went straight down the middle and I walked to my ball feeling ten feet tall.
Within minutes, though, I had visited two bunkers, used my putter three times and the smile had been wiped from my face.
This was on the first hole at Quinta do Peru, one of six golf courses in and around Lisbon owned and run by the Orizzonte Group.
The fairways are lined with tall trees, water hazards guard many of the greens and there is an abundance of villas dotted around the course – the type that make visiting golfers think, “I wouldn’t mind living here”.
Thankfully, my golf improved following the first-hole disaster and I walked off the 18th green with my scorecard looking pretty good.
In the Portuguese capital it is possible to have a golfing holiday while staying in a city-centre hotel, two things people don’t normally put ANDY DEAN together. I’ve never considered taking my golf clubs and my girlfriend on the same holiday but the 20 courses within driving distance of the city centre and loads of things for non-golfers to do may just change my mind.
Our base for the trip was the landmark fivestar Altis Grand. The stylish rooms are furnished with ebony and stainless steel pieces, the marble bathrooms have spacious walk-in showers, plus there’s a swimming pool, gym, hammam steam room and spa. Gin and tonics on the hotel’s stunning roof-top bar as the sun set over row after row of terracotta rooftops made for a memorable first night.
Next morning we set out in a cool and compact streetcar, heading west to the Belém area. It is here you will find the palace which used to be home to the Portuguese royal family, as well as the magnificent 16th-Century Jerónimos Monastery, now a world heritage site. Anyone wanting to sample the best views of Lisbon should meander up the narrow, winding streets away from the centre to St Jorge’s Castle. From its walls visitors can see across the Tagus river to the Vasco da Gama bridge and the surrounding neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, if you fancy just soaking up the atmosphere of the city, the pretty Rossio and Commerce squares are packed with shops, bars and restaurants and have a buzz about them at any time of day.