We love Portugal for its wonderful variety and dramatic scenery, for the spectacular Atlantic sunsets, the hill-top fortresses and romantic castles, and the luxuriant islands of Madeira and the Azores – asimpressive as they are remote. We also love the people, who are justly proud of their beautiful land, and are generous and charming hosts.
Looking towards the Atlantic, Portugal has traditionally been a nation of great explorers, but is a country that deserves to be explored itself. In the north, the sense of spirituality in the Peneda-Gerês Mountains, the verdant beauty of the Minho, and the grandeur of the port-wine-producing Douro Valley are all striking, as are the brightly coloured wooden boats and candy-striped houses of the Aveiro region. West of Lisbon, it is the sumptuousness of the palaces and monasteries that impresses, while in our other chosen regions, the outstanding feature is the tranquillity that reigns over the little-known sierra and rugged clifftops of western Algarve, and the beaches and vineyards of the Setúbal Peninsula south of the capital.
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.