| PORTUGAL |
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| Portugal is a very unexplored Country as far as Holidaymakers are concerned. They flock to the Algarve and completely miss the marvellous variety of unspoiled landscapes within easy travelling distance of each other. Portugal is roughly half the size of Britain, but with a population of only about 10 million, you can have an awful lot of it to yourself to enjoy unhindered if you avoid the crowds on the beaches in the South. Mind, it is sometimes hard to believe this when most towns, and villages, seem to have their own congested traffic jams at all hours of the day!!! The countryside is beautiful, however, especially the Douro Valley which is worth a large slice of time of anybody`s holiday. The baroque churches, the gothic grandiose Cathedrals, and the preserved medieval towns and turrets are, at long last, receiving the attention and the money to preserve them for many years to come. The influx of funds from the EEC has benefited the Portuguese, and of course the tourist. The far north is lush and green, and of course it does not stay that way without an awful lot of rain, but it still has lovely sunny days, but very much more changeable than the almost guaranteed sunshine on the Algarve. If you decide to go early in the Season, say around May, then expect mists and hill fog. We went on a “Discover Hidden Portugal” tour, and of course, the standing joke was that a lot of it was indeed hidden, by mists and fog!!! But we also had clear sunny days in the north and the Mountains and fast flowing rivers in the valleys are indeed a sight to behold. It is almost essential to hire a car if you wish to see anything of the true Portugal, rather than restrict yourself to Tour coaches. Inland are old towns like Evora, with its Roman ruins and the lovely old hill town of Arraiolos. The view from here from the old church in its fortified walls over the sprawling plains, hot and dry and brown in the baking sun, is one that will stick with me for an awfully long time. Unless you are going on a package, and even if you are, it is still possible to take an extra week or two, to go independently and explore areas the Tour Operators never go to. We find that the Pousadas (the Government-owned chain of four and five star hotels) offered the best deals with a 40% discount for the over 60`s, making a bed and breakfast stopover work out at about £24 per night per person, absolutely excellent value! The Algarve is not the only beach area. Although bordering on the Atlantic, with rougher seas and surf, the coast west of Lisbon northwards to Peniche offers long deserted beaches, few tourists, and some of the best sardine dinners going!! You will find the Portuguese very friendly, generally of a small stocky build, and anxious to show off what they can justly be proud of, a Country with a great history of exploration, a preserved identity of their own, and a land of contrasts from the lush green North to the dry, hot and sunny South. Here are some of the pictures we have taken on holiday there. |
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| Contacts:- Portuguese Trade & Tourism Office (UK) 22-25A, Sackville Street, 2nd - 4th Floor, London, W1X 2LY Tel: +44 20 7494 5725 Fax: +44 20 7494 1868 E-Mail: iceplond@aol.com Web Site:- http://www.portugalinsite.pt |
| ENJOY |