Portugal

Portugal offers the warmth, food and culture of southern Europe with a gentleness and unpretentiousness that its neighbours sometimes lack. From Lisbon\u2019s tram-threaded Alfama to the vine-terraced Douro Valley gorges to the medieval fortified towns of the Alentejo, Portugal is a country of extraordinary variety in a manageable geography.

Best months: April\u2013June and September\u2013October. Spring is wildflower season; early autumn brings the Douro grape harvest, warm seas and golden light. July\u2013August: the Algarve beaches and Lisbon are very crowded; temperatures reach 40\u00b0C in the interior.

Lisbon and Porto are both excellent bases. The Alfa Pendular train between them takes 2 hours 45 minutes. A hire car is recommended for the Douro Valley and Alentejo. Lisbon Airport: Metro Red Line, 15 minutes. Porto Airport: Metro Violet Line E, 35 minutes. Both are exceptionally easy arrivals.

In Lisbon: Chiado and Bairro Alto for culture; Bel\u00e9m for more space and riverside access. In Porto: the Ribeira waterfront (UNESCO) or Foz do Douro. The Douro Valley: staying at a quinta (wine estate) along the river is one of Portugal\u2019s greatest pleasures.

Sintra (40 minutes from Lisbon by train): The most extraordinary concentration of Romantic palaces in Europe. Go on a weekday and early.
Douro Valley by train (R\u00e9gua\u2013Pinh\u00e3o section): Three hours of vine-covered gorge scenery \u2014 one of Europe\u2019s great rail journeys.
\u00c9vora (Alentejo): A perfectly preserved Roman and medieval walled city with excellent regional food and almost no tour groups.
Port wine lodge tour in Vila Nova de Gaia: Graham\u2019s and Taylor\u2019s both offer excellent tours.
Cape St Vincent: The dramatic southwestern tip of continental Europe.

Portuguese food is honest and often magnificent \u2014 bacalhau (salt cod), caldo verde, grilled fish, piri-piri chicken, the extraordinary past\u00e9is de nata custard tarts. Porto\u2019s francesinha is one of Europe\u2019s great guilty pleasures. Lisbon\u2019s Mercado da Ribeira and Porto\u2019s Mercado do Bolh\u00e3o are both magnificent food halls.

Lisbon\u2019s hills and cobblestones (cal\u00e7ada portuguesa) are the main physical challenge. The iconic yellow trams and funiculars (elevadores) are both practical and atmospheric for hill climbing. Porto is slightly more manageable on foot.

Portugal is consistently ranked among the safest European countries for tourists. Crime affecting visitors is very low. Medical facilities in Lisbon and Porto are excellent. Emergency: 112.

Alfama at 7am in Lisbon \u2014 before the tuk-tuks and tour groups \u2014 is one of Europe\u2019s great morning walks.
Penafiel region wines (Vinho Verde, north of Porto): the alvarinho whites from Monção and Melgaço are exceptional and largely unknown outside Portugal.
The cork oak forests of the Alentejo in autumn \u2014 the world\u2019s largest concentration, producing half of all global cork.