Sports and hobbies in Portugal

Called The Beautiful Game, the Portuguese are hot football fans. From club matches to the national team, everyone has a favorite player and team that they follow with great devotion.

Football

The game requires speed, dexterity, stamina and strategy. Portugal’s Cristiano Renaldo can be said to be the best player in the world, and José Marinho is widely recognized as a talented coach.

For professional players, being part of the national team is the pinnacle of success. Many professional soccer players play internationally for other teams; for example, Renaldo plays for Real Madrid. As qualification for the quadrennial World Cup approaches, players are nominated for the national team. Below the national team is the club game. Premier leaguewith 14 teams, it is the first league and the second leaguefields 22 teams.

Each city and region has a large number of amateur leagues, as well as college and school teams ranging from five a side to full teams. Naturally, you can find a bunch of kids (or adults) kicking the ball around wherever there’s a bit of open space.

indoor football

Futsal, five-player futsal, is played on a hard surface. There are several leagues divided into divisions. 1st Divisionhasoh it is the top league.

all the rest

• Athletics: Portugal has several top-level distance runners and has done well at the recent Olympic Games in London and Beijing; there are also a number of the best long-distance runners in Portugal

• Canoeing: Portugal has many top-level Olympians in this sport; kayaking and canoeing are popular sports for tourists and locals alike

• Cycling: back to portugal it’s the annual long-distance race; Bike tours and mountain bike trails are widely available in all regions.

• Martial Arts: Jogo do Pau is a traditional martial art of stick fighting dating back to the Middle Ages (fencing and judo are also popular)

• Motor sports: Rallying, motorcycle racing and the A1 Grand Prix are popular spectator sports and some races (Madeira Rally and Lisbon-Dakar Rally) receive international attention.

• Bullfighting: Portuguese bullfighting differs in style from Spanish customs, notably the bull is not killed in the ring; running with the bulls, like in Pamplona, ​​Spain, is popular in the Azores

• Golf – The Algarve has excellent courses and many of Portugal’s top professionals play in the region

• Airsoft – Known as paintball in the US, the game is popular across the country.

• Water sports: surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing are popular, especially in the Algarve.

• Portugal is considered to have some of the best waves in Europe, particularly around the central coastal town of Peniche. Recently, the biggest wave ever surfed was recorded in Nazaré, about 30 minutes north of Peniche.

hobbies

textiles

The traditional sewing and fiber arts of Portugal began in convents and as cottage industries. Fine linens, rugs, and lace provided the livelihood of many families and became famous for their craftsmanship. Portuguese textiles are well known throughout the world.

• Embroidery – Portuguese embroidery is highly sought after with its intricate stitches and vivid colors; styles vary by region, with the best-known examples coming from Madeira and Castelo Branco; white embroidery (white thread on white cloth) is also popular with modern needleworkers

• Carpet/Upholstery Manufacturing: Arraiolos in the south of Portugal it is famous for its pure wool rugs; the designs are similar in pattern and style to Persian rugs; Portalegre is well known for its finely detailed tapestry with up to 25,000 stitches per square meter.

• Weaving: Portuguese weaving is popular with weavers around the world; also known as continental tissue

• Crochet/lace making: Fine thread crochet lace and bobbin lace making developed as another way of making ends meet for poorer families; well-known styles include secret, love secret and Loulé lace

• Fabric: The Serra da Estrela region is well known for its thick and dense waterproof blankets (blankets); 100% wool, the blankets are free of dyes and chemicals.

folk dance

Traditional Portuguese folk dances, typically slower in pace than those of their Spanish neighbors, reflect the courtship and marriage customs of their native regions. The best known dances include: fandango, vira, corrinhdo, cool Y viranda. Dancing well takes time, practice, stamina, and instruction.