Known for its beaches, heritage, food, wine and Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal is a gem in Europe. Located in the southern west Europe, it is the oldest nation in Europe.
The recent World Travel Awards considered Portugal as the World’s Leading Destination acknowledging the beauty of the destination. With most of you are already charting down your 2020 travel plans, we list down why you must add Portugal in your travel bucket list:
Beaches
Home to some truly epic beach scenery with soft golden sand and plenty of sunshine all year round makes Portugal an ideal holiday destination. The Portuguese coast is almost a single beach extending more than 850 km and offering a diversity of landscapes that allows you to choose between the rougher and cooler sea in the north and the warm, placid waters of the south. Take a walk from the Insta-worthy sea caves of Benagil and the postcard-worthy fishing village of Carvoeiro to the striking waterfront chapel of Miramar, and unusual red cliffs at Falésia.
Portuguese Music Festivals
Music and beach, is the best combination in music festivals in Portugal. Music festivals in Portugal receive International acclaim and all for the right reasons. From electronic to rock, alternative to pop, the country really does boast something for everyone, whatever genre or vibe you’re looking for. The melodies invade the historic centres of towns and even penetrate national monuments like castles, churches, and monasteries and convents. They provide wonderful opportunities to attend artistic shows in buildings of great beauty.
Food and Wine
James Beard said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience” and there is no better way to know Portugal than through its food. One of the reasons why Portugal is the World’s Leading Destination is its gastronomy and wine tradition. The country’s location and the proximity of the Atlantic explains the prominence given to fish and seafood. These taste even better when enjoyed on the seafront in the pleasant Portuguese sun.
Portugal is also a country of strong wine tradition, and the excellent quality of its wines is recognized across the world, with numerous awards and distinctions won in international competitions. To appreciate and know them, nothing like visiting the regions where they are produced. Wine can be an excellent excuse to discover the landscapes, heritage, culture and the people.
Besides the wines, you can enjoy other farm-produced products, such as fruits and jams, cheeses, olive oils, traditional sweets and the local cuisine itself.
Walking and Cycling Trips
The Natural Parks and Biosphere Reserves recognised by UNESCO have ensured that Portugal is also a destination very appreciated for outdoor activities, nature trails on foot or by bike for those who like to combine physical exercise and contact with the local culture.
World Heritage
The 22 classifications in Portugal portray the history and culture of the country, and the people that have inhabited the land since time immemorial. Monasteries and convents of historic and artistic importance, outstanding monuments, historical centres, cultural landscapes, which offer some of the most beautiful natural scenery in Portugal were considered by UNESCO World Heritage.
The list is completed with icons that express a way of being and how to be a people in their times of celebration, Fado, the Cante Alentejano [Alentejo singing] and the Mediterranean diet. And yet, with arts and crafts that unite Intangible Cultural Heritage, such as the manufacture of rattles, the manufacture of the black pottery of Bisalhães, the art of the Royal Falconry, and the manufacture of clay dolls in Estremoz.
Portugal is a perfect destination for all your travel desires for 2020.
