portugal - destination guide

Portugal is well known for the cultural richness, and is also perfect for a holiday of excursions, sun, sea, and sports.
Portugal mainland is roughly the shape of a rectangle about 560 km long and 220 km wide bordered by 830-km of coastline in the west and south.

'Portugal - travel and destination guide' - your travel helper!
'Madeira In My Heart' - everything you need for planning a holiday on Madeira island.
Have 'A taste of Lisbon' - the fascinating, comprehensive capital.

Costa Verde occupies the north-west corner of Portugal. Valleys, hills and mountains are all in endless shades of green.
Costa de Prata stretches along 200 kms in the centre. Lagoons, small villages in the hills, castles, forests, the Berlengas Islands where there is good sea fishing, sandy beaches which are considered to be among the finest in Europe.
Costa de Lisboa includes Lisbon and nearby areas with very different characteristics. Long beaches, pleasant countryside, palaces and parks.
The southern coastal Algarve with its light, soft sandy beaches is the country's most popular holiday destination.
In the north-east the Montanhas is an unspoiled area with countryside, castles, forests, rivers, vineyards, old mansions and spas.
Planícies; open, wide stretching landscapes with lush grazing land.

Once upon a time, Portugal was the most powerful and the wealthiest country in the world. Two thirds of the world was discovered by the Portuguese explorers and sailors, and the Portuguese founded the first modern empire. For later generations, it was the poor cousin of Europe.

Despite its turbulent past Portugal is a stable country. The monarchy ended in 1910 and the republic was founded. In 1926 Salazar established his almost 40 years of dictatorship. The country became a modern democracy after a peaceful military coup April 25, 1974 that began the rebirth of the country. With the oldest national boundaries in Europe, this country is both ancient and newborn.

The archipelago of Azores is almost 1500 km west of Lisbon, nearly halfway between Portugal and New York, and the archipelago of Madeira, 964 Kms southwest of Lisbon.