Running in Portugal
Pincha aquí para la versión en castellano
Going for a run while on vacation is a practical way to get to know a place a little better—to squeeze the most out of the tourist experience, if you will. It has become a habit of mine to pack running shoes (if they fit) whenever I go on a trip. This recent trip to Lisbon was no exception, and I used them for the three routes that I summarize in these notes.
The first run was in a protected area called the Passadiço Mata do Medos, located about a 10 or 15-minute drive from where we were staying. You can see the exact location on the route map attached below (red path).
It is a fairly short trail running along a boardwalk connecting three viewpoints. These viewpoints, perched on the cliff face, offer beautiful views of the Atlantic coast. The boardwalk we ran on is simple and rustic, barely a meter and a half or two wide, raised a few centimeters off the sandy ground, partially covered by grasses. I suppose its main function is to prevent human traffic from spilling over into the rest of the area.
On that occasion, Federica, Marcela, and I ran, starting a few minutes after 7 a.m. and completing the 6 kilometers (that the boardwalk allowed us by zigzagging through the different options, without venturing onto the sandy paths) in a little more than 30 minutes.
Two days later, faced with my jogging partners suddenly bowing out due to the flu and sleepiness, I ran another section of the same protected area alone, starting at a point even closer to our accommodation.
This is the route marked in blue on the map below, called Fonte da Telha, as the beach immediately below the cliff along which the route runs.
On this second run, I ran a good portion on the sand, which made it harder and slower. Through paths of sand, gravel, dirt, and boardwalk once again, I arrived at the parking lot where we had parked two days earlier. At that point, I made a U-turn and headed back.
Due to a terrible navigational error, I got lost when I was almost arriving at the car, and ended up doing an unexpected loop that brought my run up to 10 kilometers.
It was not intentional. The AllTrails app had shown me several routes in that area with different distances that would have been more appropriate if one wanted to run 10 km. But since I run without a phone, I memorize routes in my head, and by wanting to cut off a few meters, I ended up lost.
In any case, I found this route more pleasant than the first one for running, whereas the first one is better for a walk due to the views from the viewpoints.
The third run we did in Lisbon, again with my jogging partners, was actually in the city, on pavement—a completely urban route, which is why I am not including it in the map below.
We got up on Saturday at 6 a.m., drove until we reached the front of the foundation, parked on the edge of the avenue, and started running under light rain.
It is a route worth doing; we crossed paths with a large number of runners despite the hour and the drizzle.
Our run was short (a little over 5 km), but the route allows you to easily extend it several more kilometers for pure sightseeing.
When finished, we went to have churros with chocolate for breakfast at San Ginés.
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