In Portugal, a Former Royal Home Opens as a Hotel

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.

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. 

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.

The cities in Europe with the largest pipelines at Q2 are led by London, with 82 projects/14,767 rooms, and Istanbul, with record project counts of 42 projects/7,222 rooms. Following are Lisbon, with 37 projects/4,262 rooms, Dublin, with 32 projects/6,173 rooms, then Dusseldorf, Germany with 31 projects/5,669 rooms.

Rail travel is all the rage this summer and Portugal is getting on board with a new offer.

Spain’s national rail operator has recently launched new routes connecting to major cities in France.

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.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal surpassed eight million in January-June, making it the best first half on record, official data showed on Monday.

Hotel real estate investor and management company Highgate signed a deal to acquire Viceroy Hotels & Resorts as Highgate intensifies its quest to add luxury lifestyle hotels to its already ample portfolio.