Whether it’s a fun filled city break in the hustle and bustle of Lisbon or a leisurely golfing holiday in the Algarve, Portugal has long been one of the world’s top twenty holiday destinations.
Blessed with stunning natural beauty and year-round sunshine, Portugal offers crystal clear seas and a wealth of activities to suit even the most discerning world traveller.
It’s hard to believe that a place like Sintra exists less than 30 kilometers from Portugal’s capital, Lisbon. Sintra has long been a favorite with royals and romantics alike, and is well worth visiting if you’re staying in Lisbon. Even better, get away from the hustle of bustle of Lisbon by staying in Sintra, so you can lap up its beauty and peace first hand.
Sintra is located on the craggy northern slops of the Serra de Sintra, and is surrounded by lush vegetation and stunning mountain top views. Poets and mystics have sung Sintra’s praises for many centuries, and even Lord Byron overcame his general dislike of Portugal to praise Sintra’s natural beauties. Sintra is within the bounds of the Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais, so there are plenty of walks and day trips you can take in the general area.
An interesting place to start your explorations of Portugal is in the northern city of Porto (aka Oporto). The city’s airport is well served by many major connections to the rest of Europe and indeed the world. Porto is probably best known to sports fans for its soccer team who have won the Champions League twice. Perhaps a visit to the Dragão Stadium might be of interest! It’s also well worth visiting Ribeira, which is part of the inner city and is filled with historic buildings.
Portugal Car Hire Tip – When in Portugal, you should drive on the right. Be aware unlike in the UK or Ireland for example, where flashing your headlights means “Thank you” or “You first”, in Portugal it means “Get out of my way”.
