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Portugal Travel Guide

For any travelers wanting to get off the beaten track in Europe, Portugal has infinite possibilities to experience small towns and diverse landscapes that remain very much like they were a hundred years ago.

If it's the beach you are after, the Algarve coast offers highly developed stretches of beach. The rest of the coast (with the exception of the area near Lisbon and Porto) remain relaxing, totally Portuguese and isolated. Great stretches of sand are there for the relaxing, especially along the northern Costa Verde, near Viano do Castelo. The beaches near southern Alentejo are the most remote and least populated

For such a small country, you have many options from which to choose: A San Francisco-esque city, spreading over seven hills which descend into the Rio Tejo (Tagus River)- Lisbon is perhaps Europe's most pleasant and affordable city. Its fantastic architecture, diverse population, delicious seafood, intriguing tile-work and non-stop night-life bring together the best elements of Portuguese life. Don't miss an evening bar-hopping in the Barrio-Alto listening to African music and Portuguese blues-fado!

Tour beautifully restored towns and well-preserved architecture of UNESCO's World Heritage sites in Evora, Batalha and Alcobaça. If you are interested in monuments, Evora and Coimbra are must-sees.

The most beautiful natural areas lie in the Minho , Lima, and Douro valley. You can explore the verdant beauty and rural customs of the Minho Valley, or check out the spectacular gorge in the Douro Valley

The city of Oporto is located at the end of the Douro Valley, on the sea, and is famous for its port wine. It is an excellent base for exploring the region.

Transportation and accommodation are excellent and very reasonable, perhaps the cheapest in Europe. The wine is excellent and don't forget to try some vinho do Porto (port), Portugal's most famous export.

About Portugal

Portugal is a small, compact country, whose history and customs are deeply influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The Portuguese are proud of their seafaring past, as Vasco de Gama, Columbus and others were pioneers of exploration in Africa, the Americas and India. Portugal was a major colonial power until less than twenty years ago. Following the independence of several of Portugal's African colonies (1974-1975) over a million refugees moved into the major urban areas of Portugal. The immigrants have integrated well into Portuguese society which has led to a fascinating multi-cultural atmosphere in the major urban areas, especially in Lisbon.

Top Beaches in Portugal

Vila Nova De Milfontes beach

Vila Nova De Milfontes lies on the estuary of the River Mira, whose sandy banks gradually expand and merge into the coastline. This is generally the most crowded and popular resort in the Alentejo, with lines of villas and hotels radiating from the centre of the old village. It's still a pretty place, though, with a handsome little castle and an ancient port, reputed to have harboured Hannibal and his Carthaginians during a storm.

Zambujeira Do Mar Beach

Zambujeira Do Mar, south of Odemira and 7km west of the main road, a large cliff provides a dramatic backdrop to the beach, more than compensating for the winds. Lastly, the resort of Porto Covo , although overdeveloped, has plentiful accommodation and beautiful, almost untouched beaches to the south.

Alentejo Coast Beach

Access is straightforward, with local bus services and the twice-daily Zambujeira Express from Lisbon, which takes you within easy range of the whole coastline and stops at the beaches of Vila Nova de Milfontes and Zambujeira do Mar.

Odemira Beach

Odemira is the main inland base. A quiet, unspoiled country town, it has an erratic bus service (8 daily) to the beach at Vila Nova de Milfontes and to Zambujeira do Mar (2 daily). Unless you're camping, you're unlikely to find anywhere to spend the night in these resorts from June to August, so it's not a bad idea to stay in Odemira and take day-trips to the seaside.

Costa da Caparica Beach

Costa da Caparica from the capital, and it's here that most locals come if they want to swim or laze around on the sand.

Faro Beach

Faro, a sleepy provincial town twenty years ago, now has all the facilities of a modern European town, with an attractive shopping area, some decent restaurants and a "real" Portuguese feel in contrast to many nearby resorts.

Lagos Beach

Once a quiet little town, Lagos is now a thriving fishing port and market centre as well as being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Algarve.

Cove Beach

To the east of Lagos is a splendid sweep of sand - Meia Prais - where there's space even at the height of summer, while the promontory south is fringed by extravagantly eroded cliff faces that shelter a series of tiny cove beaches.

Olhao Beach

Olhao, 8km east of Faro, is the largest fishing port on the Algarve and an excellent base for visiting the sandbank islands ( ilhas ). Train and bus stations are near each other off the Avenida da Republica northeast of town.

Ilha of Culatra Beach

Boats to the more distant Ilha of Culatra are less frequent (4-7 daily; 35-45min.) and call first at unattractive Culatra town, then at Farol, an untidy village of holiday homes edged by beautiful beaches on the ocean side. Note that ferry services are drastically reduced outside July and August.

Tavira Beach

Tavira has some of the best areas for scuba diving in Portugal, check out the diving school at Pedras Del Rei.

Portugal Beaches

1.	Best Beaches
2.	Nude Beaches
3.	Beautiful Beaches
1.	Algarve Beach
2.	Azores Beach
3.	Costa Azul Beach
4.	Costa de Prata Beach
5.	Costa Verde Beach
6.	Estoril Coast Beach
7.	Madeira Beach
8.	Tavira Beach
9.	Faro Beach
10.	Albufeira Beach
11.	Portimao Beach
12.	Lagos Beach
13.	Guincho Beach
14.	Ericeira Beach

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