Roughly rectangular in shape and with a population of around ten million people, Portugal has much to offer the modern visitor – young and old alike.
Portuguese Baroque architecture is a revelation that’s held in great esteem around the world for its vigour, purity and astonishing abundance, especially in the north of the country.
With its deep valleys, stunning crater lakes, hot volcanic springs and lush green vistas, the Azores is an island destination like no other.
Reaching the summit of Pico mountain in the nine-island Atlantic archipelago of the Azores promises to be the high point (no pun intended) of any hiker’s visit to the region.
From Atlantic-fresh fish to the wild meats of the mountains, Portuguese food is distinctive and varied with many of the most popular regional dishes having evolved from age-old recipes based on locally-grown ingredients.
Blessed with a bucolic landscape of lush meadows and emerald-green pastures divided by walls of volcanic rock, Terceira was the third island of the Azores to be discovered (its name means ‘third’ in Portuguese) and coincidentally, is the third-largest in … Read more
Long and narrow, the verdant island of São Jorge is a place of immense scenic splendour and outstanding natural beauty right in the middle of the Azores archipelago.
Roughly rectangular in shape, Santa Maria Island is both the most easterly and southerly of the remote Azores archipelago, and the first of nine to have been discovered by Portuguese navigators in the 15th century.
Full of customs and tradition, the delightful UNESCO World Heritage city of Angra do Heroísmo has played a strategic role as a mid-Atlantic port over the centuries.
One of Europe’s best-kept spa secrets is Furnas, a live volcanic showpiece located on the eastern side of São Miguel island in the Azores archipelago of Portugal.
Dotted with flowers, waterfalls and restored scarlet-topped windmills, the enchanting pear-shaped island of Graciosa is a major attraction for nature lovers visiting the Azores.
Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and nestling between two continents, the Azores is one of the world’s premier scuba diving destinations.
Faial’s capital, Horta, is a major seafaring centre and a regular meeting point for yachts and other vessels crossing the Atlantic, having played host to streams of caravels, clippers and catamarans over the centuries.
One of the tourist highlights for visitors to Pico Island is Lajes do Pico, a very charming seaside town located midway along the island’s spectacular south coast in the heart of the Azores archipelago.
The Azores are volcanic in origin and reminders of this are all around – the black sand beaches, the lava flows that line many coastal areas and the many craters that dot the landscape – but none are more striking than … Read more
Ideally situated on the southern shoreline of São Miguel Island in the Azores, Vila Franca do Campo is a natural stopover for people en route between the capital Ponta Delgada and the thermal spa town of Furnas in the north-east.
Nicknamed the Blue Island due to its abundance of hydrangeas, Faial in the Azores is like a floating garden of orchards, wild exotic flowers and fertile pastures right in the middle of the Atlantic.
Known as the Green Island (Ilha Verde), São Miguel is the largest and most developed in the Azores, Portugal’s verdant nine-island archipelago in the mid-Atlantic.
Recalling times from days gone by, Aldeia da Cuada (pictured) on Flores Island in the Azores, is a very rare accommodation treat right on the western edge of Europe.
Nestling on the eastern shores of Terceira Island in the central group of the Azores, the picturesque port town of Praia da Vitória features a large bay with a long sandy beach and a modern marina popular with ocean-crossing vessels.
This pretty stone cottage with its lovely garden is in fact a restaurant located in the idyllic seaside hamlet of Fajãzinha on the west coast of Flores Island in the Azores, right on the western edge of Europe.
The largest place in the archipelago and capital of both São Miguel Island and the Azores since 1522, Ponta Delgada is a charming city stretched out along a wide bay on the island’s south coast.
One of the remotest places in Europe, Flores (along with its sister island, Corvo) is part of the western group of the Azores archipelago and is classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Largely unspoilt by the effects of modern development, Nordeste is a small outpost situated at the north-eastern tip of São Miguel island in the Azores, a nine-island archipelago located west of mainland Portugal in the North Atlantic.
The Baía da Barca aparthotel in the small town of Madalena on Pico island promises the warmest of welcomes for travellers in the Azores.
Manueline is the style that marks the Portuguese artistic and architectural shift away from the late Gothic during the reign of King Manuel I (1469-1521).
There’s no place in Portugal quite as remote as Corvo, a single volcanic crater island set bold as brass in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
When the Portuguese voted for their favourite land and seascapes as part of the 7 Natural Wonders opinion poll, the outcome was a genuine showcase of the country’s most magnificent and much-loved vistas.
Europe’s south-westernmost country, Portugal, is synonymous with bird-watching – the two go hand-in-hand.
A very popular form of artistic expression in the 19th century, scrimshaw is largely synonymous with the whaling heritage of the Azores islands, but the tradition has all but disappeared due to the diminishing supply of whales’ teeth.
Blessed with a prime location on Europe’s south-west coast, Portugal offers visitors a great variety of leisure options with a wide range of sports activities to match, not to mention a temperate climate with plenty of year-round sunshine.
Bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal is one of Europe’s premier destinations for watching whales and dolphins in their natural habitat.
Portugal is very highly ranked on the list of Europe’s top beach destinations with 432 of the country’s beaches and marinas currently flying the coveted Blue Flag for cleanliness and quality.
The Portuguese have a very strong attachment to their beliefs, customs and capabilities, which thankfully means that Portugal’s traditional art of handicrafts hasn’t been discarded as a result of the country’s rapid modernisation since the 1974 revolution.