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.
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Explore Portugal's wine region on foot
- Take a day trip from Sintra to Lisbon
- Discover Northern Portugal on a 6-day tour from Lisbon
- Experience the best of Portugal & Spain in 2 weeks
Last updated: Jan 11, 2013
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Portugal
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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