Where to Stay in Portugal

If you want to like on the beach in the hot sun, the Algarve is the place for you. Many people however go to other regions which retain the original way of life unaffected by the tourist invasion.

The Algarve is the most visited tourist region. It developed in a hot and arid region with spectacular beaches which was deserted before mass tourism by plane. I like to visit this area of concrete buildings in winter when it is less crowded and it is nice to speak English to everyone. Not being a golfer, I cannot enjoy the many courses for which the area is famous.

However this Paradise for tourists is not the true Portugal.

To the north of the Algarve, across the coastal mountains, are the vast hot roling plains of the Alentejo. The old towns on the small hillocks used to be defended by castles. The government has converted many of these historical buildings into Pousada hotels.

Furhter north is the vibrant capital city of Lisbon where the main inter continetal airport is situated. The city centre has many hotels and historical sights. The nearby old fishing town of Cascais with south facing beches is worth visiting. Not to be missed is Sintra to where the King’s Court used to move in order to escape the summer heat of Lisbon. It has many old palaces, some dating from the period when the Moors ruled most of south Portugal.

The road to Oporto can include a visit to the old walled town of Obidos. If the Pousada is full, stay and have dinner at the inn, Casa das Senhoras Rainhas. Other places to visit on the journey include the modern pilgrimage sanctuary of Fatima or the old university town of Coimbra.

Oporto, or Porto as it is known to the Portuguese, is an industrial town with many fine buildings. In spite of this it is well worth staying a couple of nights, The main tourist attraction are the Port Wine ‘caves’ on the south bank of the river. I like to stay at the Pestana Porto hotel which is in the old riverside area in an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Oporto has an airport with flights to most European capital cities.

Upstream from Porto is the area in which the grapes for the Port Wine (capital letters by tradition) are grown on terraces going down to the river Douro. In this region it is possible to stay at some of the beautiful quintas. One of my favourites is Casa de Casal de Loivos near Pinhao.

I like the Alto Minho in the far north, an area not known to many tourists. This is view is obviously shared by the Portuguese who chose the area to build their Manor Houses in previous centuries. Their are few hotels but some Pousadas and many of the manor houses offer accommodation for paying guests. They also have tourist accommodation in modernised cottages.

This area of small fields, green valleys, high hills, old towns and Celtic traditions has many villas for rent. One of my favourites is Casa de Olival near the old town of Ponte de LIma.

The old roads of ten years ago have now been replaced by fast new motorways and it is now possible to go from north to south of this interesting and beautiful country in a few hours.