Overview to Portugal: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
A thin strip on the very margins of Europe, Portugal is something of an unknown quantity to many travelers. The beaches of the Algarve and the lovely cities of Lisbon and Porto may get their fair share of visitors, but, elsewhere, much of the country is pleasingly rustic and remote.
Although Portugal - inevitably - shares some similarities with neighboring Spain (whisper it quietly!), it’s also an intriguingly different destination, with a host of unusual and totally unique cultural features. Standouts include the elaborate Gothic ‘Manueline’ decoration of its churches, deliciously distinctive cuisine and a fascinating folk culture.
Inland Portugal is dominated by beautiful countryside and charming towns and villages. What’s more, because of its size, it’s one of the continent’s more accessible countries. Not far from Lisbon, Sintra’s Moorish castle - Castelo dos Mouros - is a dramatic backdrop to a striking old town.
To the north, Braga is home to some astonishing religious architecture. Just a little further to the south, meanwhile, Coimbra is one of the oldest university towns in Europe and another appealing proposition.
Away from the busy beaches of the Algarve, Portugal's coastline is just one pretty cove or striking set of cliffs after another. And, with the rolling Atlantic waves crashing on its shores, it’s also got some great windsurfing (particularly in the southwest) and surfing all the way down.
Gazing wistfully out across the immensity of the Atlantic, the sensation of being on the edge of Europe inspired the Portuguese explorers to set off for the New World. And, like the country as a whole, it still seduces the increasing numbers of travelers who find themselves washed up on its beautiful empty beaches.
