Placed in the South-Western quarter
of Europe, Portugal is an abode of amazing sightseeing, landscape and scenic
beauty. It is undoubtedly an excellent holiday spot where innumerable travel
voyagers come to accumulate some memorable days of their life. On the other
hand, the country entertains them with historical, cultural and natural
destinations nestled at its various cities. Moreover, the tourists here also
get delight from its bordered locations such as Atlantic Ocean to the west and south
and Spain to the north and east. People who come at Portugal love to enjoy lip
smacking food and beverages especially during scorching nightlife. Historical
and architectural buildings, stunning sun-kissed beaches, adventurous
activities and entertainment hubs are the striking highlights of this pristine
place.
Capital
Portugal has the capital city in
the name of Lisbon. It is a largest city in the country with having economical
and cultural significance. The city is in proximity to Atlantic Ocean and
consists of various attractions for the worldwide tourists.
Area
92,212 km
Population
10,487,289
Language
Portuguese is the official
language of Portugal. It is also spoken at some other countries like Brazil,
Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Angola. However, Mirandese is
regarded as the co-official language of the country.
Currency
Euro is the official currency of
Portuguese. It replaced the currency of Portuguese Escudo as majority of the
nations in Europe have accepted Euro as their main currency. Euro is divided by
100 cent.
Weather
The weather in Portugal is
largely elaborated by oceanic in the north with around 13°C and Mediterranean
in the south containing 13°C. The seasons of spring and summer here generally
remain humid and warm while the autumn and winter seasons maintain rainy and
windy climate. However, autumn is considered as the best season to travel in
Portugal.
Mode
of Transport
As a traveler, you should not
worry about the transportation in Portugal because there are multiple ways
present for you to reach at your destination. Such as:
By
Air: Several
international airports and smaller airports are in Portugal. Overall, there are
three main airports in the country such as Lisbon Portela Airport, Faro Airport
and Porto Airport. Some of the major flights are Ager Lingues, GB Airways,
Regional Air lines, Virgin Airlines, Grupo SATA, Ryan Air, Swiss International
Air Lines and many more.
By
Railway: Regional
and intercity rail services are available in Portugal, which connect all the
important towns and cities of the country. The trains here are running in
varied categories such as high speed trains, fast intercity trains, local train
services and international train services. In addition, tourists can also enjoy
ride in metro trains running in the major cities.
By
Road: The
transportation in Portugal also embraces the services of local and national
bus. These buses connect the one city to another in the country, which provide
easy convenience to the travel vacationers here. They can board national
express coach or regional buses to arrive at their destination. The option of
car rental is also available for the tourists.
By
Sea: Tourists of
Portugal can also reach at their destination via sea route. Ferries here are
considered as the important ways of transportation, which link several cities
and suburbs. They are running throughout the day providing easy access to the
travelers.
Local
Cuisine
Portuguese cuisine is worldwide
popular for its delectable dishes. The most popular cuisines here are bacalhau,
caldo verde, sardinas assadas and salted cod dish. Apart from them, desserts,
cheeses, soups, meat and wines are also preferred by the tourists at Portugal.
Shopping
Centers
There are plenty of places in
Portugal where you can fulfill your shopping requirements. Some of them are:
Fabrica
Alentejana de Lanificios: It
is one of the leading shopping centers in Portugal. Located in Rua Mendes, it
boasts of stores offering various kinds of products, handicrafts things and
lots of eateries. It remains open from Monday to Friday every week.
Chiado:
Come to this
wonderful shopping place, which has been continuing since 18th
century. There are multiple shops and cafes here. People can buy products made
by talented designers, apparels at astonishing boutiques and delicious cuisines
at the restaurants.
Miau
Frou Frou: It is
the perfect place to buy attractive handbags, charming jewelry, lovely dresses
and mouth-watering cuisines. This shopping center is in Rua Miguel Bombarda.
Lobo
Taste: Ideally
situated in Ribeira, the shopping stores here provide you wide range of striking
ceramic sculptures, sun hats, baskets and wooden radios.
Restaurants
The wonderful land of Portugal
also entertains you with delectable cuisines offered at these modernized dining
restaurants:
Boa
Nova Casa-Chá: It
is a wonderful dining place where you would taste delightful food items and
drinks along with enjoying panoramic view of the surroundings. The chivalrous
staff here serves you delicious Portuguese cuisines.
Taberna
São Pedro: If
you are a fond of seafood, then come at this restaurant. Located in Afurada, it
offers its guests scrumptious variety of seafood items for their lunch and
dinner.
Nakite:
It is a
vegetarian specialty restaurant where you can savor tasty dishes like tofu,
seitan, tempeh and some other fresh food ingredients. Fresh juices and mouth-watering
desserts also served for the guests. It is situated in Rua do Breiner,
Portugal.
Shis:
Located amidst
wonderful surroundings in Esplanade do Castelo, this restaurant offers a wide
range of fusion cuisine for people different tastes. As a tourist, you can come
here to have a yummy lunch or dinner and enjoy the scenic view of the nearby
location.
Major
Tourist Attractions
Every year, myriad of worldwide
travelers visit Portugal to get pleasure from its staggering destinations. Some
of these tourist attractions are:
Martinhal
Beach Resort: Majestically
located in the western Algarve, Martinhal Beach Resort provides beautiful
romantic destination for the travelers. They can certainly enjoy here
multi-cuisine restaurants, modernized bar, children’s playground and enjoying
at the indoor and outdoor of the pool.
Vicentine
Coast: Vicentine
Coast is also the most visited beach in Portugal. The tourists will enjoy here
walking at the natural park where they can glance at the scenic beauty of
Atlantic Ocean. They can relax here with gentle cool air from sea and under the
direct sun shine.
Sintra:
As a wonderful
holiday destination, Sintra creates great romanticism for the tourists
particularly for the honeymoon travelers. They can visit here and have the
benefit of astonishing wooded hills and a magnificent trip with panoramic
surroundings.
Museu
de Arte Contemporânea: It
is a wonderful museum where you will enjoy grand work of contemporary
architecture. Advanced exhibitions, beautiful rose gardens and formal mountains
are the major highlights of this tourist attraction in Portugal.
Palácio
da Bolsa: It is
a majestic monumental attraction in Ribeira, Portugal. This monument was
constructed between 1842 and 1910 in the honor of country’s past and present
merchants. It also entertains tourists with spacious ballroom, restaurant and
wine bar.
Local Festivals
The travel vacationers can add
more charm to their tour to Portugal by celebrating these festivals with the
locals:
Serralves
Em Festa: It is
a huge festival event conducted in early June of every year. During this day,
people take participate in the concerts, kiddie activities and open air events.
The event runs for 40 hours nonstop.
Sintra
Music Festival: This
festival is celebrated every year in the month of July. On this occasion,
international orchestras, musicians and dance groups perform in parks, gardens,
palaces to solemnize the festival.
Festa de São João: Conducted at one
night in June, this festival is regarded as the biggest party of Portugal. It
is celebrated by the people having music, rebellious parties and competitions.
The tourists will be given warning before taking part in this event.
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