general information

Republic

capital: Lisbon

area: 92 000 km2

population: 10,6 millions

population density/km2: 115

EU member since 1986

national anthem: A Portughesa

national holiday: June 10

• Founded in 1143, Portugal is the European country with the oldest borders.

• In 1998, a world Exhibition took place in Lisbon on the theme "Oceans: a heritage for the future".

• The Portuguese national holiday, which takes place on 10 June, commemorates the death of the famous poet Luis de Camoes, who wrote Os Lusiasdas, an epic poem on the voyage of Vasco de Gama to India.

• Portugal is the country with the highest average temperature in Europe (16C) and the highest number of hours of sunshine per annum.

• Henry the Navigator set up an efficient sailing school which made possible the great discoveries of Diego Cao, Bartholomew Diaz, Vasco da Gama, Magellan, etc.

• The Portuguese, a romance language of Latin origin, is one of the five most widely spoken languages in the world.

To see

Portugal has a charm that comes to life when you  start driving along the picturesque coastline of the Algarve via the surf town of Lagos and on to the dramatic cliffs known as the end of the world. Club-hop your way around the country by checking out Lisbon to Porto to Braga and Coimbra. Roman, Moorish and Renaissance ruins are scattered across this beautiful country with its stunning hillsides, lakes and pine forests.

Porto

Portugal's second largest city has been under the radar for years, but thanks to a rash of new galleries, restaurants, boutiques and hotels, it is started to get seriously noticed. The Cais da Ribeira with its fine old stone-built houses characterised by their azulejos (tiles), is the most striking original place in Porto, where the architecture, cuisine, commerce and traditions of the region can be seen at their most typical. On the river, the boats transport the famous porto in 535 litre barrels.

The city of Porto has historical records that contain many secrets, legends and myths.

From the airport

Train: metro trains depart every 20 minutes for the centre. 

Bus: number 601 runs every 30 minutes to the centre of town.

Muuda is a concept store for art, food and design, including fashion and jewellery from local Portuguese designers, Katty Xiomara, La Paz and Andreia Quelhas Lima among them.

Rua des Flores, between the Sao Bento train station and river, offers a wide variety of wine sellers, clothing and accessory shops, as well as cafes and snack bars.

Foz is a chic area with an attractive beach promenade. Go for a pleasant stroll past the 19th-century buildings and impressive fort.

Andante tickets can be used on all means of public transport. It is best to buy either a day ticket or 10 trips at once. You can get them from most newsagents.

The museum at Serralves offers art exhibitions, cafes and beautiful gardens for long walks.

The first tramcar line in Porto was inaugurated on the 12th of September 1895. It was a small line that operated from Carmo to Arrabida, via Restauracao Street, which was rapidly extended to Foz and Matosinhos. Following this the city's tramcar system was to expand throughout the city and neighbouring counties becoming the most important means of transportation since the end of the nineteenth century until th early 1960s. The Porto Tram City Tour circuit, operated by fully restored vehicles of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s offers you the chance to revive part of recent history of the city through one of its main protagonists, the tramcar.

To see/do

Clerigos Tower

Miragaia neighbourhood

Aliados Aavenue

Bolhao Market

Majestic Cafe

Sao Bento train station

Dom Luis I bridge

cathedral

Ribeira neighbourhood

Sao Francisco church

Palacio da Bolsa

Porto Wine Cellars

Sao Lazaro gardens

Batalha Square

Santa Clara church

Se neighbourhood

Coordoaria gardens

Virtudes balcony

Sereias Palace

Jewish Hill

Vitoria neighbourhood

Boavista neighbourhood

Day trip

The town of Trofa, 25 kilometres from Porto, has its annual Lady of Sorrows procession on 17 August. The event dates back to 1766 and involves 10 huge andores, colourful wooden frameworks holding statues of saints.

Guimaraes. A world heritage city, Guimaraes offers an impressive castle (the birthplace of the first king of Portugal), an extensive palace, medieval town centre, Celtic archaeological site and much more. It is about an hour away from Porto.

Braga. Known as Portugal's Rome due to the number of 17th and 18th-century churches. The Old Town is small enough to explore in just a couple of hours, the Acro da Porta Nova (New City Gate) and City Hall are particularly striking. Hourly trains from Porto.

Porto is, and always has been, an industrial town. In the 16th century merchants obtained a royal decree forbidding nobility from building housses in the city, to protect the merchants' wives and daughters from noblemen when they were away.

Aveiro

Lisbon

From the airport
Bus: the Aerobus leaves every 20 minutes from 7.45am-8.45pm.

Shop
The Rossio was once renowned for its hat shops. Most have bitten the dust but a couple cling on to old traditions. The oldest is Azevedo Rua, on the corner by the National Theatre.
Lidija Kolovrat is a Bosnian-born designer who sells her original creations and accessories at her atelier in Lisbon.

If you do not feel like splashing out on one of the open-tops bus tours, the best way round the city is on one of the old yellow trams. August is quiet in Lisbon so get a window seat, throw up the sash and watch the sweltering city pass as the breeze ruffles your hair. The best route is number 28. Martim Moniz to Estrela.

Key area
The Chiado has always been the centre of Lisbon's cultural life. Theatres, cafes, restaurants and bars abound, there is also some classy shopping.
Madragoa and Janelas Verdes is an old riverfront neighbourhood. Traditional haunt of sailors and travellers, it is now a cosmopolitan mix of old convents and palaces, restaurants and bars. The Museum of Arte Antiga boasts a lovely garden restaurant overlooking the docks.

August is a great time to visit Lisbon as mot locals are at the beach, leaving the half-empty city to visitors.

Day trip
Costa da Caparica. On a fine winter's day, or even on a stormy one, there are few nicer things to do than eat fresh fish in a restaurant along the seafront. Afterwards, enjoy a bracing walk along the unspoilt beaches further along the coast.
Obidos. This lovely white-walled medieval town is a bit of a tourist trap these days but still very much worth the hour's journey from Lisbon. There are beaches nearby at Foz do Arelho.

Until 1940 there were no buses in Lison. All public transport was on rails: trams, lifts, funiculars. Hence the name of the Lisbon transport company, Carris (rails).

First thing's first: Portuguese tarts. Join the queue at Pasteis de Belem to sample the best. While you are in the neighbourhood, don't miss the famous Belem Tower, and the Jeronimos Monastery is also worth a mooch. Wind up and down the cobbled hills, admiring saffron-hued buildings, and get a modern-art hit at the Berardo Collection Museum. Jump on a tram to Alfama, the heart of the city's medieval Moorish charm, and later head to the lively bar district de Bairro Alto. Palacio Ramalhete is an 18th century casa turned characterful hotel with a rooftop pool. Spend the last few days outside the city in the coastal town of Cascais. Dip your toes in the Atlantic and catch a wave if you can.

               

 

The Torre de Belem was built at the start of the 16th century to protect the harbour. The fortress is constructed in two parts, the tower and an octagonal bastion which juts out over the Tage like the prow of a ship. It was from here that many celebrated sailors like Vasco da Gama and Pedro Alvares Cabral set out for distant continents. The architecture with its maritime elements is a typical example of the Manuelin style. The battlements are adorned with the famous cross of the Order of Christ, which can be seen on the sails of many ships which weighed anchor on voyages of discovery in search of far-flung lands with new and exciting cultures.

The Ocean Pavilion was built for the Lisbon World Exhibition in 1998. This aquarium is home to more than  25 000 fishes, birds and mammals. The first universal exhibition was held in Europe in 1851 to present the industrial achievements of the different countries. 

Faro

Shop
More an eclectic  collection of boutiques than a full-blown mall, but with Mexican specialists, gourmet food shops, chic interior designers and even a pub, Vila Sol Shopping, in Vilamoura is worth a detour for that special gift or an extravagant take-home present.
As well as a great restaurant, Veneza houses the best wine shop in the Algarve, a cavernous cellar stocking Portuguese varieties to suit every taste and budget.

Lovingly restored, historic Lagos has an array of elegant 18th and 19th-century buildings, smart shops, churches, museums and art galleries, as well as a plethora of bars, cafes and restaurants, and a new marina. 

Portuguese families from Lisbon and the north descend on the Algarve in August so the central beaches can get very crowded. For peace and quiet, head west to Salema, Figueira, Furnas or Zavial.

Ferragudo still retains much of its fishing village charm. Cobbled alleyways meander up the hill to the church, with panoramic views out across the Arcade estuary to a 17th-century fort. People-watch from a cafe and enjoy fresh sardines cooked over a barbecue.

What to do: lots of cafes to choose from, many fab shops, have a walk around the pretty port, go to Vila-a-Dentro which is the gated and cobbled old town, climb to the top of the medieval Faro Cathedral to check out an amazing view, visit the adjoined museum for Baroque art.

You might spot a well-known non-golfing face on the courses at Vale do Lobo: Michael Owen, Alan Shearer and Andrew Flintoff all own houses here.

You can also take a train to Olhao, huge fish, fruit and veg market.

Day trip
Cadiz. Hop over the border as Europe's oldest city goes into overdrive during its Carnival with pilgrimages, parades, creative figurines and satirical cabarets. Cadiz doubled for Havana in the Bond movie Die Another Day.
Zoomarine. Spend the whole day at this water park on the N-125 near Guia. Swim with dolphins or enjoy the aquariums, other natural animal habitats, live shows, fun fairs, educational facilities and 4D cinema.