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Monsanto Forest Park – the “Lungs of Lisbon” – sprawls across nearly 1000 hectares (about 2470 acres) in the heart of the capital. Simply put, it’s a treasure and has been since it was created in 1934. There’s a lot going on in the park – tennis, remote controlled cars, kid’s parks, clay shooting ranges and a tremendous natural ampitheatre – complete with breathtaking views of the river Tagus, 25 de Abril bridget and Sanctuary of Christ the King (Santuário de Cristo Rei) statue.

But most important here is the range of marked and unmarked trails throughout the park – perfect for mountain biking (called BTT locally) and trail running. I’ll focus on the numbered/marked trails as they’re pretty epic.

Location of Monsanto Forest Park in Lisbon

Numbered Trails:
01 Corredor Verde
02 Volta do Planalto
03 Rota da Agua
04 Seis Pedreiras
05 Montado de Monsanto
06 Moinhos do Mocho
07 Keil do Amaral
08 Vila Pouca – Bela Vista
09 Campismo – Chamines d’El Rei
10 Encosta da Pimenteira – Alcantara
11 Alto do Duque
12 Circuito Acessivel
13 Trilho de Corrida
14 Rota da Biodiversidade Ocidental
15 Anfiteatro Keil do Amaral – Alcantara (Tapada da Ajuda)

Map of Monsanto Forest Park

A couple of tips:

  • Each trail has a starting point on the above map (it’s the colored circle with the trail number inside). Start there as it’ll have a map of that particular trail and a bit about it.
  • Trails are well marked but the trails are meant to be run in one direction and it’s sometimes difficult to tell which direction that is. If you run the trail in the correct direction it’ll provide solid directional markings and the distance. If you go the wrong direction it’s not marked well – I’d advise taking a picture of the map with you if you do that – and plan to trail break / backtrack a bit.

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