The best of Portugal

When many people think of Portugal as a holiday destination, they usually visualise the swanky resorts of Quinta De Lago, famous with footballers and celebrities, especially those that love golf! Or the port of Villamoura or seaside town of Albufeira! But there is soooo much more to Portugal, and the area of the Algarve! Portugal has become a home from home for me now after my parents bought a property in the gorgeous town of Lagos almost 25 years ago. We have visited much of Portugal now, spending time north in Oporto (the real Portugal as some may say!) as well as time in Nazare, Lisbon, Lagos and even heading over to the Spanish border to the tiny, sleepy little town of Alcoutim where you can take the first ever cross border zip line from Spain, across the river Guadiana into Portugal! Nazare, which is approx 2 hours north of Lisbon is famous for big wave surfing, Infact the world record for the largest wave surfed was recorded here in 2020! It's well worth a visit if you want to see the worlds masters at practice. The big competitions and largest waves are here usually in the month of October. Lisbon is charming. A wonderful cosmopolitan city which is reasonably priced and easy to navigate with it's cobbled alleyways and trams to whisk you around. Bundles of resturants, bars and cafes to dine at and watch the world go by. Great for a weekend break, or tag this on as a twin centre to start in Lisbon before picking up a car and driving the 3 hours south to the Algarve for some beach time. The town of Lagos has cobbled streets of whitewashed buildings and trendy bars and restaurants that sit harmoniously next to traditional Portuguese cafes and family-run shops. The many sights and activities to be found in Lagos make it a great destination for a holiday in Portugal. A huge choice of beaches, from long stretches of golden sand to small intimate coves and bays, you will usually always find a nice cooling breeze at this end of the Algarve due to it's position on the Western tip of Europe. The nearby beaches of Monte Clerigo and Carrapateira are hot spots for surfers with Monte Clerigo also offering lessons. Golf courses are everywhere, and it's a key destination both summer and winter for golf enthusiasts. Boat trips leave most resorts regularly for dolphin spotting or visits to the famous caves and grottos that run the coastlines. Water parks, mini golf, fun parks, tree top adventures, shopping, racing, some of the best golf courses in the world ...... it's all to be found in Portugal.