KIP - Kartódromo Internacional de Palmela

In Palmela, south of Lisbon, KIP is one of Portugal's major international circuits: an outdoor layout of twelve hundred and seventy metres, with a junior track for the youngest from a metre twenty. You drive petrol-engined karts of various capacities, from two hundred and seventy to three hundred and ninety cubic centimetres, with a fleet of up to a hundred and fifty machines. The length and quality of the layout make it a real playground for speed lovers and racers alike.

Karting stays open to everyone, no licence or experience needed: a briefing, a helmet, and off you go chasing your best lap. The main track offers several styles of driving depending on the engine size, while the junior track introduces children safely, which opens the activity to the whole family. Professional real-time timing lets you compare performances. The complex even has a hotel and a restaurant overlooking the track, enough to stretch out the outing.

Palmela is a small town south of the Tagus, crowned by its medieval castle, which offers a wide view over the region. Nearby, the Serra da Arrábida unfolds its hills covered in Mediterranean scrub and its turquoise-water beaches, while Setúbal, by the Sado estuary, is known for its dolphins and its fishing harbour. The region is easily reached from Lisbon over the Tagus bridge, in about thirty minutes.