You wouldn’t think of Portugal as a top rock-climbing destination, and there are no world-renowned climbing places in the country. However, great rock climbing and bouldering places abound in Portugal, most of which are close to the country’s most popular tourist attractions. As a result, it is a perfect location for those who want to combine rock climbing with a beach vacation, as well as some of the best surfing and windsurfing in the world. Sport climbing on limestone crags and sea cliffs, challenging trad routes on granite, bouldering on granite rock, and deep water soloing are all options in Portugal.
Northern Portugal Rock Climbing
The northern region of Portugal is quite rural and is home to the Serra da Estrela Mountains, the country’s highest peak, located near the town of Covilha. There are single and multi-pitch routes in these granite mountains that provide both adventurous traditional climbing and sport climbing. Additionally, there is excellent bouldering at Pedra do Urso, which is Portugal’s greatest bouldering location, with 1,000’s of quality problems spanning all grades.
Central Portugal’s rock climbing
The hills of Montejunto, Reguengo do Fetal, and Serra do Sico provide some excellent limestone crags north of Lisbon. These short bolted cliffs provide an abundance of routes of varying grades. These locations are ideal for escaping the scorching heat due to their elevation, which is substantially cooler than the coast.
Sintra and Cascais are located west of Lisbon. Around Sintra’s hills, rock climbing is done on granite. Here are some beautiful bolted granite slabs that provide an incredible sensation of exposure. A series of granite bouldering locations are located high in the forest above Sintra, providing substantially cooler climbing than the beaches just a few kilometres below. It’s all about sea cliff climbing on limestone rock in Cascais. This includes sport climbing at Farol Da Guia and beach bouldering at Baia Do Mexilhoeiro.
Five sport climbing locations are located south of Lisbon between the cities of Sesimbra and Setubal, the greatest of which being Fenda. The routes here are unquestionable of a higher grade (mostly 7’s) and are located on steep and overhanging limestone rock cliffs.
Southern Portugal Rock Climbing
With its great beaches and surfing opportunities, the Algarve in southern Portugal is considered Portugal’s finest tourist area. There are two excellent climbing places in this region, each offering a completely different type of climbing. Rocha da Pena is the premier sport climbing crag in the world, with a diverse range of grades on high-quality limestone rock. It is conveniently located just far enough away from the bustling tourist areas of Quarteira and Albufeira while remaining easily accessible and only a short walk from the vehicle.
Sagres, a rocky outcrop on Portugal’s southwest coast, offers challenging sea cliff climbing. There is both sport climbing and traditional climbing here, as well as some multi-pitch routes. However, Sagres is gaining international prominence as a world-class location for Deep Water Soloing (DWS), with the primary crag being Ponta Garcia.
