With its mild climate, 3000 hours of sunshine per year and idyllic golden beaches by the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal is the perfect holiday destination all year round. There is so much to be experienced, the Algarve Coast, medieval castles, cobble-stoned villages, vibrant cities and undeniably divine cuisine.
Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Christians have all passed through and left their mark on Portugal. With Lisbon as its capital, this modern city is shaped by a cataclysmic event that took place on 1 November 1755, when the ground gave away. After its reconstruction it has some of the first seismically protected buildings in Europe.
Less than an hour by train from Lisbon, you will find the quant village of Sintra. You will be mesmerised by its stonewalled taverns and a whitewashed palace looming over the town. The backdrop of the town is something out of a fairy tale, with its forest in the hillsode, imposing castles, mystical gardens and centuries-old monasteries.
Cascais was once a sleepy fishing village and is now an upscale beach resort along the stunning Atlantic coastline, locally known as A Linha and a great city getaway, only 27 km west of Lisbon. Outside the cities, Portugal’s beauty unfolds in all its startling variety. You can go hiking amid the granite peaks of Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês or take in the pristine scenery and historic villages of the little-explored Beiras.