The Portuguese landscapes are typical of Southern Europe and life takes place there at a particularly gentle and pleasant pace. Discover this atmosphere for yourself with a flight to Portugal.

Tourism is concentrated there more particularly in the city of Lisbon but also in the region of Porto because of its seaside tourism. Monuments, national parks, visits according to the districts will enchant the amateurs of disorientation at only two hours of flight from Paris. Portugal is not a large country, but it is home to a large number of UNESCO World Heritage sites. In Lisbon, the Hieronymite Monastery and the Belem Tower are among them. There is also the Monastery of Alcobaça, a Cistercian Gothic monument erected in the 12th century. And if they are not monuments, they are simply cities that are listed in the heritage image of Evora, capital of the Alentejo region, or Porto and Sintra.

With its 200 kilometres of coastline, the Algarve region has an infinite number of beaches, ideal for both idleness and sporting activities. It is also a land of contrasts in which you can discover both rocky beaches and high cliffs but also very large stretches of fine sandy beaches.

Located in the extreme southwest of Europe, Portugal also has the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores, located in the Atlantic Ocean. Madeira, whose capital is Funchal, is constituted by four distinct islands that are Madeira, Porto Santo but also the two uninhabited reserves of Selvagens and Desertas. The Azores, which fly to Portugal, cover an area of 2355 km2 and consist of nine islands: São Miguel and Santa Maria in the Eastern Group, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial in the Central Group, and Flores and Corvo in the Western Group.

If the climate is rather mild all year round, the best time to spend a holiday in Portugal is in the summer.

is undoubtedly from April to October. On the other hand, November to March may be subject to some precipitation, particularly in the northern and central regions. Finally, the regions of the Algarve, Azores or Madeira, or even Lisbon can be visited throughout the year due to the relative mild winter.

The country, which has been part of Europe since 1986, occupies a total surface area of almost 89,000 square kilometres and its population, which is concentrated mainly in the country's large conurbations, reaches some 10 million people. Not surprisingly, it is the capital Lisbon that concentrates the highest occupancy rate of the territory, with some 1.9 million inhabitants while Porto, which is the second city, covers nearly 240,000 inhabitants. The official language is Portuguese, but the population can also speak English, Spanish and French. Religion is predominantly Catholic.

Besides Lisbon and Porto, its main cities are Coimbra and Setubal.

Art and culture in Portugal
Undeniable European cultural center, Portugal concentrates a sum of impressive museums, you will be able to notice it during your stay in Portugal. But it is undoubtedly its capital, which covers the most, with more than fifty, divided between scientific museums, historical, ancient and modern art or popular art. During a weekend in Lisbon, contemporary art lovers will be able to enjoy visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art in the cultural centre of Belem in the west of Lisbon. This museum has a permanent collection of over 860 pieces, many of which belong to Madeira entrepreneur and collector Joe Berardo, including works by Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Salvador Dali.

What to visit in Portugal
Lisbon's historic districts are worth a visit: Alfama, Castelo and Mouraria, Chiado, Bica and Baixa as well as the Barrio Alto district, one of the busiest in the city, with its shops, bars and restaurants. It is there that one finds in particular the famous bars in Fado, central to the Portuguese culture and the saudade, a word extremely difficult to translate and which expresses a great sadness tinged with nostalgia. See also the Belem Tower. Otherwise, Galicia's beautiful beaches are worth a visit. North of Lisbon in its suburbs, the area of Sintra Cascais is also very touristic and its area is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But to go further, in Porto or Faro for example, the best is to rent a car in Portugal.

Gastronomic specialities in Portugal
Not surprisingly, the presence of the sea around Portugal determines its cuisine. Grilled fish but also seafood will be propelled to you.