Portugal & its islands

• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Finland
• France
  • Alps
  • Dordogne
  • Provence
  • Pyrenees
  • Other Regions
• Germany
• Greece & its Islands
• Holland
• Iceland
• India
• Ireland
• Italy & its Islands
  • Alps
  • Lakes
  • Sicily & Sardinia
  • The South
  • Tuscany
  • Other Regions
• Morocco
• Norway
• Portugal & its Islands
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain & its Islands
  • Andalucia
  • Canary Islands
  • Catalonia
  • Mallorca
  • Pyrenees
  • Other Regions
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• UK
• USA

• timeless scenery
• welcoming hotels of character
• walking, short breaks, self-catering properties and journeys

Looking towards the Atlantic, Portugal has traditionally been a nation of great explorers, but is a country that in turn deserves to be explored itself. In the north, the grandeur of the Douro Valley is striking. Richly coloured hillsides descend steeply into the waters of the ‘river of gold’, their terraced slopes immaculately striped with rows of vines. The same tranquillity that reigns over these idyllic landscapes can be found in the south, too, not only on the near-deserted beaches of the untamed Costa Vicentina but also in the little-known sierra and rugged clifftops of western Algarve.

Portugal’s Atlantic islands are different again. The wealth of Madeira’s flora is extraordinary, while the levadas which water these luxuriant landscapes provide a unique network of paths – particularly in the south – that make route-finding unusually easy. Similarly, the Azores are remarkably green and lush, with scenery as dramatic as the volcanic activity which shaped it.

To explore this timeless scenery, choose a walking holiday, a self-catering property or a rail journey. We also offer short breaks.