Portugal is full of absolutely stunning beaches. It’s also home to friendly people and the local cuisine is nothing short of tasty. Portugal is one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe. If you are planning a trip, then you can find out everything you need to know right here.
Go when it’s Offseason- You Won’t Regret it
It’s very true that parts of Portugal, including the Algarve and Lisbon beaches can be very overcrowded during summer. That being said, they are very quiet when it’s out of season. Autumn is one of the best times for you to visit. You’ll get full sunshine for around 7 hours in the day and this is fantastic if you want a beach holiday. A lot of people who live in Portugal believe that the sea is too cold at this time for swimming, but if you’re coming from somewhere like Britain, you’ll probably feel like 21˚ is just right. If you ask anyone to list their favourite beaches in Portugal, they’ll probably say Algarve or Lisbon, so you won’t be missing out at all.
Go Off the Beaten Track if Possible
In Portugal, it really does pay to go off the tourist trail. Consider heading inland to the border region. There you will find fortified castles and this provides a stunning amount of scenery to the local plains. You will also see some storks nesting in spring as well and this makes it all the more interesting. In Autumn, it helps to go north. There you will find the famous Douro vineyards. They are bursting with full bunches of grapes and if you want to get involved then you can easily pick the grapes or do some stomping at some of the local estates.
Drink like the Locals
Portuguese food and drink are usually of the highest quality. They are very good value as well so it helps to stick to whatever is caught or grown locally. You will usually find a huge range of fresh fish and you may even find seafood too. Portuguese pork and even local cheeses are often very underrated, and it is a fantastic way for you to make the most out of your experience in general. Don’t think that house wine is bad either, in fact, it’s often very high quality. The same concept applies to local beers, as they will usually cost half the price but the overall quality of them will be very consistent.
Walk to your Destination
The Portuguese tend to be reluctant about venturing too far from their vehicles, so you will often see families having a picnic right next to their cars. If you walk a little bit, then you will soon find that you don’t have to go too far in order to have the whole place to yourself. If you try this, then you will soon find that you can make the most out of your experience and that you can also have a much more relaxing time overall.
