Portugal

Lisbon is one of the most atmospheric cities in Europe, but this small, highly historic country is far from done yet. There's the balmy resort region of Algarve, the green north, home of Port wine, including Porto, the Douro Valley, Coimbra, and Braga; the fairytale palaces of Sintra, the Atlantic islands Madeira and the Azores; and much more.

65 Members

Join Us!

Forum

Fado, the soulful musical heart of Portugal

Portugal PathwaysThe soulful urban music of Portugal is often described as the country’s musical heart. The word itself comes from the Latin fatum, meaning “fate,” and the music is inseparable from the Portuguese emotional concept of saudade—a deep, almost nostalgic longing for something lost or unattainable. Since the 19th century, fado has been the sound of Lisbon’s old neighborhoods, echoing through taverns and candle-lit restaurants where singers pour intense feeling into spare, haunting…

Started by María José

0 Replies

7 scintillating sites in Sintra

Dmitrij Rodionov Just a half hour by car or around 40 minutes by train from Lisbon, this municipality of roughly 386,000 residents feels a world apart. Nestled among the forested hills of the Serra de Sintra, its historic old quarter, has long been a retreat for kings, nobles, and wealthy merchants seeking relief from the summer heat of the Portuguese capital. Most of Sintra today consists of modern residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, and former villages that have gradually become…

Started by Tripatini

0 Replies

Fantastic value and ease of use are the hallmarks of intercity bus travel in Portugal

PortugalIts compact size, modern highways, and efficient coach operators make buses one of the easiest ways to travel through Portugal. Vehicles are typically clean, punctual, and comfortable, and the Portuguese intercity coach system is definitely one of Europe’s best values. The most prominent operators are Rede Expressos (above) and FlixBus. Sample routes/fares:Lisbon → Porto: Three to three and a half hours, €5–€15 ($5.50–$16.50 USD)Lisbon → Faro: Three to four hours, €10–€20 ($11–$22…

Started by María José

0 Replies

How is the Portuguese of Portugal different from that of Brazil?

Many years ago, my girlfriend and I were on a mini-golf course on Cape Cod when I heard people behind us speaking in an unfamiliar language. I said to Lisa, "what is that, Hebrew?" Highly amused, she - a Portuguese major in college - replied "no, silly, they´re from Brazil!" (of course I did feel silly, but in my defense, at the time I was 19 and had not been exposed to many foreign languages beyond French, German, and Spanish). In the years to come, I too studied Portuguese a bit, and during…

Started by David Paul Appell

0 Replies

You need to be a member of Tripatini to add comments!

Join Tripatini

Comments are closed.

Comments

Vincent Bontoux August 8, 2026 at 11:25am

Yet another best destinations of 2026 list, from National Geographic, and like the BBC´s list, for the historic northern city of Guimarães: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/be-of-t4oe-world-...
Ed Wetschler January 31, 2026 at 8:06pm

I had not heard of Guimarães, so appreciate Jorge´s bringing it to our attention below. For Frommer´s on the other hand, it´s the our old favorite the Algarve which makes their must-travel list for the year, thanks especially to direct flights to Faro from North America, along with some new developments on the museums, theater, music festivals, and hotels fronts: https://www.frommers.com/tips/news/frommers-best-places-to-go-in-2026/
Jorge Carlos Tejada Sobrino January 30, 2026 at 2:57pm

Barely a half hour or so inland from Porto, Guimarães isn´t one of the usual suspects when visiting Portugal, but it´s got UNESCO World Heritage history as the first capital of the country, back in the 12th century, a vibrant youth/cultural scene, and now it´s on the BBC´s list of top travel destinations for this year not just because of all that but because it´s Europe´s Green Capital for 2026. Check it out: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20251209-the-20-best-places-to-t...

The 20 best places to travel in 2026

From a Polynesian island ringed by blue lagoons to the heart of Chile's wine country, these are BBC journalists' top destinations this year.
Maria de los Angeles September 3, 2025 at 9:15am

I have read and also heard first-hand from people about this, and here the Guardian lays out how it came about https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/25/lisbon-europe...

How Lisbon put itself on the map for real estate and tourism – and became Europe’s least affordable…

Tourists stay in short-term rentals and foreigners buy second homes, while residents of the city rent rooms, not apartments, says researcher Agustín…
Joseba Basabe December 18, 2024 at 2:01pm

Against amazingly tough competition, Tripadvisor readers chose Praia da Falésia, in the Algarve near Albufeira, as the world´s best beach for 2024 - pretty impressive! put https://www.timeout.com/news/this-portuguese-beach-has-just-been-cr...

TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice Awards: Praia da Falésia Named World's Best Beach

The review platform's annual awards are based on the millions of reviews posted by users over the last year, and have revealed which of the world's b…
David Paul Appell March 29, 2024 at 10:48am

I still need to explore more of Portugal, and this city, Braga, is very much on my bucket list, along with Coimbra, also in the north: https://www.timeout.com/news/this-underrated-city-is-europes-next-e...

This underrated city is Europe’s next emerging destination

The city was given the award at this year’s World Travel Awards
Jordan Simon June 14, 2023 at 5:09pm

A pretty interesting look in The Guardian at several towns off the usual Portugal tourist track: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/jun/11/hidden-portugal-wher...

Hidden Portugal: where to stay and what to do off the beaten track

Hauntingly beautiful villages, thermal springs, unspoilt beaches, fairytale castles ... Portugal has so much more to offer than the bustle of the Alg…
José Balido February 16, 2023 at 10:37am

Which European city can be considered the continent's most romantic? The cliché of Paris of course jumps first to most people's minds. Yet Time Out reports that a recent survey has crowned another capital: would you believe Lisbon? Read on and see why: https://www.timeout.com/news/this-city-has-been-named-europes-most-...

This city has been named Europe’s most romantic capital

Pucker up!
María José October 28, 2022 at 10:07am

Ever heard of Viseu? It's a region up north, about an hour and a half from Porto and just over an hour from Coimbra, with an ancient history and a lot ot see/do as a heartland of "deep Portugal." A writer from there just recently described it on the platform Medium: https://medium.com/globetrotters/the-hidden-portugal-that-doesnt-ge...

The Hidden Portugal That Doesn’t Get In Touristic Routes | by Araci Almeida | Globetrotters | Oct,…
John Kipper June 14, 2022 at 7:34am

Portuguese strands among The Guardian's great survey of Europe's top beaches earlier this year: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/apr/30/40-best-beaches-in-e...

40 of the best beaches in Europe | Beach holidays | The Guardian

From flamingo-pink shores to wild coastlines and everything in between, our travel writers pick the continent’s finest sands, and places to stay near…