Discover Portugal

Portugal occupies the westernmost edge of mainland Europe, its Atlantic coastline and centuries as a maritime empire shaping a culture distinct from neighboring Spain despite sharing the Iberian Peninsula. From the 15th century onward, Portuguese navigators launched an age of exploration that connected Europe to Africa, Asia, and South America, building an empire that outlasted most others -- Portugal only returned its last overseas territory, Macau, to China in 1999.

That maritime history still shapes the country today, visible in Lisbon's riverside monuments, the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley around Porto, and a cuisine and architecture that traveled with the empire and returned home transformed.

Do I need a car? Not for Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and the corridor between them -- the trains are frequent and the cities are better without one. Yes for the Alentejo, the interior and the Douro, where services thin to a few a day.

Which airport should I use? The one nearest the trip. Faro serves the Algarve, Porto the north and the Douro, Lisbon the centre. Faro to Lisbon is most of a day by road, so a cheap flight into the wrong end is spent again on the transfer.

What about motorway tolls? Some stretches are electronic-only with no barrier. Ask the hire company how the car is set up before you leave the airport; otherwise the charge arrives as a notice later.

Is it safe to swim? Follow the flags on supervised beaches -- red means you must not enter the water, yellow means paddling at the edge only. This is the Atlantic, with real currents and cold water even in summer.

Should I worry about wildfires? There is an increased risk from April to October in hot, dry weather, mostly inland and in the forested north. Check local warnings on the day before a walking trip and keep an alternative route in mind.