Portugal

Rating: ★★★★★ (4.8 / 5)

Portugal is a country that rewards the visitor with a rare combination of old-world charm, extraordinary Atlantic coastline, rich maritime history, and a warmth of welcome that feels entirely genuine. Lisbon, its hilly capital, is a city of faded grandeur, colourful azulejo tiles, and the melancholic folk music known as fado, while Porto enchants with its riverfront wine lodges, baroque churches, and one of the finest contemporary architectural traditions in Europe. From the vine-terraced Douro Valley to the wild beaches of the Alentejo coast, the medieval walled city of Obidos, and the mystical palaces of Sintra, Portugal offers an astonishing variety of experience within a relatively compact and easily explored country.