Sports and hobbies in Portugal

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

Futebol

The game requires speed, dexterity, stamina, and strategy. Portuguese Cristiano Renaldo is arguably 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 footballers play internationally for other teams; for example Renaldo plays for Real Madrid. As qualification for the quadrennial World Cup approaches, players are named to the national team. Below the national team is the club game. Premeira League, with 14 teams, is the premier league and the Second Leaguefields 22 teams.

Every city and region has a large number of amateur leagues, as well as college and school teams ranging from teams of five to full teams. Naturally, you can find a group of children (or adults) kicking the ball anywhere there is a bit of open space.

Indoor football

Futsal, futsal, is played on a hard surface. There are several leagues divided into divisions. 1st Divistoor is the top league.

All the rest

• Athletics: Portugal has several long-distance runners and has done well in the last Olympic Games in London and Beijing; There are also some of the best long-distance runners in Portugal.

• Canoeing: Portugal has many of the best Olympic athletes in this sport; Kayaking and canoeing are popular sports for both tourists and locals.

• Cycling: Volta to Portugal is the annual long-distance career; Bicycle 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)

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

• Bullfights: Portuguese bullfights differ in style from Spanish customs, in particular the bull is not killed in the ring; Running with the bulls, as in Pamplona, ​​Spain, is popular in the Azores.

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

• Airsoft – Known as paint ball 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, especially around the central coastal city of Peniche. Recently, the largest wave ever surfed was recorded in Nazaré, about 30 minutes north of Peniche.

Hobbies

Textiles

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

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

• Manufacture of carpets / tapestries: Arraiolos in the south of Portugal it is famous for its pure wool rugs; the designs are similar in motifs 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: fine thread crochet lace and bobbin lace developed as another way to make ends meet in poorer families; The best known styles include Secret, Secret of Love, and Loulé Lace.

• Fabric: the Serra da Estrela region is known for its thick and dense waterproof blankets (blankets); 100% wool, the blankets do not contain dyes or 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 home regions. Known dances include: fandango, vira, corrinhdo, chula Y viranda. Dancing well takes time, practice, stamina, and instruction.