To give civilisation the slip, head north to Serra da Estrela Natural Park, where the country’s tallest mountains punch above valleys that echo with goat and sheep bells. At Senses on the banks of the Mondego River, you can camp under the fruit trees or glamp in a bell tent, safari lodge or yurt. Wild swim in the river with the otters and hike into granite heights, returning to eat at the farm-to-fork restaurant. By night the Milky Way shimmers in some of the country’s darkest skies. Pitches from €15 (£13), tents from €45 (£39), B&B.
If ever there was a view to make you want to crack open a bottle of something special, it would be these steeply terraced vineyards marching up emerald hillsides above the Douro River. This converted 18th-century quinta (wine estate) has a luxury hotel, restaurant and spa. For a real sense of place, stay in a wine barrel with a deck peeking over the vines. Borrow a bike, order a picnic, hook onto a tour and tasting, or come in autumn to join in with the grape-stomping. Doubles from €250 (£216), B&B.
Framed by the cork woods and olive groves of the Alto Alentejo, this riverside escape slots beautifully into the landscape, with cork-clad shelters and romantic, boho-style glamping tents. Nature is wholly embraced here: walk trails into mountains where you’ll barely see a soul, laze in the vineyard, paddle along the Tagus River or order a hamper of regional goodies for a sunset picnic. The pool, playground, organic garden and farm animals are a surefire hit with kids. Doubles from €150 (£130), B&B.
On a blissfully untouristy stretch of the Algarve’s south coast, this camp is a step inland from Praia da Salema’s booming Atlantic surf. Pitch under the pines or glamp in a safari tent or hill-perched lodge. There’s plenty happening: sign up to surf lessons, head to the beach in search of dinosaur footprints, hike cliff-hugging coastal trails, or go kayaking, diving or mountain biking. Back at camp, yoga classes calm the mood and there’s a restaurant serving homemade pizza. Pitches from €16 (£14), safari tents from €60 (£52), room only.
This whitewashed quinta east of Lisbon in Serra de São Mamede Nature Park is like an impressionist painting, with fields sweeping up to orchards, vineyards and mountains. It’s the Alentejo country dream, with lavender gardens that are a mass of fragrant purple in summer. Simple rooms in restful colours nod to the surrounds. Nature takes centre stage here: learn how lavender is made into essential oil, rent a bike or head out into those beautiful hills on foot or on horseback. Doubles from €99 (£86), B&B.
Birdsong is your wake-up call at Lima Escape in Peneda-Gerês National Park. At this riverside camp, you can tune into nature’s forgotten
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“I was raised on art. That's what started all of this,” gallerist Duarte Sequeira tells me as we walk around his eponymous gallery and backyard. "All of this" is Duarte Sequeira Gallery, a sprawling landscape of rolling green hills, palm trees, maritime pines, and cork oaks.
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Porto, a coastal city in the northwest of Portugal, has long been relegated to Lisbon’s shadow, but it’s finally commanding global attention for its culinary offerings.
Portugal’s flag carrier TAP said on Wednesday that it swung to a net profit of $25 million (23 million euros) in the first half of 2023 on strong revenue growth, boosted by booming tourism, and forecast a strong performance for the remainder of the year.
A former fishing village that’s become one of the most posh spots in Portugal, Comporta is still gathering steam. Between the rice fields, cork forests, and long white beaches, there has been a slew of new openings this year, as well as upgrades to existing properties (and some that needed no changes at all) and lots of construction in the works. Here’s what’s worth a look—especially now that the peak summertime crowds have started to head home.
Straddling the mouth of the Douro River with elegant bridges and painted houses tripping up gentle hillsides, Porto has soared in popularity with travellers in recent years. Many come to sip and slurp at the city’s historic port wine houses, climb the narrow streets lined with baroque churches and 19th-century merchants’ houses, and bounce between cafe terraces in the labyrinthine Ribeira district. But equally appealing is the call of the outdoors – Porto’s riverside views and coastal position encourage all manner of active pursuits, from paddleboarding and kayaking to bridge climbing and e-biking. Here’s the perfect itinerary for an active weekend break.
Salgados Golf Course is an 18-hole par-72 layout originally designed by Pedro Vasconcelos in 1994 and renovated by renowned landscape architect Álvaro Mano in 2012.
There are few wine regions in the world as instantly recognisable as Portugal's Douro Valley. Its vineyards rise in striking symmetry from the banks of the Rio Douro, which charts a 557-mile-long course across northern Portugal before spilling out into the Atlantic at Porto. The Alto (Upper) Douro lies at the sweet spot where the Marão and Montemuro mountains meet, shielding the land from unforgiving westerly winds. In doing so, they create ideal microclimates for the area's 250,000-odd hectares of vertiginous vineyards, yielding super-concentrated, deeply flavoured grapes.
There are many reasons to fall in love with the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic that’s often called the Hawaii of Europe. The islands are green; they’re lush; they’re beautiful. And there’s a lot of delicious cheese. They’re also still places that are still largely free from mass tourism, and they’re home to a growing number of delightful boutique hotels. These are some of the loveliest.
Designated protected areas make up almost a quarter of Portugal's landmass, and while this Iberian country has just one national park — Peneda-Gerês, on the Spanish border in the far north — there are 24 natural parks and other protected landscapes for nature lovers to explore. Often etched with hiking trails that lead you through pine-clad hills, wildflower valleys and high pastures, these areas make prime spots to catch a glimpse of native fauna such as horses, eagles, lizards and even dolphins in the wild.