The Algarve is the southernmost region of Portugal, bordered by the ocean on two sides with over 200km of stunning sea cliffs and sun kissed beaches.

The capital of the region is Faro – the country’s most-southern city. For the Romans, Faro was an invaluable gateway to the Atlantic and the old town sits on the original footprint of their walled city. The Moors occupied Faro from the 8th century, until King Alfono III took the city in 1249 and the Algarve became the southern-most border of the kingdom of Portugal.

The Se Cathedral dates back to this period and the nearby Museu de Faro charts the city’s long history, from 3rd century mosaics to the 20^th century works of futurist painter of Carlos Porfirio. It’s also a delightful building in its own right, with its shaded cloisters and unusual gargoyles. The Jardim Manuela Bivar plaza is the dividing line between old and new Faro, leading you into the thoroughly-modern shopping district with the Doca de Faro marina close by. The city’s best restaurants and café bars are concentrated to the north of the plaza, in and around the Rua Conselheiro Bivar and it’s narrow, cobbled tributaries.

For nature lovers, the protected Parque Natural da Ria Formosa extends across most of Faro’s coastline. It’s a complex collection of lagoons, tidal flats and sandbar islands, and the calm seas are a haven for aquatic birdlife: flamingos, storks, ospreys and the purple swamphen. Within the lagoon, the Ilha da Culatra is popular for its white beaches and laid-back pace of life. Its resident fisherman are famous for their Cao de Aguas – Portuguese water dogs, which are used to herd fish into nets. Neighbouring Ilha da Armona is where the sunseekers head for, with its 9km-long beach and pop-up restaurants.

Heading west, the big four resort towns of the Algarve are Vilamoura, Albufeira, Praia da Rocha and Lagos. These are the well-known tourist hotspots with the most popular beaches – Albufeira and Praia da Rocha tend to draw a younger crowd thanks to their holiday resorts, water parks and busy nightlife, whilst Vilamoura, with its 1980’s stylings, is one of Portugal’s premier golfing destinations.

Lagos manages to strike a balance between modern-day tourism and protecting its heritage better than most. Its historic old town is a complicated maze of traditional whitewashed townhouses and ornate churches, harking back to both a golden era when Lagos was the maritime HQ for the Age of Discoveries, and a dark period when the town was at the centre of the European slave trade. The city was the original capital of the Algarve, until the great earthquake of 1755 devastated the city and Faro became the new centre of power. Lagos’ 4km beach at Meia Praia is popular with families, and for the more adventurous the secluded beaches at Praia Dona Ana and Praia do Camilo are worth the extra effort. The famous limestone cliffs at Ponta da Piedade can be explored on foot or by boat – the latter is recommended, to really get the best views of Piedade’s sea stacks, hidden caves and archways.

Away from the resort towns, Portimao sits on the Ribeira Arade estuary and is popular for its sport fishing, sailing, windsurfing and dolphin watching. Its Museu de Portimao traces the history of the Algarve over five centuries – from the neolithic period, through the Roman and Islamic occupations, to the Estada Nova. Portimao was once the bustling heart of the Algarve fishing industry, and it’s still one of the best places to sample seasonal Algarve produce. The neighbouring hilltop town of Lagoa has some wonderful examples of 18^th century Portuguese architecture – particularly the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Luz and the Convento de Sao Jose, which is modern-day Lagoa’s cultural centre.

To the north, Silves is often overlooked by visitors to the region. Its 8^th century sandstone castle is one of the best-preserved examples of a Moorish architecture in Portugal – August’s Medieval Festival is centred around the castle, with historical re-enactments, processions, acrobats, jesters and jousting, and it attracts over 130,000 visitors. Silves’ oldest structure is the Ponte Romana which bridges the Rio Arade – heading downriver brings you through the old fishing villages of Farragudo and Carvoeiro, where it’s often difficult to judge where the town ends at the white-sand beaches begin. One of the region’s most-impressive geological monuments is in Cavoeiro: the Algar de Benagil sea cave is limestone cathedral, carved out by the ocean. A hole in the roof of the cave acts as a natural skylight, beaming down onto the secluded beach within – the entrance to the cave is by kayak or boat.

The town of Sagres sits at the southwestern tip of Portugal, and as with Lagos, there’s a tentative balance trying to be struck between beach tourism and maritime heritage. There’s more of a ramshackle, surfer-atmosphere to Sagres, and the posh yachts of Vilamoura haven’t supplanted the locals’ brightly painted lobster boats just yet. The 15^th century Fortaleza de Sagres is perched on the nearby Mareta headland – it’s hard to believe the tsunami from the 1755 earthquake managed to inflict damage to a fort that’s 60m above the ocean. On the ground, the Rosa dos Ventos ‘Rose of the winds’ was only rediscovered in 1919, having been buried by the relentless westerlies. This circular, stone-paved compass measures 43m in diameter – it could also be a sundial; it’s purpose is still subject to speculation. Nearby Cabo de Sao Vicente truly feels like the end of the world – or the end of mainland Europe anyway – and its lighthouse has acted as a navigation beacon for Portuguese sailors for generations. From here to Pontal da Carrapatiera and beyond, you’ll find a series of secluded beaches which only locals and surfers tend to frequent.

The coastal walks of the Algarve are some of the best in Portugal – the popular Rota Vicentina trail network begins in the neighbouring region of Alentejo, and extends right across the Algarve from Sagres to Faro. First-time hikers are often surprised by the terrain inland – an undulating landscape of rolling countryside dotted with rustic farms, orange groves and almond trees. The Serra de Monchique mountain range is criss-crossed with old farm tracks and trails, peaking at 902m at the summit Mount Foia with its sweeping, panoramic view from Portimao to Sao Vicente. The town of Monchique is a world away from the beaches and bustle of Lagos and Albufeira, with its colourful architecture and quirky shops. The hot springs at Caldas de Monchique have been renowned for their healing properties since Roman times and are guaranteed to nursed life back into the legs of even the most dedicated hiker.

Photos: AT Algarve

As one of the continent’s oldest cities, the Portuguese capital has stood guard over the western fringes of Europe for over 3000 years. 21^st century Lisbon embraces its long history, celebrates its present, and looks forward to a bright future.

There’s evidence to suggest that the Phoenicians created the first settlement here on the north bank of the Tagus, although that’s hotly contested. The Romans definitely settled here – Olisipo was theirs for almost 700 years and they recognised the strategic importance of the location.

Looking out from the walls of the Castelo de Sao Jorge, the view from this easily defendable vantage point stretches for miles, and the river acts as a natural moat to deter would be attackers. The Tagus was also an important food source for the Romans and their connection to the outside world, particularly as their Empire grew to encompass northern Europe. After the fall of Rome, the Moors swept across the Iberian Peninsula – Al-Ushbuna was their Lisbon for over 400 years, until Christian crusaders captured the city in 1147 –  and Lisboa became the capital of the kingdom of Portugal in 1255.

The district of Alfama still sits on the same twisting footprint of streets these occupiers created, and getting lost in its cramped streets and constricted alleyways gives a good feel for how jumbled and medieval Old Lisbon would have been. By contrast, New Lisbon is characterised by the capacious Praca do Comercio, the dramatic 19^th century classical architecture of the Rua Augusta triumphal arch, and the regimented, criss-crossing streets of downtown Baixa and Bairro Alto.

The devastating earthquake of 1755 is the dividing line between these two different Lisbons – considered the largest earthquake ever to have hit mainland Europe, it generated floods and fires which destroyed the old Royal Palace and most of the downtown district. Pre-earthquake, Lisbon was one of the richest cities in the world thanks to the vast quantities of gold being extracted from colonial Brazil. Sebastiao Jose Carvalho e Melo, the Marquis of Pompal and King Jose I’s right-hand man, remodelled downtown Baixa on the other great capitals of Europe, whilst the poor of Alfama simply rebuilt on the old, disjointed Roman footprint. The regeneration was a severe drain on Lisbon’s great wealth, and the Marquis grew into a controversial, dictatorial figure – his statue sits at the top of his grand Avenida Liberdade.

Downriver, the historic buildings of Belem escaped the earthquake relatively unscathed. The beautifully ornate 16th century Jeronimos Monastery is one of the best-preserved examples of Manueline architecture, and the Torre de Belem and the Padrao dos Descobrimentos both stand as impressive monuments to the Age of Discoveries. Modern-day Lisbon is well-represented here too – Centro Cultural de Belem, the MAAT and the Museu Colecao Berardo celebrate contemporary Portuguese art in all its forms.

The nearby Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge is a work of art in its own right. The 2km bridge was completed in 1966 and was originally christened the ‘Ponte Salazar’ – named after Prime Minister Antonio Salazar, leader of the ruling fascist Estado Novo regime. This dark period in the nation’s history saw Europe’s great explorers retreat inwards, as the Salazar regime suppressed outside influences and free speech. A group of middle-ranking army officers, (the ‘April Captains’, as they became known), co-ordinated a military coup on 25^th April 1974 by transmitting the song ‘Grandola, Vila Morena’ by Jose Afonso, and took over key institutions across the city. The Lisboetas took to the streets en-masse, and the government relinquished power six hours later. As a lasting symbol of their ‘Carnation Revolution’, the citizens marched across the bridge, forcibly removed Salazar’s plaque and painted ’25 de Abril’ in its place.

One of Lisbon’s most-photographed landmarks is south of the river in Almada: the Santuario de Cristo Rei catholic monument. Although it’s often compared to the more famous statue in Rio, its design was inspired by a much older monument on the island of Madeira. The Cais do Sodre ferry criss-crosses the river throughout the day, and the panoramic view of Lisbon from the santuario’s high vantage point is spectacular (particularly at night). A third method of crossing the Tagus is via the impressive Ponte Vasco da Gama, which connects Lisbon’s Expo park with Montijo on the south bank. At just over 12km, it was Europe’s longest bridge when it opened in 1998, before being superseded by the 17km Crimean Bridge in 2018. It’s the gateway to the Serra de Arrabida, with its Moorish castles, moscatel vineyards and the often-overlooked city of Setubal. Once home to the Lisnave shipyards, Setubal has shrugged off its industrial past and the fish restaurants of the Doca dos Pescadores are a popular draw for the discerning Lisboetas.

Where the Tagus meets the ocean, you’ll come to the popular seaside resort of Cascais – the go-to summer resort for many of Lisbon’s residents. Although most visitors are drawn to the beach at Praia Carcaelos, old town Cascais has an attractive, traditional-Portuguese feel thanks to its 19th century architecture. The casino in nearby Estoril famously inspired Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, when he was stationed in Lisbon during WWII. Portugal remained neutral during the war, and Estoril and Cascais were refuges for the dispossessed rich of western Europe and a hotspot for espionage.

The palace town of Sintra sits high on a granite peak to the northwest. Up until the mid-19th century, Sintra was the favoured summer retreat for Portugal’s royal dynasties, as its elevated location provided a cool escape from the heat of central Lisbon. Its opulent, decorative palaces are popular with day trippers – particularly the Palacio da Pena which was commissioned by Queen Maria II at the tail-end of Romanticism in 1854. Its architecture is an eclectic mix of medieval vaulted arches, byzantine domes, Islamic stuccos, and Manueline and gothic windows, columns and arcades.

The foundations of the nearby Palacio Nacional de Sintra predate the Pena by around four centuries, although most of the present-day palace was constructed by King Joao I in the early 1400s. Still further back in time, the Castelo dos Mouros is a Moorish stronghold dating back to the 8^th century, which fell to the Portuguese shortly after the siege of Lisbon. One of Sintra’s more eccentric sights is Quinta da Regaleira – a fascinating estate filled with ostentatious chapels, gothic gazebos and a peculiar network of grottos and ornate water features. Regaleira was the brainchild of Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro – more commonly known as ‘Monteiro the Millionaire ‘, the gardens are an expression of his fascination with alchemy, freemasonry and the Knights Templar.

Photos: Turismo Lisboa

Alentejo is often referred to as the breadbasket of Portugal – a sparsely populated agricultural region of open plains, cork forests and sleepy rural villages.

Alentejo covers almost one-third of Portugal and its name was once a literal description – derived from ‘alem’ meaning ‘beyond’ the Ribeira Tejo – from a time when the Tagus river demarcated the end of Lisbon and the start of Alentejo.

Its warm Mediterranean climate, rich soils and easily worked terrain encouraged the Romans to farm these lands in pre-Portuguese times, and their wheatfields and olive groves successfully fed an empire. Safe sailing along the Atlantic coast with access inland by boat also saw the settlements of Troia, Alcacer do Sal and the Sado estuary become the centre for the Roman fishing industry. Their vineyards were also extremely fruitful, inspiring a recent renaissance in Roman-style Talha wines: organic wines which are fermented in clay amphoras with oversized cork stoppers. Over 50% of the world’s cork comes from Alentejo and it’s an incredibly sustainable product – the cork oak tree (the ‘sobreiro’) isn’t felled or damaged when the cork is harvested, and trees live for around two hundred and fifty years.

The regional capital is the medieval city of Evora – renowned for its historic, UNESCO-protected architecture: the 1^st century BC Templo Romana de Evora (also known as the Temple of Diana), the Se de Evora (Portugal’s largest medieval cathedral) and the Manueline Convento de Santa Clara. The Igreja de Sao Francisco houses the infamous Capela dos Ossos – the Chapel of Bones, whose walls and vaulted ceilings are decorated with 5000 human skeletons: a Francsiscan friar’s macabre solution to a lack of building space in the 16^th century. To the northeast, Marvao is considered one of the most beautiful walled towns in Europe – sitting high on a granite escarpment, it’s natural defensive position saw the town play a key role in numerous cross-border wars with neighbouring Spain. Surprisingly, the 13^th century castle and walls are mostly intact, and its quant cottages and picturesque views belie a violent and bloody past.

The nearby Castelo de Vide and its old quarter have a similar medieval charm, with their winding cobbled streets, granite arches and distinctive Manueline doorways. By contrast, the 18^th century new town is made up of wide avenues, spacious squares, and the whitewashed facades of Braganza-era churches and chapels. The surrounding Serra De Sao Mamede mountain range is becoming increasingly popular with hikers, thanks to an ever-expanding network of waymarked walking trails. Accommodation tends to be independent, cosy B&Bs hidden at the end of dusty farm tracks, and the cuisine is equally rustic and hearty.

To the west, Alentejo’s sparsely populated Atlantic coast offers a welcome escape from the trappings of 21^st century life. The west coast’s pristine sands stretch 70km from Troia to Sines and beyond, and in contrast to the over-populated beaches of the Algarve, they’re virtually deserted. Heading south to the tip of Sagres, the Rota Vicentina trail network offers hikers 750 km of coast-and-country walks, and over 1000km of touring and off-road cycling routes.

Photos: Turismo Alentejo

The Azores are nine wonderfully diverse islands whose unspoilt landscapes form the most-westerly outpost of Europe.

Their volcanic landscapes have often encouraged more intrepid travellers to visit, and their calderas, crater lakes and hot springs have long held an attraction for Europeans looking to escape the busy mainland. These unique islands lie 1500km off the coast of mainland Europe, but they’re very much a part of Portugal – in their language, their historic architecture and in their love of seasonal, regional cuisine. There’s also a distinct island culture that’s evolved since the first settlers arrived in the 15^th century, as Azoreans have strived to maintain a balance between sustainable living whilst taming a wild and volcanic landscape.

As you’d expect, the Atlantic Ocean has always loomed-large in the Azorean psyche: their cuisine, history, religion and the surrounding sea are all inextricably linked. The islands have also been key to trans-Atlantic travel throughout history – as a vital navigation beacon and resupply point for merchant shipping, as a mid-Atlantic base in times of war, and a communication hub between Europe and the USA, providing a bridge between the old world and the new.

More recently, the Azores have become Europe’s premiere whale and dolphin watching destination. The seas around the Azores are one of the best places to observe ocean wildlife and cetaceans: resident species of sperm whales and bottlenose dolphins can be seen all year around, with blue and fin whales passing through in the spring.

If you’re thinking of visiting the Azores, the best place to begin is our dedicated Azores website.