Portugal Travel Tips
Portugal has a rich seafaring past, superb beach resorts, wistful towns and a landscape wreathed in olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields. Littered with UNESCO World Heritage sites and graced by one of Europe's most relaxed and attractive capitals, it also remains refreshingly affordable.
Savoring life slowly is a Portuguese passion, and much of the best is humble - traditional folk festivals; simple, honest food drowning in olive oil; music that pulls at the heart strings, recalling past love and glories; and markets overflowing with fish, fruit and flowers.
Portuguese Wine Tasting
Written by Viator, April 2011
Portugal is renowned for its wines and fortified port wines. Tours head off from Lisbon to the surrounding vineyards and wineries, where you can see how the wines are made, get a feel for the ...
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3 Days in Lisbon: Suggested Itineraries
Written by Viator, August 2010
Lisbon is a city to get lost in, wandering steep, narrow streets lined with tiled buildings, and discovering hidden bars and cafes. Day 1: History, Hills & Local Flavor Start at Rossio and ...
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Fado By Night
Written by Viator, April 2011
Fado is Portugal’s proud musical tradition. The often mournful melodies and lyrics of fado tell tragic stories of the sea and the hardships of life lived by the poor. Fado is linked to the ...
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3 Days in Porto & Northern Portugal: Suggested Itineraries
Written by Viator, August 2010
Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city – is rich in architecture, museums and wine. It’s a lively city built on the steep granite rising above the Rio Duoro with a UNESCO World Heritage listed old ...
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Islands of Portugal Suggested Itineraries
Written by Viator, January 2011
South of Portugal, 320 mi (515 km) off the coast of North Africa, lies one of the jewels of the Portuguese Islands – Madeira. Famous for its wine, it also has year-round mild temperatures and ...
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3 Days in the Algarve: Suggested Itineraries
Written by Viator, August 2010
Gorgeous beaches, spectacular coast, surf, dolphins, sunshine, plus castles and countryside. What’s not to love about Portugal’s playground, The Algarve? Well, the crowds of tourists for one. In peak ...
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Coimbra
Written by Philippa Burne, UK, December 2011
In the 12th and 13th centuries Coimbra was the capital of Portugal ;
these days it’s a huge university town attracting students from around
the world. The reasons to visit are its deep history ...
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Guimarães Jazz Festival
Written by Philippa Burne, UK, October 2012
The 21st Guimarães Jazz Festival will be held from November 10-19, 2012.
This year it will be special not just for turning 21 but also because
the city of Guimarães is this year’s ...
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Nazaré in Portugal
Written by Sasha, January 2013
Colorful Nazaré is huddled on the western, Atlantic coast of Portugal , 60 miles (100 km) north of Lisbon
in Estremadura. Essentially a traditional fishing village with wide,
sandy ...
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Portugal's Hidden Lake: Alqueva
Written by Philippa Burne, UK, September 2011
When you think of holidaying in Portugal, everyone thinks of that wonderful Atlantic Coast, primarily of the Algarve. But this region is now overrun with tourists and has lost some of its charm. If ...
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Rock Art of Vale do Coa
Written by Philippa Burne, UK, October 2011
In northern Portugal , well inland from Porto ,
is a small rugged valley that was destined to be flooded into becoming a
dam but is now a protected World Heritage national park. Why did its ...
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Sintra, A World Heritage Site
Written by Philippa Burne, UK, August 2011
Sintra has palaces
and castles enough to satisfy anyone – even UNESCO, who made it a World
Heritage Site in 1995 for its nineteenth century Romantic cultural
landscape.
That famous English ...
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The Town of Fátima
Written by Philippa Burne, UK, August 2011
The small town of Fátima, 88 miles (140km) north of Lisbon, is one of the world’s most important holy sites. In 1917 the Virgin Mary appeared here to three shepherd children and in 1930 the ...
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Things to Do in Guimaraes
Written by Philippa Burne, UK, July 2012
Guimarães is a small city with huge importance to Portugal , both historically and in 2012.
This year it is the European Capital of Culture, along with Maribor
in Slovenia. What this means ...
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Things to Do in Óbidos
Written by Philippa Burne, UK, July 2012
About 50 miles (80km) north of Lisbon ,
perched on a hilltop is the small well-preserved medieval town of Óbidos, still nestled within the old walls of Óbidos Castle, in the ...
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