Thank you for visiting the Portugal Travel Guide, the most popular webzine for savvy travellers to Portugal.
Scroll down for a wide range of articles about where to go and what to see and do in Europe's sun-blessed south-westernmost country.
We sincerely hope you enjoy what you read here and wish you a very pleasant stay in Portugal.
When the Earth Shook
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- Published: 07 June 2016
- Written by MWH
The great earthquake of 1755 wasn't exclusive to Lisbon. In fact, the epicentre was calculated to have been out in the Atlantic some 200 km south-west of the Algarve. It was a peaceful Sunday morning when the earthquake violently struck Lisbon three times, causing the River Tagus to rise on each occasion to assault the shattered city.
Everlasting Love
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- Published: 03 June 2016
- Written by MWH
The story of Pedro and Inês is an intriguing one; Portugal's very own Romeo and Juliet.
The Timeless Taste of Madeira
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- Published: 29 May 2016
- Written by MWH
When William Shakespeare mentioned Madeira wine in his late sixteenth century play 'Henry IV, Part 1', it seems he was already very well aware of its intoxicating virtues.
All the Fury of Furnas
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- Published: 29 May 2016
- Written by MWH
One of Europe’s best-kept spa secrets is Furnas, a live volcanic showpiece located on the eastern side of São Miguel island in the Azores.
The Best of Belém
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- Published: 23 May 2016
- Written by MWH
Taking a stroll down Lisbon's memory lane, through the historic square mile of Belém, the place from which Portugal's fearless adventurers set sail for unknown lands in the 15th and 16th centuries, is one of the highlights of any person's visit to the capital.
Wonders Never Cease
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- Published: 21 May 2016
- Written by MWH
When the Portuguese voted for their seven favourite land and seascapes for the modernday 7 Natural Wonders opinion poll, the outcome was a genuine and somewhat heartfelt showcase of the country’s most magnificent vistas.
The Lost Village of Luz
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- Published: 18 May 2016
- Written by MWH
Boating in the Alentejo on Alqueva Lake, Europe's largest reservoir, is an immensely pleasurable experience, but it's the eeriest of feelings cruising leisurely over the top of a once-vibrant village now completely submerged by water.
The Flying Man
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- Published: 30 April 2016
- Written by MWH
One of the most inventive characters of the 18th century must surely have been Bartolomeu Lourenço de Gusmão, the Brazilian-born genius who created the earliest known flying machine he christened the Passarola, a fire-powered aircraft which he showcased to Portugal's king and queen in Lisbon's Terreiro do Paço square on the 8th of August 1709.
The Spa Town of Luso
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- Published: 30 April 2016
- Written by MWH
The attractive little town of Luso on the north-west slope of the Serra do Buçaco lies just 3 km from the northern tip of Buçaco National Park, one of the jewels in the Centro tourist region's crown.
The Last Old Place
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- Published: 20 April 2016
- Written by MWH
Latin but not Mediterranean, cosmopolitan but not over-crowded, Portugal is a country where a large percentage of people live as they've always lived, in small, peaceful villages far away from busy main roads and heavy traffic.
The City of Viseu
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- Published: 16 April 2016
- Written by MWH
Surrounded by vineyards, orchards and pine-forests, the charming city of Viseu has been a major crossroads since the time of the Romans who chose its site for a military camp, one of the largest in the Iberian Peninsula. Traditionally, it is also the birthplace of Viriatus the Lusitanian who died in 146 BC after defying the Roman legions for five years before the Roman Decimus Junius Brutus established the camp there in 138 BC.
The Magnificent Jerónimos Monastery
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- Published: 14 April 2016
- Written by MWH
When visitors arrive in Lisbon's historical centre of Belém, the first building they see is the imposing Jerónimos Monastery, impressive for its sheer size and without doubt one of the most spectacular monuments in the whole of Europe.