Information on Portugal

Portugal is located in south western Europe on the Iberian peninsula and is the western most mainland country in Europe. Portugal is bordered by Spain and the ocean along its western and southern coastlines is the Atlantis ocean.

Portugal is one of the warmest of the European countries with annual average temperatures at 18 degrees Celsius in the Algarve. In the hottest of summers temperatures can reach up to 37 degrees Celsius. With this Mediterranean climate the winters stay warm, with the wet season occurring between October and December, where most of the rainfall occurs.

Portuguese cuisine is diverse. The Portuguese love dry cod (bacalhau in Portuguese), for which there are hundreds of recipes. Two other popular fish recipes are grilled sardines and caldeirada. Typical Portuguese meat recipes, that may take beef, pork, lamb, or chicken, include feijoada, cozido à portuguesa, frango de churrasco, and carne de porco à alentejana.

Portuguese wines have deserved international recognition since the times of the Roman Empire, which associated Portugal with their God Bacchus. Today the country is known by wine lovers and its wines have won several international prizes. Some of the best Portuguese wines are: Vinho Verde, Vinho Alvarinho, Vinho do Douro, Vinho do Alentejo, Vinho do Dão, Vinho da Bairrada and the sweet: Port Wine, Madeira Wine and the Moscatel from Setúbal and Favaios. Port Wine is well known around the world and the most widely exported Portuguese wine.

The most popular beaches are in the Algarve, which has stunning coastlines and gobs of natural beauty. The water along the southern coast tends to be warmer and calmer than the water along the Atlantic coast. For surfing, or just playing in the surf there are great beaches all along the Atlantic coast.

The countryside also offers a great deal of possibilities, although you will have to incite the travel agent's advise a little more than usual, as they tend to just sell beach holidays. Cycling through the mountainous terrain of Geres or white-water rafting in the river Douro is an exhilarating experience.