When you tell people you are going to play golf in Portugal, the first place that jumps to mind is the Algarve. And whilst this & southern Spain have become the go-to destinations for European golf, we need to talk about a place just 30 minutes west of Lisbon, Cascais.
I was lucky enough to visit the area with Visit Cascais at the end of May 2025 and have not stopped talking about it since, so let’s get into why I believe you should be seriously considering this as your next European golfing location.
Golf Courses
The first stop on our 3-round tour of Cascais was Quinta Da Marinha, where we whipped out early to tackle the back 9. The golf course was fairly narrow off the tee and demanded the golfers to be strategic; it was not a bomber’s paradise.
The golf course was presented beautifully & the green putted like billiard tables. I had to do some scrambling early on to keep my score going, but when you tee off from the 13th and are met with the view into the green, you forget all about your score. The view beyond the green to the Atlantic Ocean is stunning.
The course isn’t long & is pretty scorable with accurate tee shots, the par 3s are brilliant, and it was an excellent first stop on our trip.
The next stop on our trip was Oitavos Dunes, which was my favourite of the trip. This par 71 was designed to feel as natural as possible with the course simply laid out across the land using the natural dunes and sandy wasteland as features. Architect Arthur Hills moved practically no land when building the course in 2001.
The fairways here are wide, there is no rough and the challenge is undoubtedly the approach shots and shots around the green. You face some stunning views on the surrounding areas and thoroughly enjoy getting beaten up by the elements.
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It’s a pretty friendly start with the first 4 holes easing you in so you can marvel at the condition of the greens and bunkers. The end of the front 9 demands a lot from your game, navigating well placed traps, some narrow fairways and big greens, but it is the back 9 where you start to wonder if there is anywhere better in mainland Europe to play golf.
You play drivable par 4s, reachable par 5s, stunning back to back par 3s all whilst admiring the views of the stunning surroundings. We played late afternoon and with the sun lowering & highlighting the natural contours to the land it was just awesome. I could play here every day of the year and not get bored. This is also a very walkable golf course, which is great.
The final stop on our tour was Penha Longa, which sits just north of Cascais up in the hills. The course is part of a 5-star resort and the golf course is brilliant fun to play. There are huge elevation changes to deal with and a great mix of short and long, narrow and wide holes to really offer a great test to your game.
The par 3s were spectacular and again, you would not believe how good the greens were. This is a golf course where on your day you could get it going and score low, but equally, on a bad day it could beat you up pretty bad. I unfortunately lost a match here on the last hole with a poor 4 foot putt, but that didn’t at all spoil it for me and I would love to return to have another crack at it.
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Beyond the Fairways
One of the big reasons why I think I prefer Cascais as a destination is what you can get up to off the course as well as on it. The local area is very Portuguese, and there is plenty to explore. We spent one evening at the local marina, where there is a parade of shops and restaurants, and another night in a small restaurant in the town both of which served brilliant food and beer.
You are also only 30 minutes away from the centre of Lisbon, which opens up a whole other host of entertainment with bars and restaurants. There are beaches, there are hikes, the surfing is great (apparently) and plenty more to do away from the golf if you are looking for it.
I went off to Lisbon for a couple of days after the golf trip ended, and found myself drawn back for an extra day in Cascais. I found the whole place magnetising and just wanted to sit by the beach in a cafe taking it all in. I will 100% be returning to the area and you should give it a go.
Now have your say
Have you ever played golf in Cascais region of Portugal? If not, would you be tempted to go now? Tell us on X!
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