When the whole Europe is heating up with the hot summer weather, there are still some places that remain to be cool and attractive. One of those is the home country of the popular singer Nelly Furtado- Portugal. While this country offers a range of rather different places to visit, the best way not to get confused is to start right from the capital of the country- Lisbon. Here you’ll get the overall idea about the country and find the direction to head to next. The mixture of the places is so wide that every single traveler will find something to satisfy his/her individual needs. But let’s say that Portugal is also a great place for the family vacations.
Appealing Capital
Lisbon – the capital of Portugal (in Portuguese – Lijboa) located on the right bank of the River Tagus, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. This city is rather popular with its historic spots. Tthe most picturesque and interesting districts of Lisbon are Rossio, Bayshah, Chiado, Bairro Alto, Alfama and Lapa. They are located in the southern part of town, near the Tagus River. Each of them offers a unique experience for those who are fond of history.
The most known feature of the city is the statue of Christ with outstretched arms. It seems to embrace and bless the residents and visitors. Despite the fact that Lisbon has a wide range of modern elements the city preserves as the Portuguese believe the ancient “soul”. It is filled with lots of lights, among its main colors you will see blue, pink, pastel, ocher and green, and the streets and squares are paved with white sandstone and black basalt. The historical city center is filled with palaces, facades decorated with ceramic tiles.
The maze of narrow streets of old neighborhoods and beautiful broad avenues, bustling life of embankments and exotic gardens scattered throughout the city – just a few of the charming elements of Lisbon, which you can discover either on foot or on the old tram. It’s here where you have a chance to see buses similar to the ones popular in the U.K.
Tropical Vacation
Madeira – a beautiful volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean, 1000 km from Portugal. This resort has more than 200 years of tradition with a high level of service and comfort. The temperature in the season is 22-30 degrees. Water – 20-24 degrees.Na Madeira has everything to enchant you: a subtropical climate, magnificent nature, the abundance of exotic flowers and fruits, grapes, imported once from Cyprus and Crete, and of course the hotels, putting Madeira in the list of the best resorts in the world . The island, located in the Atlantic Ocean 700 km from Casablanca and 900 km from Lisbon, was discovered in 1420 by the Portuguese navigator Joao Goncalves Zarka. Since then, through the island has always ran towards caravels on their way to search for new lands in the East. The capital of Madeira – Funchal city – the favorite vacation spot for many celebrities.
King Residential
Sintra – the pearl of Portugal, the ancient Moorish city, was the medieval residence of Portuguese kings. The city declared by UNESCO as a heritage of mankind. Enchanted by the beauty of Sintra, Lord Byron has written a lot about this green edge in his poems. Against the backdrop of romantic landscapes, exotic gardens, century-old forests on hilltops frozen castles, palaces, monasteries, affecting any most sophisticated imagination. A little further north, high in the mountains, among the shady eucalyptus, cedar and palm trees is the former summer residence of Portuguese kings. Tile decorations in the rug, conical chimneys and painted wooden ceilings and the unique ceramic floor give the palace a unique charm.
Elite Vacation
Estoril – the sunniest city in Europe, with a unique microclimate. It is located 30 km west of Lisbon. It’s here in Estoril where the tourism industry originates in Portugal. Slightly more than a century ago, amazing natural beauty and mild climate attracted global elite and representatives of the famous aristocratic families to Estoril. Magnificent sandy beaches and clean water are traditionally in demand by tourists. If you are tired of the noise of big cities, then you will have plenty of places in the sunny Estoril, where you can spend your vacation in the silence and solitude. The blue of the sea, hidden caves, castles, excellent local cuisine, lively nightlife, trendy boutiques and major department stores, museums, hotels, a fleet of pleasure craft – this is the modern face of the Portuguese resort.
Mixture of Old and New
Porto – the second largest city and port of Portugal, gave its name to Port and the entire country. Porto is an important economic center in the north, the commercial city. When the mist rises over the river and the ocean, the streets become enveloped with a mysterious cloak and the gray granite of the city simply becomes enchanting. But the bright sunny day in Porto seems happy and full of vitality … the Old town of Porto is less than in Lisbon, but the maze of its streets and alleys is no less quirky and confusing. Thoroughly exploring of the city can be done only by foot.Every stone here can tell you its own story. The pride of the architectural heritage of Porto and the medieval houses and buildings in the baroque or modern will simply adore the travelers.
Hawks Island
Azores in Portuguese can be translated as ” Hawks Island.” Azores archipelago is located 1460 km from the shores of Europe and 3750 km from North America and consists of nine islands of volcanic origin. The islands are located in the Atlantic anticyclone, which, along with the Gulf Stream, provide here relatively sufficient temperature. The largest island of the archipelago – island of San Miguel. Among its attractions should be named the Museum Carlos Mochado, the Church of St. Sebastian with the treasury of St. Peter (XVI-XVIII cc.), Palaces (XVII-XIX cc.), The oldest house of Carlos Buchido, beautiful lagoons. The island of Santa Maria offers ideal conditions for water sports enthusiasts. It’s worth to visit the town of Vila Porto which is popular with its small houses, church and the chapel.