Portugal: Overview

Why go?

Much of Portugal remains blissfully undiscovered. Most of us know it only for the sun-drenched beaches of the Algarve and there lingers a collective assumption that somehow the rest of the country is unworthy of our interest. This theory couldn’t be wider off the mark.

Portugal is a treasure trove of natural wonders with magical Mediterranean landscapes in abundance. There is great diversity too: the wild west coast from Sagres to Setúbal with its endless sandy beaches populated by small colonies of benign surfers; the pomp of Sintra with its palace in the sky; the ancient walled town of Obidos stepped in history; and the grand old city of Lisbon, a monument to supreme shabbiness. Nowhere caught our imagination more than the eastern borderlands of the Alentejo, where time lags a century behind the rest of the country; whitewashed hilltowns shimmer above olive groves, dogs laze in the shade, cockerels crow and the old boys gather in the village bar for an evening drink.

The most surprising discovery of all in Portugal was its food. Head to the coast for the freshest seafood – squid, octopus, giant prawns, oysters and crab; or inland for fabulous old country recipes and exquisite peasant fare: delicious cheeses, locally-cured hams, succulent cuts of pork and wild boar straight from the forests. What’s more, you can wash your meal down with wonderfully earthy wines, none of which cost a bomb.

Any Downsides?

The biggest downside in Portugal is the summer sun, which is fierce in July and August; temperatures can creep past 40 degrees. But most restaurants, shops and hotels are cooled by air conditioning. Outside the motorways which link Porto - Lisbon - Algarve - Spain, you’re confined to small roads. But there’s not much traffic and the scenery is easy on the eye, so if you’re not in a hurry, you won’t mind. We were also surprised at the high cost of Lisbon - given that the city supposedly has the lowest cost of living in the EU.

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Activities

*Beaches: from the islands lagoons of the south to the endless sands of the wild west coast.

*Towns of the Algarve: pretty Tavira, Queen of the South; Lagos, for its historic centre wrapped up in 14th-century walls; seafaring Sagres, the south-western tip of the country; Monchique, an old spa town up in the mountains.

*Golf: courses all along the southern coast. Portugal is blessed with a gentle climate, golfers can play almost every day of the year in spectacularly scenic surroundings.

*Setúbal and the Tróia peninsular: for a 30-mile beach, Roman ruins, lagoons rich with bird life, dolphins in the Sado estuary, and old villages in the Arrábida Hills above.

*Évora: a walled town with a Roman temple that was conquered by the Moors, now a World Heritage site.

*Estremoz: one of the great marble towns, for its Saturday market and for the road south to Redondo over the eucalypt forest of the Serra de Ossa.

*Vila Viçosa: the country seat of the Dukes of Bragança, the last ruling family of Portugal. The palace here is the Portuguese equivalent of Versailles.

*Obidos: a walled city that dates to 12th century, which belonged to the queens of Portugal.

*Cascais: Portugal’s Riviera, with the sands stretching across to Estoril and the Palace at Sintra hiding in the hills behind.

*Lisbon: for its rattling trams, its 12th-century castle, historic Belém and the suspension bridge over the River Tejo.

	Overview
	Places to Stay
	What's Where
	Lisbon
	Madeira
	Algarve
	Alentejo
	Estremadura
	Mountain Beiras
	Background Info
	Travel Tips
	Getting There
	Getting Around
	When to Go