Portugal

Portugal is more than a destination for sunny beach holidays – although it does do those very well.  It is an eclectic country with whitewashed villages, UNESCO world heritage sites, great walking, vineyards, an Atlantic and a Mediterranean coast and a fascinating capital in Lisbon.  It also has some of the most beautiful islands in Europe – the Azores and Madeira covered  on separate pages on this site.  Highlights of Portugal include:

• the golden sand beaches and interesting rock formations of the Algarve
• ancient town of Porto at the mouth of the Douro with its Port wine cellars and Gustav Eiffel’s Dona Maria Bridge
• the lush Costa Verde in northern Portugal dotted with traditional villages and sandy beaches
• the vineyards of the Douro valley
• its lovely capital Lisbon, home to the UNESCO world heritage sites of the Hieronymites monastery and the Tower of Belem
• just outside Lisbon the fashionable fishing village of Cascais and the beach resort of Estoril
• the Serra de Sintra and the historical town of Sintra
• the Alentejo coast or Costa Azul with pretty whitewashed villages, sandy beaches and two great walking trails
• the wild western Algarve where you can surf, climb, fish and hike
• the quieter Eastern Algarve including the Ria Formosa natural park, sand bar islands and the beautiful town of Tavira
• the network of Pousadas, traditional hotels often found in historic castles, former monasteries or palaces and always in great locations