Fit for a Queen
Enveloped in a Moorish wall, the diminutive whitewashed village of Óbidos was deemed so enchanting that it was gifted to a queen, not once but many times throughout the centuries.
Giving Lisbon a Lift
The world’s most original and attractive elevator tower is a filigree-style metal construction looming over downtown Lisbon.
Exploring Northern Portugal
The green and pleasant north of Portugal is a place of traditional merry-making where annual festivals are ablaze with colourful costumes, lively processions and frenetic folk-dancing followed by a feast of […]
In the Pink
1942 was a very turbulent year but it did spawn one of the world’s most iconic and popular table wines.
A Rare View of the Oceans
Lisbon’s state-of-the-art Oceanário is not only the city’s top attraction but also the largest of its kind in Europe. Built as the centrepiece of the Expo ‘98 World Exposition, its aquariums […]
Port’s Past and Present
It seems that Portugal’s much-celebrated port wine was invented by chance. A shortage of French claret at the end of the 17th century had wealthy wine connoisseurs searching for suitable […]
The Big Chill
Concentrating on a person’s health rather than how they look, Portugal‘s wide-ranging thermal spa experience is far more therapeutic than many other destinations, with the majority built around mineral-rich springs […]
When the Earth Shook
The great earthquake of 1755 wasn’t exclusive to Lisbon. In fact, the epicentre was calculated to have been out in the Atlantic some 200 km south-west of the Algarve.
The Best of Belém
Taking a stroll down Lisbon‘s memory lane, through the historic square mile of Belém, the place from which Portugal‘s fearless adventurers set sail for unknown lands in the 15th and 16th centuries, is one of the […]
Mother of All Parties
Put a note in your diary (coronavirus permitting), June is the month when Lisbon explodes into life with dancing in the streets and sardines sizzling on every corner. It’s the month […]