Once a powerful seafaring kingdom that dominated the merchant routes to Africa, South America and the Orient, Portugal today is a friendly, low-key place with a laidback vibe and a fantastic coastline, much of it fringed by golden sands and endless dunes. Its rolling interior is perfect for exploring on foot, by kayak, by bike or even on horseback – though a large part of the country’s charm comes from languorous days on the beach, dining on fabulously fresh seafood and kicking back with a beer to watch the sunset over the Atlantic. The capital, Lisbon, superbly sited on the Tejo river estuary, is as popular today for its lively clubbing scene as for its grand Manueline monuments and medieval alleyways. Porto meanwhile, the country’s second city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the best place to sample some of the many varieties of Portugal’s other notable contribution to the world, port wine.
Whilst one of Europe’s weakest economies, Portugal is a remarkably unified country – there are no minorities agitating for independence, while rivalry between the north and south consists of little more than gentle mockery. Indeed, Portugal is generally a very tolerant nation and has integrated a substantial population from its former colonies in Africa, Asia and Brazil with relative ease. Contemporary Portuguese tastes are influenced by the flavours, sounds and styles of Brazil, Angola and Mozambique in particular.
The Portuguese have embraced contemporary life without ever quite getting rid of the more appealing aspects of previous centuries. Fully wired town centres have wi-fi hotspots and cell-phone shops by the score but they also have a butcher, a baker and (quite literally) a candlestick maker. Children will be both seen and heard at any time of the day or night, as the family remains at the centre of most things.
Where to go
The Algarve coast is justifiably the country’s tourist focus. Here you’ll find archetypal cove beaches, fringed with rock stacks and gentle cliffs. If you want beaches, you have almost the entire west coast of the country to choose from. There are expansive stretches of sand not only on the Algarve’s western coast, but also in the southern Alentejo, on the coast around Lisbon and north to Figueira da Foz, and along the Minho coast north to the Spanish border.
The south of the country is dominated by the enormous Alentejo region, whose wide-open spaces, country estates, olive plantations and vineyards invite long drives and leisurely exploration. Here you’ll find a Mediterranean-type climate, sun-drenched, whitewashed villages bedecked with flowers and, in early summer, every spire and treetop capped by a stork’s nest. Closer to Lisbon is the flat hinterland of the Ribatejo, breeding ground for Portugal’s finest horses and for the bulls that still fight in bullrings around the country. Beyond, lies the historic heartland of Estremadura, whose closely grouped towns feature some of Portugal’s most famous monuments.
The north of Portugal feels very different, and far less Mediterranean in look and temperament, with its lush green hills and cooler coastline. Terraced vineyards cling to the steep slopes of the Douro River, its valley shadowed by one of Europe’s most memorable train rides. Further north still lie the remote towns and villages of Trás-os-Montes, while to the west Peneda-Gerês is Portugal’s only national park, a verdant landscape of wooded mountains and gushing streams.
The standout city is, without doubt, Lisbon, with its dazzling hilltop and riverside location and alluring mix of old-world charm and modern flair. It’s not too much of a stretch to describe it as one of Europe’s must-see capitals. Other Portuguese towns and cities might not have the same profile, but they are both historical and beautiful – like Guimarães, the country’s first capital, the religious centre of Braga, the elegant university town of Coimbra, and Évora, another university town with Roman ancestry.
Beyond these attractions, just about every town and village has a surprise to be discovered. Likeable Tomar is home to the impressive headquarters of the Knights Templar, while Aveiro is an unexpected treat, set on a series of canals lined with colourful houses. There are sumptuous monasteries and abbeys at Batalha, Mafra and Alcobaça and extraordinary fortified towns at Almeida, Elvas and Bragança; while in Fatima, Portugal boasts one of the world’s most revered Catholic shrines.
Title Image Credit: Graeme Maclean (Image Cropped)