If you are thinking about visiting this beautiful country on southern Europe, you need to know which regions should be in all Portugal vacation packages. If you aren’t able to visit all of them in one trip, even better because it means you will come back.
North – Besides its colorful villages, this region of Portugal is known for its natural beauty, with a lot of green areas, perfect for those who like Nature. This part of the country is ideal for people that enjoy good food and wine. The origins of the internationally famous Port wine lie on northern Portugal. On the river Douro’s shores, you can enjoy the harvest and even participate in the jam of this superb wine.
Center – The center of Portugal has so many different regions that it seems almost impossible that they all belong to the same country. From Coimbra, the city of Roman origin, to the coastline with magnificent beaches where you can eat delicious fish caught every morning by Portuguese fishermen and Serra da Estrela where people around the country go to ski in winter, this country has everything to make your stay memorable.
Lisbon – There is so much to talk about Lisbon that it’s necessary to dedicate this city a whole article, so we are going to focus on the region where the capital of Portugal is situated, which can’t be left out of a journey around the country. Up north, we find Fatima, a mandatory place of pilgrimage for those who are Catholic but even those who don’t believe in God or have other religion, can overlook the mysticism of this sanctuary. Other place you can’t miss during your vacations is the magical town of Sintra with a marvelous view over the ocean and over Lisbon close to the river Tagus.
Alentejo – This quiet region is known for the high temperatures in the summer and the calmness of its inhabitants. With lovely and almost desert beaches along the coastline, the Alentejo has plain fields covered by olive trees, vineyards and flocks of sheep. Evora, famous for the Temple of Diana, which proves the passage of the Romans through the town is classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. All over the town you can see gothic and renaissance churches which show the mix of cultures that were in the origin of the town.
Algarve – The southern coast of Portugal is a touristic place being much visited both by Portuguese people and foreigners during their vacations. Bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, the Algarve is known for its mild weather almost all year and for its fantastic beaches. One of Algarve’s main attractions is the large offer of golf courses, which makes this region one of the favorite destinations for those who practice this cities and villages reflect the heritage left by the Arabic presence in the territory, present in the architecture, namely on the chimneys of the houses known for its geometrical shape.
Islands – Besides the mainland, Portugal possesses two archipelagos, the Madeira and the Azores. The island of Madeira is a charming holiday destination mainly because of the mild weather, which results from the Golf water currents that bathe the region. Amazing landscapes characterized by mountains contrast with the exuberant green of the vineyards, the bananas plantations and other crops. The archipelago of Azores has nine islands where you can discover a superb flora of European and Mediterranean origins. The Azores is a paradise of forests, which cover great part of the mountains of almost all nine islands.