Portugal

Portugal occupies the western edge of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Atlantic, and includes the islands of Madeira and the Azores. Lisbon spills over hills above the Tagus estuary: miradouros look across the rooftops, vintage trams rattle through Alfama, façades wear painted azulejo tiles, and Belém lines the river with monuments to the Age of Discovery. Nearby are Sintra, whose palaces and forested hills form a UNESCO cultural landscape, and the Cascais and Estoril coast.

Porto tumbles down to the Douro, its historic centre also UNESCO-listed, while port ages in the lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia across the river. Upstream, the Douro Valley’s terraced vineyards are another World Heritage site. The Alentejo is cork oaks, wine estates and whitewashed hill villages; Comporta, wild Atlantic beaches. The Algarve is known for ochre cliffs, coves and golf, Madeira for subtropical gardens, mountains and levadas, old irrigation channels traced by walking paths. At the table: seafood, pastéis de nata custard tarts, light young vinho verde and Douro and Alentejo wines.

The climate is mild, Atlantic and Mediterranean: warm, dry summers, typically around 25–30 °C and hotter inland, and mild, wet winters. The Algarve is the sunniest region, and Madeira stays spring-like almost all year. Portugal suits culture and city breaks, food and wine lovers, beach and golf holidays, families and honeymoons.