Located in southern Portugal, the Algarve region is a popular destination for those seeking beach resorts, loads of sunshine, and award-winning, golden, sandy beaches – topped off with a fabulous nightlife. If you have already been to the Algarve, then you know just how much this region of Portugal has to offer. For those of you who have yet […]
Up Close Guide to the Azores Islands
Situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores Islands are the very top of one of the earth’s tallest mountain ranges, the Atlantic ridge. With a temperate climate year-round, this rugged and verdant volcanic archipelago comprises nine islands, ranging in size from 270 square miles (Sao Miguel) to just 7 square miles (Corvo). […]
The Central Portugal Experience
Exploring central Portugal provides travelers with an authentic Portugal experience. The small town hotels, wineries and restaurants offer an inexpensive window into the lives of the people in this part of the world. Quinta de Bispos is an eco country inn, beautifully located on an old citrus farm on the south slope of the Caramulo Mountains in […]
The Allure of the Azores
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 […]
Portugal’s Principal Wine Regions: Minho and Douro
When one hears the words “European wine,” typically French Cabernet and Italian Lambrusco, or perhaps German Gewürztraminer, come to mind. Though Portuguese wines have become increasingly popular in American restaurants (especially the Vinho Verde varietal, and Port has made a resurgence in popularity), tourists often envision Portuguese wines as subprime to their French and Italian […]
The Bairros of Lisbon, Portugal: Belém
Hundreds of years of history and culture have built up around the Portuguese waterfront that launched some of the world’s greatest explorers. Today, cornice to capstone, the elaborate architecture of Belém’s palaces and towers blends with contemporary museums and monuments; piers and marinas swept by the iconic yellow trams bustle no less than in the […]
Exploring Lisbon, Portugal: Nature in the City
Whether at the Jardim Zoológico, the Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Lisboa, or the Parque das Nações and its nearby Oceanário de Lisboa, a wide variety of plants and animals can be found thriving in Lisbon’s warm Mediterranean climate made mild by the Gulf Stream. Anyone looking for respite from the busier parts of the […]
Exploring the Old Quarter of Portugal’s Sintra
The perfect weekend or day-trip destination from Lisbon for backpackers, café romantics, and families alike, Portugal’s Sintra offers its palaces, ruins, gardens, and squares to the explorer’s imagination. This historic UNESCO World Heritage Site is accessible from downtown Lisbon by a quick 10-mi/31-km drive or a more leisurely one- hour train ride. The Sintra National […]