Portugal Map
Portugal map of main tourist places with primary sights in purple, towns in red and best beaches in green.
Portugal map: why holiday there?
A cheerful welcome from Triton at the entrance to the Palacio de Pena in Sintra, Portugal
This small country on the edge of Europe has plenty to offer the tourist, just ensure the season is right, i. e. the summer!
Beaches are big and sand is soft whether on the Algarve or Atlantic coasts, the surf is constant, castles are many and splendid, roads are in good shape though a little narrow in old towns, while religious institutions sport remarkable design features such as Manueline carvings and Azulejos tiling.
Seafood is superb, wines are good and low cost and locals, while not gushingly friendly (actually if their folk music, Fado, is anything to go by then they are quite melancholic), are fine and not inclined to rip off travellers, always a good thing.
Best seasons in Portugal
Best weather: June – September, and you can expect it to be very hot July-August.
OK: April, May, October. This is a maybe time. Maybe wonderfully sunny and warm, maybe rainy and cool, it’s a gamble.
Worst: November – March. Cool and often wet, including the Algarve.