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Discover Western Algarve: Monchique

Published/Revised November 29, 2017 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Discover Western Algarve: Monchique  – Think Mountains not Beaches Many people who consider Portugal’s Algarve as their holiday destination, will think about the dramatic coastline, with breathtaking rock formations, alternating with fine, sandy beaches. But that is not all that Western Algarve has to offer. Discover Monchique in Western Algarve What’s not so well known are the treasures of ... Read Full Article

Visiting Cascais: Jewel of the Portuguese Rivera

Published/Revised July 11, 2017 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Visiting Cascais Portugal Cascais - Jewel of the Portuguese Rivera Once the playground of luminaries such as poet Fernando Pessoa and the Portuguese royal family, Cascais (pronounced kush-kaish) is rich in a sense of whimsical charm and character. Replete with winding laneways, contemporary art museums, and a pedestrianized old town with plenty to see and eat, it's no wonder Cascais is now – as ... Read Full Article

Fun Things To Do in Porto

Published/Revised May 1, 2018 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Our Love Affair with Porto On our final morning in Lisbon, we meandered along the winding cobbled lanes of Alfama and leapt aboard a three-hour train ride north to Portugal’s second largest city: Porto. It would be a tough act to follow after such a rich and magical time in the City of Seven Hills, but Porto proved equally stunning and memorable ant there are many fun things to do in Porto. We ... Read Full Article

The Allure of the Azores

Published/Revised July 1, 2016 By This post may contain promotional and affiliate links. EuropeUpClose may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Please read our disclosure for more info.

The plane is descending, flying low over a volcano. Steam rises. Cat, my youngest daughter, is excited. “Look, you guys! The earth is boiling.” And it is! Like the other islands of the Azores, Sao Miguel is volcanic. It’s also verdant and utterly beautiful. The Azores Archipelago is in fact the visible part of the Atlantic ridge, some of the highest mountains on earth, measured from their ... Read Full Article