Portugal Travel and Destination Guide

Once capital of one of the largest empires in the world, Portugal packs a great variety for its size. In a few days' drive you can go from the wide Douro valley, layered with port wine vineyards, to hilly Porto with its Roman roots, through laid-back Lisbon and World Heritage Evora to the sunny Algarve's beach resorts backed by craggy rocks. The countryside is dotted with romantic pousadas, prices are a steal for Europe, the weather's great, and they even have their own islands in the Atlantic: the Azores and Madeira, the latter of wine fame. Careful on the roads, though - Portugal has one of the highest accident rates in Europe.