Introducing Portugal
While it's true that Portugal is no longer the Iberian Peninsula's best-kept secret, it's fairly easy to escape the crowds. Even at the busiest resorts in the Algarve, it only takes a short bus ride or a walk across countryside to reveal rarely visited places that still offer the feeling of discovery - a sentiment close to the Portuguese soul. Portugal has an old-fashioned charm, with medieval castles and picture-perfect villages scattered over meandering coastlines and flower-covered hillsides. From the ancient university town of Coimbra to Lord Byron's favourite Portuguese haunt, Sintra, the country's proud history can be felt everywhere.
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Sun-kissed beaches like Cascais and Sagres offer enticements of a more hedonistic sort. Indeed, the dramatic, end-of-the-world cliffs, wild dune-covered beaches, protected coves and long, sandy islands of Portugal's coastline have long enchanted visitors and locals alike. Meanwhile, the country's capital, Lisbon, and its northern rival, Porto, are magical places for the wanderer, with riverside views, cobblestone streets and rattling trams framed by looming cathedrals.
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Last updated: Jun 3, 2010
Tips & articles
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Lisbon for children
11 July 2010
Little things spark children's imaginations in Lisbon: from rickety rides on bee-yellow trams to traffic-light-bright...
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Lisbon: films to see before you go
11 July 2010
This excerpt from Lonely Planet's Lisbon Encounter guide offers a selection of films showcasing the city.
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Lisbon architecture
6 July 2010
Architectural highlights for Lisbon. Image of Lisbon’s Sé (Cathedral) by kruder396 There’s...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
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Itenarary - MAD to BCN .. Valencia, Andalucia .. South of Portugal
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Portugal
Our Top Picks For Portugal
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1 Parque Nacional da Peneda Gerês
The crown jewel of Portugal’s national parks, with pine forests, boulder-strewn peaks and idyllic rivers
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2 Braga
A lively university town with a magnificent cathedral and dozens of splendid churches
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3 Porto
An enchanting and verve-filled historic city with Roman ramparts, Parisian-style squares and chic clubs
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4 Coimbra
Portugal’s ‘Oxford’, with a hallowed university, fado-singing students and marvellous Roman ruins nearby
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5 Lisbon
A picturesque city of old-world neighbourhoods, tiny fado clubs and myriad layers of untold secrets
Fast Facts about Portugal
- GDP
US$19,300
- Bottles of wine produced per annum
750 million
- Unemployment rate
7.6%
- Inflation
2.6%
- Population
10.6 million
- Per capita olive-oil consumption per annum
7.1kg
Related Groups
Our favourite Portugal Blogs (beta)
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Arriving in Porto
Blog: On The Road to Find Out - 28 July 2010
Since I returned from Brazil I have constantly been looking for ways to live without having too many overheads, figuring the paltry amounts I get for web designs would not spread too far. One of the most appealing ways of achieving this has been the idea of house-sitting. I started out with the Mind My [...]
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Lisbonita
Blog: Big City Blog - 28 July 2010
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Lisbon’s Oceans Festival This Year Presenting Lauryn Hill and Estelle Concerts, Free Museum Visits and Other Free Events
Blog: Go Lisbon Blog - 27 July 2010
This year’s edition of Lisbon’s Oceans Festivals starts this weekend and will last until August 14, with a rich schedule of free events throughout the city. Many of them take place in the city’s main squares and as close to the river as possible.
