Kartódromo Vila Real

In Vila Real, in the Trás-os-Montes region of northern Portugal, the kartódromo spreads over the site of the town's aerodrome, in the open air. You drive a recent fleet of Sodi karts of two hundred and seventy cubic centimetres with petrol engines, open to adults and children. It is one of the major motorsport gathering points in the north-east, in a town that carries a long tradition of car racing. Vila Real also hosts its famous street circuit each summer, one of the oldest and most prized in Portugal.

Karting stays open to everyone, no licence or experience needed: a briefing, a helmet, and off you go chasing your best lap. The venue offers packages for adults, youngsters and children, along with birthdays, which makes it an outing open to the whole family. The track is open Wednesday to Sunday, with a midday break, so it pays to check the hours before coming. People happily return to beat their time.

Vila Real is the main town of Trás-os-Montes, perched above the gorges of the Corgo and Cabril rivers, at the gateway to the Alvão natural park. Nearby, the Mateus estate and its baroque palace, surrounded by some of Portugal's finest gardens, are among the most visited sites in the north. The region, mountainous and authentic, is reached by motorway from Porto, in about an hour.