Best places to run in Portugal

A dramatic limestone cape at the tip of the Peniche peninsula with a clifftop walk past wave-carved rock stacks.

The westernmost point of continental Europe, a dramatic cliff cape linked by coastal trails to wild beaches like Praia da Adraga.

A multi-tiered waterfall in Peneda-Gerês reached by a popular forest loop with clear views down the valley.

A ruined Moorish hilltop castle above Sintra reached by steep forest paths from town, with ramparts giving sweeping views.

The highest point of the Serra de Sintra in Pena Park, a rocky summit reached by woodland paths with views to the sea.

A spectacular series of tiered cascades dropping around 200 m through slate mountains, with steep trails and bathing pools.

At roughly 75 m the tallest waterfall on mainland Portugal, set in the karst landscape of the Arouca Geopark with a panoramic circular trail.

A walled national forest of giant exotic trees, ferns, ponds and ruined hermitages with shaded trails climbing to a panoramic convent and palace.

A celebrated viewpoint high above Pinhão over the terraced vineyards and bends of the Douro, the prize of steep vineyard walks.

A sweeping vineyard viewpoint above the Douro near Pinhão reached on terraced quinta trails through the wine country.

Portugal's largest urban park, rolling green lawns and lakes running right down to the Atlantic, popular for running and walking.

Lisbon's central formal park rising on a slope to a viewpoint over the city centre and the Tagus, with wide walking avenues.

Lisbon's huge forested hill park, the city's green lung, laced with running and walking trails and panoramic city-and-river viewpoints.

Portugal's only national park, full of granite peaks, oak forest, Roman roads and river pools with hundreds of kilometres of rugged trails.

A limestone coastal range of Mediterranean scrub plunging to turquoise coves, with waymarked trails of every difficulty above the sea.

A sheltered lagoon of barrier islands, salt marsh and dunes with flat boardwalk and beach trails rich in birdlife.

A remote upland park of oak woods, granite villages and rolling moorland in Portugal's far north-east, with quiet long trails.

A UNESCO cultural landscape of forested hills, palaces and wild Atlantic cliffs threaded with hiking trails between Sintra and the coast.

One of Europe's most preserved coastlines, a protected stretch of towering cliffs, sandy coves and clifftop trails.

Nearly 8 km of wooden walkways and zigzag staircases along the wild Paiva river gorge in the Arouca Geopark.

The Algarve's most famous walk, an undulating clifftop trail past sea arches, sinkholes and golden beaches between Carvoeiro and Marinha.

A picturesque schist village built into a steep hillside, a classic base and waypoint for walks in the Serra do Açor.

A scenic waterfall and pool at 1080 m in the Serra da Estrela, reached by forest trails from Manteigas.

A headland of golden sea stacks, grottoes and a lighthouse with clifftop boardwalks and steps down to coves near Lagos.

One of the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridges, 516 m across and 175 m above the Paiva gorge, linked to the walkway trails.

A sheltered cove reputed the prettiest beach in the Arrábida park, linked to Praia do Creiro by an easy coastal path past Roman ruins.

A horseshoe beach where a river meets the Atlantic, a popular endpoint of the Fishermen's Trail with clifftop approaches.

A pink-granite island biosphere reserve off Peniche with a clifftop fort and footpaths among rare seabird colonies.

A vast lagoon of canals, salt flats and reedbeds with flat waterside paths ideal for easy walking and running among moliceiro boats.

A long-distance coastal hiking network whose Fishermen's Trail runs over 200 km of cliffs, dunes and wild beaches along the Atlantic.

A hilltop sanctuary high in the Serra de Sintra reached by forest trails, with panoramic views over the Atlantic coast.

A schist mountain range with trails linking restored stone schist villages, river beaches and forested ridgelines.

The Seven Lagoons loop links a chain of mountain pools and streams across the high granite plateau of Gerês.

At 1993 m it is mainland Portugal's highest point, a high windswept plateau in the Serra da Estrela reached by long open mountain trails.

A dramatic U-shaped glacial valley below Torre with a classic trail climbing from Manteigas past the source of the Zêzere river.