Insight Guides Pocket Portugal (Travel Guide eBook)
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Inspirational colour photography throughout -Sharp design and colour-coded sections make for an engaging reading experience About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly,modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.
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Insight Guides Pocket Portugal (Travel Guide eBook) - Insight Guides
How To Use This E-Book
Getting Around the e-Book
This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Portugal, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.
The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Portugal, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights in Portugal are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Portugal. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.
About Insight Guides
Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.
Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.
© 2018 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd
Table of Contents
Portugal’s Top 10 Attractions
Top Attraction #1
Top Attraction #2
Top Attraction #3
Top Attraction #4
Top Attraction #5
Top Attraction #6
Top Attraction #7
Top Attraction #8
Top Attraction #9
Top Attraction #10
A Perfect Tour Of Portugal
Introduction
Strong traditions and new horizons
Portugal’s treasures
When to go and what to do
A Brief History
The Moors and the Reconquest
Consolidation and Golden Age
Building an empire
Spanish rule and restoration
Destruction, rebuilding and the Peninsular War
The fall of the monarchy
The republic and the New State
Toward the present
Landmarks
Where To Go
Lisbon
Alfama and Baixa
Bairro Alto
Belém
Eastern Lisbon
Lisbon environs
Queluz
Sintra
Estoril Coast
South of the Tagus
North of Lisbon
Estremadura and Ribatejo
Óbidos and the coast
Alcobaça and Batalha Abbeys
Fátima
Tomar
Santarém and Vila Franca de Xira
The Beiras
Coimbra
Coimbra environs
The coast
Beira Alta
The Planalto
Serra da Estrela
Beira Baixa
The north
Porto
Vila Nova de Gaia
Coastal excursions
The Douro Valley
The Minho
Guimarães
Briteiros
Braga
Barcelos
The Minho coast
The River Lima
The Peneda-Gerês National Park
The River Minho
Trás-os-Montes
Vila Real and the southwest
Chaves and environs
Bragança and the northeast
Miranda do Douro
Central and southeastern Trás-os-Montes
Alentejo
Évora
Excursions from Évora
The marble towns
Northeastern Alentejo
Baixo (lower) Alentejo
Coastal Alentejo
The Algarve
Barlavento coast
Portimão to Faro
Faro
The Sotavento Coast
The West Coast
What To Do
Shopping
What to buy
When and where to shop
Entertainment
Sports
Water sports
Land sports
Spectator sports
Portugal for children
Calendar of festivals and events
Eating Out
Restaurants and menus
Meal times
What to eat
Drinks
Reading the Menu
To help you order
Menu reader
Restaurants
Lisbon
Near Lisbon
Estremadura and Ribatejo
The Beiras
Porto and the Douro Valley
Minho
Trás-Os-Montes
Alentejo
The Algarve
A–Z Travel Tips
A
Accommodation
Airports
B
Budgeting for your trip
C
Camping
Car hire
Climate
Clothing
Crime and safety
D
Disabled travellers
Driving
E
Electricity
Embassies and consulates
Emergencies
Etiquette
G
Getting to Portugal
Guides and tours
H
Health and medical care
L
Language
LGBTQ travellers
M
Maps
Media
Money
O
Opening times
P
Police
Post offices
Public holidays
R
Religion
T
Telephones
Time difference
Tipping
Toilets
Tourist information
Transport
V
Visas and entry requirements
W
Websites and internet access
Recommended Hotels
Lisbon
Estoril Coast
Near Lisbon
Ribatejo & Estemadura
The Beiras
Porto and the Douro Valley
The Minho
Trás-Os-Montes
Alentejo
The Algarve
Portugal’s Top 10 Attractions
Top Attraction #1
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Coimbra
The historic university city has been the hub of Portugal’s intellectual life since the 13th century. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #2
Shutterstock
Sintra
Magical mansions, fantastical palaces, and gardens of delight in Lisbon’s aristocratic summer retreat. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #3
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Belém
Pay homage to Portuguese explorers and eat custard tarts in Lisbon’s riverside district. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #4
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Trás-os-Montes
Witness Portuguese tradition in these remote and beautiful farmlands. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #5
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Bom Jesus do Monte
A place of pilgrimage with a stairway to heaven in the mountains of the Minho. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #6
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Porto
Portugal’s historic second city, straddling the River Douro, is keeping pace with the 21st century. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #7
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Algarve
The Mediterranean climate and golden beaches have made it Portugal’s top destination for sunseekers. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #8
Shutterstock
Douro Valley
One of Portugal’s prettiest regions and home to the renowned port wine. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #9
Shutterstock
Serra da Estrela
Hikes amid fantastic scenery in Portugal’s highest mountains. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #10
iStock
Évora
Once a Roman settlement, now a star of the Alentejo. For more information, click here.
A Perfect Tour Of Portugal
Day 1
The north
Start in northern Portugal, exploring the magnificent baroque and tile-coated buildings of Porto, and sampling the finest port wines. Alternatively start your journey in the lovely university town of Coimbra, a chance to see its wonderful jumble of historic architecture, and hear the city’s unique melancholy fado.
Day 2
Mountain splendour
Either meander some more around Porto or Coimbra, or hire a car and take a trip east into the wild countryside of Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela, where you can discover – on foot, by bike, or on horseback – this rugged national park.
Day 3
Heading south
Take a leisurely drive down to Lisbon, calling in at fascinating Tomar on the way – its Templar castle is a Unesco World Heritage Site and well worth a look. Once at the capital, book into the Bairro Alto Hotel (for more information, click here) for an upmarket treat.
Day 4
In the capital
Indulge in some retail therapy at the Colombo centre in the morning, then while away the afternoon in Belém, seeing the fantastical Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and eating Portugal’s most perfect custard tarts. In the evening, either head to a fado club or bar hop in lively Bairro Alto.
Day 5
Sintra
Remain in Lisbon and see the sights, or spend a peaceful day in magical Sintra, which spills across lush hills 31km (19 miles) northwest of the capital. Wonder at its spectacular monuments and enjoy an evening meal at one of town’s excellent restaurants. (for more information, click here).
Day 6
Star of the Alentejo
Strike out 130km (80 miles) east of Lisbon to reach Évora, capital of the Alentejo and the region’s most spectacular town. The old town is a lovely place just to wander, but you can also see impressive Roman ruins, visit beautiful churches, feast on Alentejan cuisine, and wine-taste in the surrounding hills.
Day 7
Algarve towns
Linger a little longer in Évora before heading farther south in the afternoon. Recommended Algarve towns are either vibrantly pretty Lagos, or elegant, graceful Tavira. Both places have interesting historic centres, so whichever you choose will reward a wander.
Day 8
On the beach
Depending on the time of year, you can lounge or take a walk on Lagos’ fabulous beaches, backed by gold and russet-streaked cliffs. Tavira also has some amazing sands, a short ferry ride away on the Ilha de Tavira. Fitness fans might try some water sports or a round of golf before the flight home from Faro.
Introduction
Few countries have risen as triumphantly or fallen as forlornly as Portugal. From pre-eminent global superpower in the 16th century, with far-flung colonies and abundant riches, to brushed-off backwater of Continental Europe, Portugal is again an optimistic country and society in transition.
Strong traditions and new horizons
Portugal has raced to catch up with its neighbours in the EU. Parts of the country are suddenly modern and cosmopolitan, while much remains stubbornly traditional. Visitors will find stunning architecture and fashions in Lisbon and Porto alongside women decked out head to toe in traditional dress. In more remote parts of the country, families still trudge along behind wooden oxcarts.
Portugal’s history has left an inescapable imprint on both the land and people. The Phoenicians came to trade, Romans constructed roads and cities, Jews were physicians, artisans and mapmakers, and the Moors left great citadels, almond orchards and whitewashed villages of labyrinthine alleyways. The inhabitants of the northern regions reveal Germanic and Celtic origins in their blue eyes and fair skin, while the dark eyes and olive complexions of the Moors and their plaintive style of singing can still be seen and heard in the south.
Portugal’s treasures
Today, travellers are discovering more of the varied treasures of Portugal, even though most stick to the sunny beaches of the Algarve or the sophisticated city life of the capital, Lisbon. Though Portugal’s most celebrated destinations are among the highlights of Europe, those willing to venture beyond will be richly rewarded. Portugal – less than half the area of Britain and home to just 10.3 million people – has hundreds of unique attractions, is surprisingly easy to explore and offers an astounding variety of landscapes within relative proximity.
Castles great and small
Rooted across its landscape, Portugal has a rich heritage of nearly 200 medieval castles. Some grew from Roman forts, others from fortified villages. The Moors’ presence is still strong in Lisbon’s São Jorge castle and in the hilltop ruins above Sintra. Most were built by Portuguese kings concerned with defending the land from coastal invasion or from neighbouring Spain. Much the busiest builder was Dinis, son of Afonso III, who became king in 1279 and built or rebuilt one castle after another until his death in 1325. Frontier fortifications rose from Alcoutim on the Guadiana river to Valença on the Minho. Sturdy keeps stand, such as the one at Beja in the Alentejo. Gorgeous castles pose in solitary splendour, like Almourol on a river island near Tomar. Castles in Estremoz, Óbidos, Palmela, Setúbal, Almeida and elsewhere have been transformed into pousadas, splendid hotels with dramatic views.
Scenic Almourol Castle
Lydia Evans/Apa Publications
Rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1755, Lisbon has spectacular vistas and delightful areas that reflect its Moorish roots. The city straddles seven hills and overlooks the Tagus, or Tejo, the river that flows from Spain through central Portugal.
With about 160km (100 miles) of coastline, the Algarve is one of Europe’s premier beach destinations. Its abundant sports, beaches, hospitable weather and easily organised package holidays attract as many visitors as the rest of Portugal combined. The blocks of tourist apartments and hotels are atypical for the country, but the coast remains true to its hype. Sun-seekers venture