Places to Visit in Portugal
Vacation Ideas

Just tell your guide about your likes and dislikes and he/she can educate you regarding the location and quality of your interests.

This will guarantee that your venture will be highly successful. The island is excellent for walking, on both flat land and in the mountains.

Every step provides a new picture book view. It’s sort of like being in the middle of a classic movie.

The scuba diving and the big game fishing are absolutely extraordinary. Cruise ships, over the years, have found Madeira to be an interesting and a successful stop on their Europe to the Caribbean trips.

One of the places to visit in Portugal for a secluded beach Praia Figueiras. Because few people go there, the beach has remained quite pristine. Probably the reason for this is the 15 minute walk to the beach from the parking area. Remember this - the beach is worth the walk.

At Praia do Tonel you will find excellent parasailing and surfing. A few miles west of Lagos you’ll find Praia da Luz. This beach is well known for diving and with its well sheltered location it is also good for kids.

Not far from Praia da Luz is the 6 mile long Meia Praia which is highly favored in Portugal. This is a family beach because the sand is perfect for making castles and there are shells to collect.

The 60 mile long Praia do Carvalho has lovely soft sand which your feet will fall in love with. It lies between two cliffs so to get there you must drive though a picturesque tunnel. There are caves to explore and some great walking paths. A couple of other beaches worth exploring are Praia da Gale and Praia do Alvor. This is a list of some of Portugal’s outstanding beaches.

The Ancient Art Museum has a wonderful collection of Oriental and European art including 14th to the 20th century European works by such artists as Bosch, Durer and Raphael. The Design Museum has a collection of fashion designs that is world renown. It includes some of the famous work of Christian Dior.

The Tile Museum has an unique collection which represents five centuries of decorative ceramic tile art. It is housed in a lavish old convent which makes it unique in two ways. This collection is believed to be the only one of its kind in the world. The gift shop is very successful selling has reproductions.

The Orient Museum is dedicated to Asian art with an emphasis on the work of Portuguese artists. Asian food is also emphasized in the café. And finally, the Coaches Museum deserves attention, in that it has the largest and most valuable collection in the world of royal coaches. In this collection you will find the coach that France’s Louis XIV used regularly during his reign. In summary, Portugal seems to have one of the most diverse museum collections in the world.

Castelo de São Jorge (Saint George Castle) sits on a hill-top with lovely gardens and watched over by families of ducks and geese. With it’s beautiful setting and wonderful views of the city, it is a favorite stopping place for tourists. Also, you can climb the towers for an even better view. Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) is a very interesting place to visit. If you like things "majestic" this square is for you. There are large arched buildings on three sides which are mostly used for government business.

The architecture of these buildings is so impressive that you may want to just sit quietly in the center of the square and fully appreciate the splendor. When it’s time for lunch just stay right there in the square and eat at "Martinho da Arcada" which is the oldest café in Lisbon.

There’s good sailing at Portimao on the southern coast of Portugal and there are some excellent places to rent or lease a boat. Of course, the easiest and safest way is to pay a fee to be a passenger on a sailboat that takes out groups. Some captains will even let you get involved with the operation of the ship after you have proven yourself with deed and not words.

We know of many folks who, with basic sailing knowledge, frequently rent a small one or two man sailboat while on vacation. They have a whale of a good time enjoying the overall simplicity of a small boat. There are too many ways to have fun on a sailing vacation to cover here. You have to balance your experience with the many sizes of boats and add in the number of people in your party.

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