Portugal

Laid back, inexpensive, sleepy in places, Portugal has a long maritime history and boasts one of the best coastlines in Europe, along its breathtaking Algarve coast. Sophistication and ‘Old World’ charm exists side by side in Lisbon, while the hinterland hints at a rural Europe left behind decades ago.

It is an ideal country for touring with a car, from the popular destinations in the South to the magnificent national parks in the east and the excellent vineyards of the Duoro valley.


Lisbon

Once one of the Maritime centres of the world, Lisbon today is an intriguing mix of cobbled streets, modern trams, ancient hilly suburbs of windy lanes, and breezy piazzas as it sits beside the wide river Tejo. While not quite as grand as its hey-dey in the middle of the last millennium, nor one of Europe’s picturesque capitals, Lisbon received a recent facelift for the world Expo in 1998.

Its oldest districts are the delightful Baixa and Alfama, where you’ll find some of the city's oldest and most rewarding sights: anarchic cobbled streets, squares and alleys; markets and craftspeople; and colourful buildings and brooding castles. Passing through these suburbs you gradually ascend to the hills behind the city with fine views from old castle ramparts.

One of the few great buildings to survive the great earthquake of 1755 is the impressive Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, today the principal remnant of Manueline architecture found in the city. Nearby is the Torre de Belém, a Manueline-style tower which stands in the Rio Tejo, and is probably the most photographed monument in Portugal. It commemorates the departure of great Portuguese explorers such as Vasco da Gama and Bartholomew Diaz, credited with finding a route around Southern Africa and opening access to the Spice Islands.

Lisbon has a number of attractive museums, including the Museu Nacional do Azulejo, which contains superb displays of decorative tiles; the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, which houses the national collection of works by Portuguese painters; and the immense Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, considered the finest museum in Portugal, with exhibits of paintings, sculptures, carpets, coins and ceramics from around the world.

Perhaps Lisbon’s chief attraction is its abundance of cheap accommodation and food, together with a bustling nightlife and multi-cultural population boosted by immigrants from Africa and South America.


Sintra

Less than an hour from Lisbon is the beautiful town of Sintra, long favoured by Portuguese royalty and English nobility as a summer destination. With its thickly wooded setting, romantic gardens and ramshackle glamour, the town has a number of palaces and ruins, including the Palácio Nacional de Sintra, an interesting amalgam of Manueline and Gothic architecture, and the Palácio Nacional da Pena. Just outside the town are the rambling Monserrate Gardens, while further out is the Convento dos Capuchos, an interesting 16th-century hermitage enclosed in forest and set among the rocks.


Évora

Situated in Alto Alentejo in a landscape of olive groves, vineyards, wheat fields and brilliant spring flowers, this charming town with its impressive ancient architecture and distinctive city walls is well-worth the visit. The focal point is the Praça do Giraldo, and its attractions include the Sé (cathedral), which has a museum of ecclesiastical treasures; the picturesque Templo Romano; and the Igreja de São Francisco.

The Algarve

Portugal’s southern coastline is one of Europe’s loveliest. Towering cliffs and secluded beaches face out towards the lonely Atlantic ocean and delightful villages of all shapes and sizes are dotted along the coast.

Faro, with its international airport, is the hub of the region. Both modern and ancient, it is dotted with monuments and cathedrals, most notably the Renaissance-inspired Nossa Senhora da Assuncão Convent and São Francisco Church. (16-18th centuries) located on the town square. The old city is delightful, still surrounded by the Roman walls. Also worth visiting is the city’s archeological museum, housed in a 16th Century former Convent. Next to the small boat basin, bordering the Praade Dom Francisco Gomes is a small Naval Museum composed of scale model boats and galleons showing the maritime history of the coast.

More details on Faro.

Sagres is dramatically situated on the cliff-edges of mainland Europe’s western-most point. It was here that five centuries ago Prince Henry set up a school of navigation which played a crucial role in the Portuguese discoveries. Apart from the Nossa Senhora da Graça Hermitage, you can visit the magnificent Fortress (originally built in the 14th century, and later altered).



The quiet highland town of Monchique, dozing on the wooded slopes of the Serra de Monchique, offers a good alternative to the hurly-burly chaos of beach life on the coast. Apart from its beautiful and restive setting it's worth driving or hiking through thick forest to Fóia, the 'rooftop' of the Algarve.

Other quieter towns which are ideal for escaping the crowd and relaxing are Albufeira, Alcoutim, Aljezur, Almansil, Alte, Cacela, Carvoeiro, Castro Marim, Lagoa, Loul, Moncarapacho, Monte Gordo (casino), Ponta da Piedade, Porches, Silves, Vila do Bispo, Vilamoura (casino and marina) and Vila Real de Santo Antonio (marina).

Inland are many small rural farming villages, as well as golf courses and lovely scenery, perfect for a day-trip to escape the beachside tourist crush.

More details on the Algarve.




Douro Valley

This valley is one of Portugal's scenic highlights, with some 200kms of bold, expansive panoramas stretching from the city of Oporto all the way to the Spanish border. Gifting the world the word ‘port’, the wine and indeed port from this region is excellent, especially in the upper reaches where port-wine vineyards wrap around every crew-cut hillside. Oporto’s attractions include the Old Relação Prison, long associated with famous Portuguese personalities, the magnificent interior atmospheres, composed by stained glass windows, mirrors and artistic furniture, of the Commercial Resturant, Wine Institute Building, including a marble memorial stones that evoke determinant dates and facts of this wine’s history. The S. Lázaro’s Garden is the most ancient municipal garden in all Oporto possibly even Portugal, a peaceful place to stroll about. To the north is the aptly named Costa Verde (green coast), with its beautiful and remote scenery. Sanfins Citânia (Paços de Ferreira), a ruins of a Roman or Pre-Roman settlement in Portugal, dates from the 2nd century BC, representing one of the most important archaeological stations in the Peninsular Northwest.

National Parks
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês, a wilderness park in the far north of Portugal, near the Spanish border, has spectacular scenery and a wide variety of flora and fauna with good hiking and camping. Other notable parks include da Montesino in the far northeast, da Serra de Sao Mamede and da Serra da Estrella on the hilly Spanish border in the east, da Arrabida south of Lisbon and da Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vincentina near the Algarve.

Here’s no doubt about it, Portugal is cheap and cheerful, distinctive, relaxing, intriguing, historical and picturesque.


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