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Portugal - Facts

Oct 12, 2025

Portugal Facts for Cruisers

  • From the cruising point of view, mainland Portugal divides into two distinct areas, the west and the south. The ports on the west coast are situated mostly in estuaries or rivers often with bars at the entrance. Among them, the most interesting landfalls are the capital Lisbon set on the River Tagus, which can be navigated right up into the centre of the city and the new marina on the river Douro in the beautiful city of Oporto.
  • The Algarve coast in the south has better weather and easier approaches to its small picturesque ports. In recent years several new marinas have opened on both west and south coasts, which has greatly improved cruising the Portuguese coast.
  • An interesting cruising ground is the River Guadiana, which forms the border between Portugal and Spain. The river is navigable for some 20 miles as far as Pomarao, and the scenery, as well as the wildlife, are worth the detour. The bridge linking the two banks is reported to have an overhead clearance of at least 20 metres.
  • When transiting the coast of Portugal (and into Galicia, NW Spain), be sure to keep a good way offshore (at least 10NM) as lobster pots are everywhere on this coast, particularly in the approaches to harbours. Many are unmarked and those that are marked have no lights and are not easily seen.
  • The best repair facilities are concentrated in the areas which have a local boating community: the capital Lisbon, Oporto on the west coast, Vilamoura marina and Lagos marina on the Algarve coast.
  • If heading into Portugal from Spain, be sure to top up your tanks before departure as diesel is cheaper in Spain than in Portugal. Note also that diesel is even cheaper in Gibraltar, and cheaper still in Morocco.

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Portugal was last updated 4 months ago
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