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Being one of the oldest nations in Europe, Portugal is largely undiscovered but freely available to anyone looking for someplace different. It is a country of outstanding natural beauty, scattered with medieval towns and historic castles and palaces. The warm, welcoming people, the temperature climate, the landscape, the culture and the food all exude this appealing trait.

HISTORY

Portugal as a distinct region was established when the Romans marked out the western Iberian Peninsula as the province of Lusitania in the second century B.C. As Roman power declined, tribes from northern Europe, particularly the Suevi and the Visigoths, moved into the region. In A.D. 711, a faction of Visigoths in Spain, feuding with a Portuguese faction, allowed the moors of North Africa to cross the Strait of Gibraltar and invade Portugal. These Islamic invaders stayed to rule the region, bringing with them their taste for cultivating citrus groves, clustering farming activity around their cities and making dry regions fruitful by irrigation. These practices, and some Moorish castles and religious shrines, survive in Portugal today. (...) Portugal's monarchy was overthrown in 1910. For much of the twentieth century, however, the country had representative government in one name only, as Antonio Salazar ruled as ditactor of the authoritarian New State. In the early sixties, Portugal's last African Colonies, Angola and Mozambique, began a serious struggle for their freedom in a long and unpopular war that drained national resources and vigor and fueled opposition within Portugal's African-based troops. Finally, after a "bloodless revolution" in April 1974, Portugal become a true democracy and soon granted independence to its last remaining colonies. The entrance to the European Economic Community in 1986 was a major step.

Portugal is roughly a rectangle in shape; 561 km (350 miles) long and an average of 188 km (117 miles) wide. Its 88,550 sq. km (34,200 sq. miles) cover almost one seventh of the Iberian Peninsular, while Spain accounts for 510,000 sq. km (197,000 sq. miles) in comparison. If Portugal's 37ºN to 42º latitude shifted east to the Mediterranean, the country would stretch from the northern tip of Corsica down to Tunis in North Africa. 

The population of Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira islands, is approximately 11 million. More than 94% of the population is Roman Catholic although freedom of religion is permitted.

CLIMATE

Influenced by the Gulf Stream and the isobars circulating around North Africa, the climate in Portugal is simultaneously Atlantic and Mediterranean. Portugal's strength as a holiday destination is its diversity; a place with mountains, vast arid plains, sub-tropical volcanic islands, lush green meadows and 528 miles of sandy beaches.

ARCHITECTURE

A particularly intriguing feature of Portugal, especially the late Gothic style known as Manueline which reflects the country's great prosperity during the Age of the Discoveries. Some of the oldest buildings are decorated with wonderful glazed tiles, called azulejos.

SPORTS

Portugal is a fast-growing destination for golfers who can now choose from more than forty top-class courses throughout the country. Most other sporting activities are freely available in Portugal. The list is endless and includes surfing, windsurfing, water-skiing, jet skiing, fishing, sailing, swimming, mountain biking, rambling, horse riding, hunting, bird watching, skiing, tennis, cycling, etc.

THE MAINLAND

The different regions of Portugal vary enormously. From the unspoilt regions of Northern Portugal to the beach resorts of the Algarve, holidaymakers have a wide choice and various delightful places to visit. Please choose your destination from the following major tourist regions:

But, above all, it is the behaviour of the Portuguese people themselves that makes the biggest impression on the visitor, particularly away from the cities where some local customs and traditions have been preserved for centuries and religion and folklore go hand-in-hand.