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Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira.
Explore Portugal's historic cities, scenic towns, and stunning coastlines with this comprehensive travel guide. Find itineraries, tips, photos, and inspiration for your trip to Portugal.
4 days ago · Portugal, country lying along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. Once continental Europe’s greatest power, Portugal shares commonalities, geographic and cultural, with the countries of both northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Learn more about Portugal.
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38.708042-9.1390161 Lisbon (Lisboa) – national capital, city of the seven hills, home to Belem which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site38.655833-27.2152782 Angra do Heroísmo — one of three capitals of the Azores, its town centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site40.638889-8.6552783 Aveiro– the "Venice" of Portugal41.533333-8.4166674 Braga – city of archbishops, home to Bom Jesus do Monte which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site41.199886-7.5341211 Alto Douro Wine Region — UNESCO World Heritage Site, where wine, including the world-renowned Port wine (vinho do Porto), has been produced for 2,000 years38.780833-9.5005562 Cabo da Roca – the westernmost point of mainland Portugal and European continent, in Sintra near Cascais41.033333-7.1166673 Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley – prehistoric archaeological area and a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site32.766667-174 Laurisilva of Madeira — a UNESCO World Heritage Sitelaurel forest, home to unique plants and animalsThe people of Portugal (Portuguese pronunciation: /puɾ.tu.ˈgaɫ/, poor-too-GAHL) today have a heritage drawn from many parts of the globe. The oldest known Iberian peoples left markings and cave paintings more than 50,000 years ago. The Iberian peninsula was a natural resources rich area with heavily wooded forests, wild life, horses and live stock....
Portugal is a member of the Schengen Agreement. 1. There are normally no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. This includes most of the European Union and a few other countries. 2. There are usually identity checks before boarding international flights or boats. Sometimes there are temporary border controls...
By plane
While not the most popular way to travel within Continental Portugal, you can consider flying TAP Air Portugal between Lisbon (LISIATA), Porto (OPOIATA), and Faro (FAOIATA). Sevenair provides service to smaller airports at Bragança (BGCIATA), Cascais (CATIATA), Portimão (PRMIATA), Vila Real (VRLIATA), and Viseu (VSEIATA). Airplane is the main and fastest way to reach Madeira and the Azores. It's also the best way to travel within the archipelagos. In addition to TAP, island service is provide...
By train
Rail travel in Portugal is usually slightly faster than travel by bus on most routes, but services are less frequent and cost more. The immediate areas surrounding Lisbon and Portoare reasonably well-served by suburban rail services. The rail connections between the main regions of Portugal are good. As a rule of thumb, if one is travelling by rail within Portugal or internationally, the main railway junction is at Entroncamento; from here all the main lines branch out and all passing trains...
By bus
The rail network does not reach all corners of the country, so you may find yourself busing about to get anywhere off the beaten path. Rede Expressosis the largest intercity bus brand, serving most major destinations in Continental Portugal. Numerous regional bus companies fill in the gaps and reach smaller communities.
Historic towns & architecture
Once a mighty colonial nation, many of Portugal's lively cities still have an atmosphere reminding of those Old World times. They're packed with remarkable monuments and with just a little bit of effort, you'll discover traditional cafés and craftsmen whose families have run their businesses for generations. When visiting cities in Portugal and former Portuguese colonies, look out for the distinctive Portuguese pavement, which consists of small flat pieces of stones arranged to form a pattern...
Natural beauty and beaches
Although Portugal is blessed from North to South with beautiful and well maintained beaches, the most popular beaches are in the Algarve, which has stunning coastlines and gobs of natural beauty. For decades it's been a major holiday destination. The water along the southern coast tends to be warmer and calmer than the water along the west coast, which is definitely Atlantic and doesn't benefit from the Gulf Stream. For surfing, or just playing in the surf there are great beaches all along th...
Museums
Portugal has a rich cultural tradition, and gained fame for its art in the country's Golden Age, the late 15th and early 16th centuries. A number of world-class museums offer an insight in both domestic and foreign riches, and not only in the form of paintings. The best ones can be found in Lisbon. The Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian Museum holds an impressive collection of both Asian and European sculptures, paintings, carpets and more. The Museu Nacional dos Coches showcases wonderfully decora...
Beaches
Surrounded by the Atlantic sea in almost its entirety, the Portuguese beaches are well worth visiting. A lot of activities are offered, from surfing, to kite-surfing, and during the summer months the most frequented beaches offer sand based activities such as aerobics. If you're not the type of breaking into a sweat during holidays, almost every single public beach will have a bar where locals sit.Some of the most popular beaches are (from north to south): 1. Viana do Castelo, Póvoa de Varzim...
Golf
The climate, combined with investments in the golfing infrastructure, has turned the country into a golfing haven. Portugal was named "Best Golf Destination 2006" by readers of Golfers Today, a British publication. Fourteen of Portugal's courses are rated in the top 100 best in Europe. Portugal is also a great location to learn the game and perfect technique. Many resorts offer classes with the pros. Courses can satisfy the most demanding golfer, while newcomers won't be intimidated, unless t...
Events
Besides the "Carnaval", there are many fairs organised throughout the country, specially after the end of Summer season and particularly in Northern Portugal. During the Summer, music festivals are also very common. In the north of the country two of the oldest festivals are in Paredes de Coura and Vilar de Mouros. The regions chosen for the festivals are usually surrounded by beautiful landscapes and pleasant villages. Lisbon and Porto have their "Marchas Populares"(Popular street Parades)....
Money
Portugal uses the euro, like several other European countries. One euro is divided into 100 cents. The official symbol for the euro is €, and its ISO code is EUR. There is no official symbol for the cent. All banknotes and coins of this common currency are legal tender within all the countries, except that low-denomination coins (one and two cent) are phased out in some of them. The banknotes look the same across countries, while coins have a standard common design on the reverse, expressing...
Haggling
In smaller (non-high-street) shops you can try some haggling, especially if you offer to buy multiple items. You might want to check your change.
Overcharging & cover charge
It seems to be a regular practice to "accidentally" overcharge tourists or state no or wrong prices both in restaurant and in smaller shops and markets, assuming tourists are on a holiday and will seldomly if ever check their change. If this is an issue for you, you will notice it quite quick—let this just be a warning. Furthermore, it is very common to get charged for the cover in restaurants, even if you did not ask for it. So, either explicitly refuse any bread or such put on your table, o...
The youth hostelnetwork has a great number of hostels around the country. There are also many camping places. 'Wild camping' (camping outside camping parks) is not allowed, unless you have the land owner's agreement. Holiday Villas and apartments are another option to investigate. There's a wide and abundant hotel offering all through Portugal. If ...
The emergency telephone number for police, fire, and medical assistance is 112. This is the national call centre dial in number for any emergency or to report an accident, fire etc etc. Ensure you have this number registered in your means of communication or noted down somewhere in case it becomes necessary to notify authorities or emergency respon...
- Lisbon
- 230 volt / 50 hertz (Europlug, Schuko)
- Euro (EUR)
- 10.3 million (2021)
Discover Portugal's rich culture, nature and gastronomy with Visit Portugal, the official tourism website. Find out about events, suggestions, destinations and more.
Apr 10, 2024 · A comprehensive overview of Portugal's geography, people, society, government, economy, energy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues. Learn about Portugal's history, culture, natural resources, and challenges from the CIA's authoritative source.
Nov 17, 2023 · Discover the diverse highlights of Portugal's regions, from historic cities to golden beaches, mountainous peaks to lush valleys. From Lisbon and Porto to Évora and Sintra, find out why these are the best places to go in Portugal for your interests and preferences.
