Portugal Holidays and Flights to Portugal:

Portugal is a beautiful country, the rivers, forests and lush valleys of the north are a splendid and complimentary contrast to the southern coastline of beaches, cliffs and coves. Life is easy-paced and the people are courteous; the Portuguese themselves talk of their nation as a land of brandos costumes - gentle ways.

There are highly sophisticated resorts along the coast around Lisbon and on the well-developed Algarve in the south, upon which European tourists have been descending for many years. Lisbon itself has enough diversions to please most city devotees; the massive development projects that accompanied the 1998 Lisbon Expo firmly locking it into modern Europe without getting rid of its endearing qualities. But in the rural area - the Alentejo, the moutainous Beiras or northern areas, this is often still an underdeveloped country. Tourism and European Union membership have changed many regions - most notably in the north - but for anyone wanting to get off the beaten track, there are limitless opportunities to experience small towns and rural ares that still seem rooted in the last century.

Other regions in Portugal include:

The Algarve - a favourite year-round destination with over 3000 hours of sunshine and lovely beaches backed by golden cliffs, The Algarve is a very popular region in Portugal with the tourists.

Madeira - landscape and climate combine on Madeira to create an island of all-year-round appeal. In winter, southerly Madeira is basking in sunshine. In summer, the island remains a green semi-tropical paradise, the air heavy with the scent of flowers.

Eating out in Portugal:
Portugal is an ideal country to eat and drink. You can choose from a wide variety of delicious, home-baked disdhes, many of which are healthy anf fulfulling. You can also follow the Portuguese and indulge in some of the most exquisite, sugar-loaded sweet goodies. Although most regions have their own special dishes, some meals are common to the whole country.

SOUP:
Not to be missed are the substantial soups, many made with potato puree. Try the caldo verde made from shredded kale.

MEAT:
For main meals typical meat dishes may include:
Came de porco a alentejana - pork with clams
leitao assado - roast suckling pig
bife de porco/de vaca - pork/beef steak
figado com arroz - liver with rive
feijoada - bean stew with black pudding

FISH:
As for fish, the famous bacalhau [salted cod fish] is available in a variety of ways. Other popular fish dishes are:
lulas fritas - grilled squid
bacalhau a bras - cod with eggs and potatoes
sardinhas assadas - grilled sardines
caldeirada - fish stew

Most restaurants do seem to serve chips with a lot of dishes, although you are more likely to get boiled potatoes with fish. However, you can always order a tasty side salad to go with your meal instead.

DESSERTS:
These include chocolate mousses, almond cake, fruit or ice cream.

The Portuguese do not often eat breakfast, rather just a coffee and maybe a bread roll. Lunch can be a long drawn out affair - usually 13:00 to 15:00 and even in the heat of summer, the Portuguese eat hot meals in a cafe. Dinner is not eaten as late as in Spain - about 20:00 is the norm - and again a cooked meal.

The Language of Portugal:
The official language of Portugal is Portuguese. Like French, Italian, Spanish and Romania, Portuguese is a romance language derived from Latin. Portuguese is spoken worldwide by 200 million people and is the fifth most spoken language in the world. It is very helpfyl to learn a few Portuguese words and phrases. Any attempt to speak the language will be well-received. The Portuguese are very polite. Remember to use "por favour" [please], "obrigada" [thank you] if you are a woman, or "obrigado" if you are a man.

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Disclaimer:
By its very nature much of the information in our destination guides is subject to change at short notice and travellers are urged to verify information on which they are relying with the relevant authorities. Corona Holidays [UK] Limited cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or inconvenience to any person as a result of information contained above.

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