Portugal
Travel, vacations, tours and tourism

Travel, Vacations, Tours and Tourism information for Portugal. Our topics inlcude Restaurants, Overviews, Attractions, Common events, Recreation, Tipical weather, Activities and more.

The soulful Fados of Portuguese folk singers echo in alleys. Wild excitement charges the air here man and beast face each other in bullfighting arenas (the bulls re not killed!). Pristine mountains, remote Moorish villages and sun-drenched beach resorts dot the landscape,

Lisbon, the capital city, is both old and new. Elaborate buildings, bustling squares and contemporary cafTs line narrow streets that lace their way up the hillsides. Castelo do Sao Jorge, an ancient fortress dating back to the 5th century, watches over the city from above.

Outside of Lisbon are Estoril and Cascais, chic resorts where casino action and cabaret shows light up the nights. In the South, the Algarve Coast and the island of Madeira offer spectacular sun-drenched beaches and unspoiled natural beauty.

With a year-round pleasant climate, and engaging hosts, Portugal is a splash of refreshment for any European vacation.

Destinations in Portugal

Algarve, Portugal

One of the most popular resort areas in Europe is the heavenly Algarve province in Portugal. The sunny Atlantic coastline seems like another world - part Mediterranean and part North African. The towns are in a time warp, using agricultural methods that haven't changed in centuries to grow oranges, grapes, olives, almonds, figs, and carobs. While the tourism industry keeps airlines on strict timetables and beautiful resort hotels dotting the beaches, the native Algarveans leisurely stroll through life, worrying about little, relaxing a lot, and rushing only to be friendly and hospitable to their neighbors. Urgency is an unfamiliar notion to Algarveans, and that makes the gorgeous beaches and quaint towns even more refreshing.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is older than Rome or any other Western European capital, dating back at least to the 12th century BC, when Phoenician sailors built a settlement atop São Jorge. In its Golden Age of Discovery, it gained a reputation as the eighth wonder of the world as visitors returned to their homes with tales of riches rivaling those of Venice. That was because, as one of the greatest maritime nations in history, the Portuguese capital imported unprecedented wealth and exotic wares from the far-flung corners of its empire. The influx of treasure enabled the kings to build a magnificent city of palaces, cathedrals, grand squares, landscaped gardens, ornate fountains, and monuments.

Madeira, Portugal

Madeira is a mere dot in the Atlantic, much closer to Morocco than to Lisbon. Though it appears on a Genoese map of 1351, this thickly-wooded, semi-tropical island remained unclaimed until 1418, when Portuguese explorers were blown off course while exploring the African coast and found safe harbor in Porto Santo. From the shores of that "sister" island, they spotted Madeira and within 7 years it had a pioneer colony of sugarcane planters. Modern Madeirans continue to make use of every patch of the mountainous land to grow bananas, exotic flowers, and the grapes for their world-famous wine.

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