Get to know the perfect european holiday destination all year round - Portimão

Sintra is a magnificent town filled with breathtaking historic palaces and castles, all set around the lush tall hills of the Sintra mountains. Once the royal town of the country, Sintra has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status and recognised for its incredible history and cultural importance. In the 19th century, Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture by Ferdinand II but has an architecture which dates all the way back to the Moorish empire.

Lagos is a historic town located on the magnificent and vivid Western Algarve. A city with a rich maritime history and spectacular natural environment. Lagos is today one of the best holiday destinations in the Algarve.The proud Portuguese city of Lagos has cobbled streets, amazing restaurants and a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Lagos blends traditional Portuguese culture with golden beaches and new tourist attractions.

Santos is an elegant neighbourhood located in the Estrela parish. In the 18th century, it was home to mansions of the upper-classes, just as the Lapa neighbourhood. In this period, the nobility and the bourgeoisie chose these areas to settle in. Nowadays, many of the palaces are hotels, embassies or museums. Rua das Janelas Verdes is the street that mostly lives up to this heritage. It is home to one of Portugal's most important national museums - the National Museum of Ancient Art (MNAA) - located in a magnificent palace. Santos has also been assuming itself as the design district of Lisbon, hosting well-known décor stores, such as Paris-Sete, AR interiores, Re-Use, Roche Bobois, galleries, museums and artists' cooperatives. The district was officially branded as the Design District of Lisbon in 2005. Besides its artistic role, Santos also takes part in the political life of the country. It is home to the parliament of Portugal, hosting the emblematic Assembly of the Republic building. 

Castelo Branco is the capital of the old province of Beira Baixa. Located just twenty kilometres from the Spanish border, most of the historical character of Castelo Branco has an attractive atmosphere to it, with generous parks, wide boulevards and bustling squares.  Full of history and with a heritage of infinite value, this secular city has a great diversity of spaces and multiple activities, with a close and familiar environment, where the mountains and the city come together. Castelo Branco is a very good foundation from which to explore the border region of central Portugal.

Located within 400 and 700 meters above sea level, Viseu, in the centre of Portugal, is a must-visit Portuguese city. It is surrounded by mountains and crossed by the rivers of Vouga and Dão, where the acclaimed wines of the region get their unique character.  With a vast historical heritage, the city was populated by different cultures through times, including the Romans, Subs, Visigoths and Moors. Viriathus, the rebel leader of the Lusitanians who resisted the Roman expansion, is believed to have lived and fought in Viseu. Viseu is also home to landmarks of sacred art and religious architecture. The numerous churches that adorn the historic centre, such as Viseu’s Cathedral and the Misericórdia Church, are magnificent.  Although known to be built in grey stone, the city conveys a fresh and harmonious feel, due to its large green spaces. Viseu baths are also one of the city’s main attractions, drawing holidaymakers every year to spend some refreshing days. The city is also a cultural centre, home to the nationally acclaimed Grão Vasco Museum and a pole of national universities, including the Catholic University of Portugal.

Guarda is the capital city of the County to which it borrows its name. The entire region is marked by granite, by the contrasting mountain climate and by its pure, cold air that allows for the curing and manufacture of high-quality smoked meats and cheeses.  After the Roman Empire period, followed periods of occupation by the Visigoths, later by the kingdom of Asturias and also by the Islamic civilizations. Only after the Portuguese reconquest process was it confirmed the importance of the city and the region. The event that clearly marked the birth of the Portuguese Language happened here in Guarda, when a Galician troubadour wrote a song in Portuguese for his beloved lady, in 1189. It is well connected to major Portuguese cities such as Porto and Aveiro by the A25 highway and to Lisbon by the A23 highway. The good geographical position and accessibilities make Guarda an excellent place for the storage and transport of goods from Portugal to the rest of Europe (and vice versa). In this sense, private entities together with the City Council created the Platform Business Initiative Logistics (PLIE), which is a cross-border platform that seeks to boost the regional economy and attract industrial flows and investments.

Few people know this, but Alcácer do Sal is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It was founded over a thousand years B.C. Laid out over the right bank of the Sado river, it is a historic area in Portugal, best known for its rice fields. Alcácer do Sal is the second-largest municipality in the country, located in the northern part of Alentejo, very close to the Atlantic. For a long time, salt was the main reason for the settlement of peoples in this region. From the Phoenicians' times, through the Roman empire, until the 18th century, salt was transported by galleons from dozens of salt flats. Eventually, salt flats were converted into rice paddies, which started using a network of channels supplied by the Pego do Altar and Santa Susana dams. Today there is still one salt flat operating, the “Salina da Batalha”, which is open for guided tours. Over the Sado valley, on the hilltop, a Moorish castle was built in the 12th century. It was later conquered by King Afonso II, passing into the Portuguese domain. Álcacer is also home to one the most beautiful “Pousadas de Portugal”, has beautiful beaches just a few kilometres away and offers the best wild boar steak in the country, as well as delicious seafood from the Sado river.

Lapa and Estrela are predominantly residential areas with large houses and old palaces. It was in Lapa-Estrela that the Portuguese bourgeoisie and nobility decided to settle down in the 18th century. Since then, these Lisbon’s districts became famous among the city’s upper-class. The historic buildings were refurbished and are now home to many residents searching for tranquillity and a privileged location in Lisbon. Besides having remained one of the noblest areas of Lisbon, Lapa-Estrela is home to a large number of embassies, in particular of Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Finland, Indonesia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Living in Lapa-Estrela, a neighbourhood that houses embassies, palaces, fountains and monuments, is to be surrounded by Lisbon's historic high society.  These are one of the most charming neighbourhoods in Lisbon, also known for their impressive views, tree-lined streets and its selection of renowned restaurants and cafes. Although isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city, these districts are just a walking distance from the most central neighbours in Lisbon. These areas have changed very little over the years, preserving a consistent identity as one of the city's most privileged and prosperous neighbourhoods.