Portugal

Portugal , in Southern Europe, shares the Iberian peninsula at the western tip of Europe with Spain. Geographically and culturally somewhat isolated from its neighbor, Portugal has a rich, unique culture, lively cities and beautiful countryside. Although it was once one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, the end of dictatorship and introduction of Democracy in 1974, as well as its incorporation into the European Union in 1986, has meant significantly increased prosperity. However it may be one of the best value destinations on the Continent. This is because the country offers outstanding landscape diversity, due to its North-South disposition along the western shore of the Iberian peninsula. You can travel in a single day from green mountains in the North, covered with vines and all varieties of trees to rocky mountains, with spectacular slopes and falls in the Centre, to a near-desert landscape in the Alentejo region and finally to the glamorous beach holidays destination Algarve. The climate, combined with investments in the golfing infrastructure in recent years, has also turned the country into a golfing haven. Portugal was recently named "Best Golf Destination 2008" by readers of Golfers Today, a British publication. Fourteen of Portugal's courses are rated in the top 100 best in Europe. If you want a condensed view of European landscapes, culture and way of life, Portugal might very well fit the bill.

Regions

Mainland Portugal

If you plan to have restful, quiet holidays, do not go to the Algarve (in Southern Portugal the Alentejo is fine year around) during the high season (roughly mid-July to mid-September), when facilities are packed.

• Northern Portugal

• Beiras, part of the central region

• Estremadura, the western section

• Central Portugal

• Lisbon Region

• Algarve

• Alentejo

Autonomous Islands

• Azores (Açores) Islands

• Madeira Islands

Cities and towns

• Lisbon (Lisboa) - national capital, city of the seven hills

• Aveiro - the "Venice" of Portugal

• Braga - city of Archbishops

• Coimbra - home of the ninth oldest university in the world.

• Évora - "Museum City", Alentejo regional capital

• Funchal - the capital of Madeira

• Guimarães - the founding place of the nation

• Porto (Oporto) - the northern capital, "Invincible City", along the river Douro and the Atlantic Ocean

• Tomar - Templar city

• Viseu - In the heart of Portugal (No Coração de Portugal)

Other destinations

• Praia D'El Rey

• Peneda-Gerês National Park

• Douro & Coa - river valleys

• Cabo da Roca - the westernmost point of mainland Portugal and European continent, near Cascais

• Sintra - stunning views, and a royal castle

• Serra da Estrela

• Coa Valley a registered World Heritage Site

• Pinhel

• Guarda

• Monsanto

• Lamego

• Chaves

• Amarante

• Algarve

Understand

Portugal is 900 years old, and even though it has a relatively small area, it played a crucial role in world history. During XVI century Portugal started a major chapter in world history with the New World Discoveries ("Descobrimentos"). It established a sea route to India, and colonized areas in Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde...), South America (Brazil), Asia (Macau,...), and Oceania (East-Timor,...) creating an empire. The Portuguese language continues to be the biggest connection between these countries.

In 1910, the Republic was established, abolishing the Monarchy. However, this Republic was fragile and a military dictatorship was implemented, which lasted for 40 years, plunging the country into a marked stagnation. In 1974, Portugal became a free democracy, and in 1986 it joined the current European Union, quickly approaching European standards of development.

Climate

Portugal is one of the warmest European countries. In mainland Portugal, yearly temperature averages are about 15°C (55°F) in the north and 18°C (64°F) in the south. Madeira and Azores have a narrower temperature range as expected given their insularity, with the former having low precipitation in most of the archipelago and the latter being wet and rainy. Spring and Summer months are usually sunny and temperature maximum are very high during July and August, with maximums averaging between 35°C and 40°C (86°F - 95°F) in the interior of the country, 30°C and 35°C in the north, and occasionally reaching 45°C (113°F) in the south. Autumn and Winter are typically rainy and windy, yet sunny days are not rare either. Temperatures rarely fall below 5°C (41°F) nearer to the sea, averaging 10°C (50°F), but can reach several degrees below 0°C (32°F) further inland. Snow is common in winter in the mountainous areas of the north, especially in Serra da Estrela but melts quickly once the season is over. Portugal's climate can be classified as Mediterranean (particularly the southern parts of the Algarve and Alentejo, though technically on Atlantic shore).

Get in

By plane

Almost all major airlines fly to Portugal (British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa), besides the country's own TAP Portugal. However, there are some cheap fares to be had from the no-frills airlines, like Aer Lingus, Monarch, easyJet, Ryanair and Vueling who have recently started flying to Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO) and Faro (FAO) at good prices. There are three international airports in the mainland: Lisbon/Portela (in the north of the city, and not far from the centre),near Loures; Porto/Pedras Rubras/Sá Carneiro (also north of the city and relatively close to it), in Maia; and Faro, in the Algarve.

The Madeira and Azores Islands also have international airports, Madeira/Funchal(FNC); Ponta Delgada (PDL)(São Miguel island).

From the United States, US Airways offers many flights to Portugal via Philadelphia, SATA INT./AIR AZORES, from Boston, and Providence(seasonally), TAP Portugal and Continental from Newark.

By train

Trains reach most larger cities from Lisbon to Porto,Braga,Aveiro,Coimbra,Evora,Faro. Lisbon is connected to Madrid, Spain; Porto to VigoSpain; Vilar Formoso to Spain, France and the rest of Europe. In the South it is not possible to enter Portugal from Spain. There are no train connections from i.e. Sevilla to Faro. The only option is to use buses, there are many. Southeast Portugal is connected by international train (linha do Leste and linha de Caceres) (Elvas/Caia,Portugal & Bagajoz,Spain) or (Marvao-Beira, Portugal & Valencia de Alcantara, Spain.) For more information, contact: CP , Portuguese Railways.

By bus

• Spain/Portugal: ALSA and Auto Res

• Oporto/Portugal: Porto Airport Taxi

• Lisbon/Portugal: Lisbon Airport Taxi

• Also from Madrid/Paris: Aníbal

By boat

The country is served by numerous sea ports that receive a lot of foreign traffic, mostly merchant but also passengers boats (mainly cruisers).

Get around

Rail travel in Portugal is usually slightly faster than travel by bus, but services are less frequent and cost more. The immediate areas surrounding Lisbon and Porto are reasonably well-served by suburban rail services.

The rail connections between the main line of Portugal, i.e. between Braga and Faro are good. The Alfa-Pendular (fast) trains are comfortable, first class is excellent. The Alfa-Pendular train stops only at main cities stations and often requires advance reservations,(recommended) between Braga, Porto, Gaia, Aveiro, Coimbra, Lisbon and Faro.

Intercity trains will take you to further destinations, specially in the interior, such as Évora, Beja and Guarda.

By bus: Unfortunately the rail network is limited, so you may find yourself busing about to get anywhere off the beaten path. Rede Expresso is one of the largest inter-city bus companies.

Lisbon and Porto, the two largest urban cities, have a clean modern and air-conditioned metro systems (underground/subway and light railway).

Road traffic in Lisbon and Porto is pretty congested all day round and gets completely stuck in the rush hours, at least in the main roads to exit or enter the city. Car travel is the most convenient or only method to reach areas outside the main cities, however (car rental is not too expensive, but the associated insurance is - unless you book the total package abroad). Heed the advice about the quality of some people's driving skills mentioned above.

Generally speaking, Portugal is not a good country for hitchhiking. In the deserted country roads in the South, you might wait for many hours before you are offered a ride. Try to speak with people on gas stations or parking lots etc. Drivers tend to be suspicious, but when you show them that they should not be afraid, they will probably accept you and mostly also show their genorosity. Try to look neat and clean. The hippy style will get you nowhere. As everywhere in the world, two males hitchiking together will not get a ride from anyone.

By car

Roads are generally good, and you can reach almost all major cities with ease, either by motorway or by good, modern roads. The biggest cities are well served by modern highways (most have tolls), and you can travel the full North-South length of the country without ever leaving the highway, if you choose to.

However, some secondary roads are ill-treated and may be dangerous if proper care is not taken. Also, Portuguese driving can seem erratic and, frankly, scary to the uninitiated. The country shares with most southern european countries something that the successive Portuguese governments have been trying to fight: terrible road behaviour from some drivers. In order to fight this, road laws changed recently in order to punish with great severity speeding, driving without license, driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, etc.

The motorways with the most reckless driving are those 50 km around Lisbon or Porto, the A1 and A2 and the Algarve.

(From someone on a motor touring holiday in late 2006: The most obvious bit of selfish driving is overtaking. You can be on a 2-lane toll highway and be unable to see any other traffic except the car you're overtaking at 30 kph over the speed limit and the car about 6 feet from your back end flashing its headlights to get past you. "Letting on" manners when slip roads come on to fast roads are also pretty poor. On other roads, you'll get used to two classic Portuguese experiences: suicidal overtaking attempts and the resultant absurdly overdone signs indicating when you can and can't overtake - sometimes all of 5 yards apart, and the "penalty stop" traffic light as you enter the 50 kph zone in each small town, with camera to decide whether you're over the speed limit. Rather absurdly, once you're through this, you can go as fast as you like - we never saw a second penalty stop signal. Someone really should add up the cost of all the no-overtaking signs and tell Portuguese drivers how many they must be paying for each.)

It is probably unwise for those unfamiliar with Portuguese driving to try to drive in Lisbon or Porto - be aware if you do that city drivers give no quarter and have limited respect for lane markings (where lane markings exists!). If you do want to try, choose a weekend or an hour outside the rush hour periods. These are early mornings (8AM - 9.30AM) and late afternoons (5PM - 7.30PM). Other Portuguese cities are much better, but often have very narrow roads.

Toll highways: Portugal has a unified electronic toll paying system - it's usually on the one or two left most lanes of the toll booths, marked with a green "V" (Via Verde - "Green Lane"). As most foreign travelers don't subscribe to the system, pay the toll to a person in a booth (cash and most debit and credit cards accepted). If you by chance get distracted and go through the Via Verde lane, you have 48 hours to go to a Via Verde office , phone 707 500 900 (8:30am-8:30pm), and pay the toll without a fine.

Talk

The official language of Portugal is Portuguese. Portuguese is today one of the world's major languages, ranked 6th according to number of native speakers (approximately 240 million). It is the language with the largest number of speakers in South America, spoken by almost all of Brazil's population. It is also the official language in Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor and Macau.

Portuguese is a Romance Language. Although it may be mutually intelligible with Spanish to a wide extent, with about 90% of lexical similiarity (both in vocabulary and grammar), it is far from identical. Portuguese are proud people and are uneasy when foreigners from non-Spanish speaking countries speak that language when traveling in Portugal. While many words may be spelt almost the same as in Spanish (or Italian), the pronunciation differs considerably. This is because Portuguese has several nasal diphthongs not present in those languages. Spanish is widely understodd, but it's not always the best language to use unless you're from a Spanish-speaking country.

It is also worth mentioning that pronunciation in Portugal differs significantly from that in Brazil. The difference is basically in pronunciation and a few vocabulary differences, which make it tricky even for Brazilians to understand the European Portuguese accent, although not vice versa because Brazilian pop culture (soap opera and pop music, for instance) is very popular in Portugal. Nevertheless, the current media has made these difficulties in understanding each others accent irrelevant.

English is spoken in many tourist areas, but it is far from ubiquitous. Portuguese often watch American movies with the original English soundtrack and Portuguese subtitles so many are quite well versed with English due to this exposure. Younger Portuguese will speak at least some English, and many speak English fluently due to English classes in school. In the main tourist areas you will almost always find someone who can speak the main European languages. Hotel personnel are required to speak English, even if sketchily. French has almost disappeared as a second language, except possibly amonng older people. German or Spanish speakers are rare. Approximately 32% of Portuguese people can speak and understand English, while 24% can speak and understand French. Despite Spanish being mutually intelligible in a sense that most Portuguese understand it written and/or spoken, only 9% of the Portuguese population can speak it fluently. If you're a Spanish speaker, chances are you'll understand each other very well without a translator for the most part.

Portuguese people are of generally excellent humor when they are talking with someone who cannot speak their language. This means that all types of shop owners, sales-folk, and people curious about you will take time to try to carve out any means of communication, often with funny and unexpected results. Helping a foreigner is considered a pleasant and rewarding occasion and experience. If you attempt to speak correct Portuguese, especially if slightly beyond the trivial, with locals, you will be treated with respect and often the locals will apologize for how "difficult" it is to learn Portuguese, or how "hard" the language is, and will almost adopt you. This might encourage travelers to learn the very basics of Portuguese, such as daily greetings and the routine "please-thank you" exchanges.

In Miranda do Douro, a town in the North East, and its vicinity some people speak a regional language called Mirandese, in addition to Portuguese, although rarely in front of people they do not know.

See

If you are into visiting beautiful monuments and enjoy remarkable views, then Lisbon, Sintra, and Porto are the top three places, and all of them are well worth a visit. But don't overlook Viana do Castelo, Braga, Guimarães, Coimbra, Tomar, Aveiro, Amarante, Braga, Bragança, Chaves, Lamego, Viseu, Vila Real, Lagos, Silves, Évora, Angra as they also have wonderful monuments and places of interest.

The most popular beaches are in the Algarve, which has stunning coastlines and gobs of natural beauty. The water along the southern coast tends to be warmer and calmer than the water along the west coast, which is definitely Atlantic and doesn't benefit of the Gulf Stream. For surfing, or just playing in the surf there are great beaches all along the west coast, near Lisbon and Peniche.

For nightlife Lisbon, Porto and Albufeira, Algarve are the best choices as you have major places of entertainment.

If you want to spend your holidays in the countryside, you might want to visit Viana do Castelo, Chaves, Miranda do Douro, Douro Valley, Lamego, Tomar, Leiria, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Portalegre, Évora, Elvas or even Viseu.

And even if you wish to observe wild life in its natural state, Madeira and Azores Islands are places to remember, not forgetting of course the Natural Reserve of Peneda-Gerês, the Douro Valley and Serra da Estrela.

Do

Beaches: Surrounded by sea in almost its entirety, the Portuguese beaches are well worth visiting. A lot of activities are offered, from surfing, to kite-surfing, and during the summer months the most frequented beaches offer sand based activities such as aerobics. If you're not the type of breaking into a sweat during holidays, almost every single public beach will have a bar where locals sit. Some of the most popular beaches are (from north to south):

• Espinho, near Oporto, in Costa Verde/Green Coast, northern region.

• Figueira da Foz, near Coimbra, in Silver Coast/Costa de Prata, central region.

• Peniche

• Praia das Maçãs and Praia Grande (Sintra), Carcavelos and Estoril (Cascais), near Lisbon, in the Costa de Lisboa.

• Zambujeira do Mar, in the Alentejo region/Costa Alentejana e Vicentina.

• Salema, Praia da Rocha, in the Algarve.

Golf: The climate, combined with investments in the golfing infrastructure in recent years, has turned the country into a golfing haven. Portugal was recently named "Best Golf Destination 2006" by readers of Golfers Today, a British publication. Fourteen of Portugal's courses are rated in the top 100 best in Europe. Portugal is also a great location to learn the game and perfect technique. Many resorts offer classes with the pros. Courses can satisfy the most demanding golfer, while newcomers won't be intimidated, unless they find the beautiful landscapes and stunning vistas distracting to their game. Locals have mixed feelings about golf courses, namely due to the huge amounts of water required to maintain them and their apparent pointlessness.

The countryside also offers a great deal of possibilities, although you will have to incite the travel agent's advice a little more than usual, as they tend to just sell beach holidays. Cycling through the mountainous terrain of Geres or white-water rafting in the affluents of river Douro is an exhilirating experience.

Events

There are several Fairs, specially in the Summer months, particularly in Northern Portugal. During the summer, music festivals are also very common. In the north of the country two of the oldest festivals such as Paredes de Coura and Vilar de Mouros. The regions chosen for the festivals are most of the time surrounded by beautiful landscapes and pleasant villages. In the south, the most famous one is Festival do Sudoeste, in the west part of the south cost with a summer landscape and never ending beaches.

Major events of the year are listed at tourist board's official site, .

Buy

Currency, ATMS, Exchange

Portugal is part of the Eurozone and uses the euro as its currency (symbol: €). ATMs accepting international cards can be found everywhere, and currency conversion booths spring up wherever there is a steady flow of tourists (although the closer they are to tourist attractions, the worse the rates they offer).

Haggling

In smaller (non-high-street) shops you can try some haggling, especially if you offer to buy multiple items. You might want to check your change, though: although not a widespread practice, some shopkeepers might "accidentally" overcharge tourists.

Tipping

Tipping in restaurants is optional - if you are not too happy with the service, don't tip. 10% is a good value tip, although most people would just round up the total bill to the next euro. In expensive restaurants tipping is expected and the percentage is about the same as it is in the US, 10-15%, the difference being that you will not be too frown upon if you do not tip. Keep in mind that whilst tipping, many Portuguese just simply leave the coin portion of their change, not considering actual percentages. Waiters are viewed as professionals in Portugal. A 'tip' is considered a note of appreciation, not a means to make up for a tiny salary.

If at all, a taxi driver should be tipped 10%, less could be seen as being offensive.

What to buy

Designer clothes Altough not widely known internationally, Portugal has several independent fashion designers. The list includes: Fátima Lopes , Maria Gambina . Some of them have dedicated shops in Lisbon.

Regional specials Dolls in Nazaré.

Eat

This is potentially the most varied experience to have in the country and is clearly a favorite local hobby.

Portuguese cuisine evolved from hearty peasant food drawn from the land, the seafood of the country's abundant coast and the cows, pigs and goats raised on the limited grazing land of its interior. From these humble origins, spices brought back to the country during the exploration and colonisation of the East Indies and the Far East helped shape what is regarded as 'typical' Portuguese cuisine which, conversely, also helped shape the cuisine in the regions under Portuguese influence, from Cape Verde to Japan.

Soup is the essential first course of any Portuguese meal. The most popular is the Minho specialty, caldo verde, made from kale, potatoes and spiced, smoked sausage. It's here in the Minho that you can sample the best vinho verde, which rarely is bottled. In many places, especially near the seashore, you can have a delightful and always varied fish soup, sometimes so thick it has to be eaten with the help of a fork.

You will see another Portuguese staple bacalhau (dried codfish) everywhere. Locals will tell you that there are as many ways to cook this revered dish as there are days in the year, or even more.

The most common of Portugal's delicious fish (peixe) dishes revolve around sole (linguado) and sardines (sardinha) although salmon (salmão) and trout (truta) are also featured heavily, not mentioning the more traditional mackerel (carapau), whiting (pescada), rock bass (robalo), frog fish (tamboril) and a variety of turbot (cherne). These are boiled, fried, grilled or served in a variety of sauces.

There are many varieties of rice-based specialties, such as frog fish rice, octopus rice, duck rice and seafood rice.

In most places you will easily find fresh seafood: lobster (lagosta), lavagante, mussel (mexilhão), oysters (ostras), clam (amêijoas), goose barnacle (perceves).

Depending on how touristic the area you are in, you'll see grills, thick with the smoke of charring meat, in front of many restaurants during your stay. Other than traditional sardines, Portuguese grilled chicken -- marinated in chilli, garlic and olive oil -- is world famous, although people tired of tasteless industrial poultry farm produce might opt for a tasty veal cutlet (costeleta de novilho) instead, or simply grilled pork.

In the North, you can find many manners of kid, and in the Alentejo, lamb ensopado and many types of pork meat, including the tastier black pork; the best considered parts of pork being the secretos and the plumas. In the Alentejo, you are likely to be served pork instead of veal if you ask for the ubiquitous bitoque (small fried beef, fried potatoes, egg). A widely found traditional dish is pork and clam, Carne de Porco à Alentejana, as well as fried, bread-covered cuttlefish slices (tiras de choco frito). Sometimes you can also find wild boar dishes.

Definitely a major specialty is Mealhada's (near Coimbra) suckling pig roast (leitão) with the local sparkling wine and bread. Much like the pastel de nata, you shouldn't miss it.

Vegetarians may have a tough time of it in Portugal, at least in traditional Portuguese restaurants. In most restaurants, vegetables (usually boiled or fried potatoes) are simply a garnish to the main meat dish. Even 'vegetarian' salads and dishes may just substitute tuna (which locals don't seem to regard as a 'meat') for ham or sausage. Usually, a salad is just lettuce and tomato with salt, vinegar and olive oil. However, the Portuguese really like their choose-5-items salad bars, and restaurants serving Indian, Chinese, Mexican, or Italian fare can be found in most cities. At any rate, just mention you're vegetarian, and something can be found that meets your preference although in the long run you might be unable to thrive on it.

In many Portuguese restaurants, if you order a salad it will come sprinkled with salt - if you are watching your salt intake, or just do not like this idea, you can ask for it "sem sal" (without salt) or more radically "sem tempêro" (no conditioning).

A few restaurants, particularly in non-tourist areas, do not have a menu; you have to go in and ask and they will list a few items for you to choose from. It is wise to get the price written down when you do this so as to avoid any nasty surprises when the bill comes. However, in this type of restaurants, the price for each one of the options is very similar, varying around from €5 to €10 per person.

Most restaurants bring you a selection of snacks at the start of your meal - bread, butter, cheese, olives and other small bites - invariably there is a cover charge on these items, around €5. Do not be afraid to ask how much the cover charge is, and get them to take the items away if it is too much or if you are not planning to eat as much. It can be quite reasonable, but occasionally you will get ripped off. If you send them away, still, you should check your bill at the end. Better restaurants can bring you more surprising, nicely prepared and delicious small dishes and bites and charge you more than €5 for each of them; you can usually choose those you want or want not, as in these cases the list is longer; and if the price is this high and you make an acceptable expense, opt for not ordering a main course.

If you have kitchen facilities, Portuguese grocery stores are surprisingly well-stocked with items such as lentils, veggie burgers, couscous, and inexpensive fruits, vegetables, and cheeses. If you like hard cheese, try "Queijo da Serra", if you prefer soft cheese,try requeijao. Unfortunately, the success of the "Queijo da Serra" also allowed the proliferation of industrial and taste-devoid varieties, unrelated to the real thing. On larger shops mostly found in the principal cities, you can also find many unusual items such as exotic fruits or drinks.

In some grocery stores and most supermarkets the scales are in the produce section, not at the checkout. If you don't weigh your produce and go to the checkout, you will probably be told Tem que os pesar or Tem que pesar,"tem que ser pesado" ("You have to weigh them"/it(they) must be weighed).

Portugal is famous for its wide variety of amazing pastries, or pastéis(singular: pastel).
The best-loved pastry, pastéis de nata (called just natas further north), is a flaky pastry with custard filling topped with powdered sugar (açúcar) and cinnamon (canela). Make sure you try them, in any "pastelaria". The best place is still the old Confeitaria dos 'Pastéis de Belém' in Belém, although most "pastelarias" make a point of excelling at their "pastéis". For once, all the guide books are right. You may have to queue for a short time, but it'll be worth it. Some people like them piping hot and some don't.

Also nice, if dryish, are the bolo de arroz (literally, "rice cake") and the orange or carrot cakes.

From the more egg-oriented North to almond-ruled South, Portuguese pastry and sweet desserts are excellent and often surprising, even after many years.

On October/November, roasted chestnuts (castanhas) are sold on the streets of cities from vendors sporting fingerless gloves tending their motorcycle driven stoves: a treat!

The Portuguese love madly their thick, black expresso coffee (bica), and miss it sorely when abroad.

Specials found in individual regions

• Sintra: queijadas de Sintra or the travesseiros

• Mafra: specialty bread, Pão de Mafra

• Mafra: special cake from the town: "Fradinhos"

Drink

When traveling in Portugal, the drink of choice is wine. Red wine is the favorite among the locals, but white wine is also popular. Also Portugal along with Spain have a variation of the white wine that is actually green (Vinho Verde). Its a very crisp wine served cold and goes best with many of the fish dishes. Drinking wine during a meal is very common in Portugal, and also after the meal is finished people will tend to drink and talk while letting their food digest. (Don't let yourself be bullied into drinking if you're driving, though!)

Port wine may be an aperetif or dessert. Alentejo wine may not be worldwide known as Porto, but is quite as good. Portugal as also other defined wine regions (regiões vinhateiras) which make also some of the very best of wines like Madeira, Sado or Douro.

Folks might find it a bit difficult to refrain from drinking, even if there are very good reasons to do so (such as the above mentioned driving). Nowadays the "I have to drive" excuse works ok. The easiest way is to explain that one can't for health reasons. The Portuguese aren't as easily insulted as others when it comes to refusing the obvious hospitality of a drink, but a lie such as "I'm allergic" might make clear a situation where one would have to otherwise repeatedly explain a preference in some regions of Portugal; but it won't work in other regions where obviously made-up excuses will tag you as unreliable ("I don't want to, thanks" might then work). Drinking is considered almost socially intimate.

Be careful of 1920 and Agua Ardente (burning water), both pack a mighty punch.

Portugal is well known as the home of Port wines.

Port Wine

Porto is famous for the eponymous port wine, a fortified wine (20%) made by adding brandy to the wine before fermentation is complete. The end product is strong, sweet, complex in taste and if properly stored will last 40 years or more.

There are many, many grades of port, but the basic varieties are:

• Vintage, the real deal, kept in the bottle for 5-15 years, can be very expensive for good years. It is, nevertheless, worth it.

• Late-Bottled Vintage (LBV), simulated vintage kept in barrel longer, ready to drink. Nice if you are on a budget.

• Tawny, aged for 10-40 years before bottling, which distinguishes itself by a more brownish red color and a slightly smoother bouquet and flavor. As with any wine, the older it gets, the more rounded and refined it will be.

• Ruby, the youngest and cheapest, with a deep red "ruby" color.

• White port is a not-so-well-known variety, and it is a shame. You will find a sweet and a dry varietal, the latter of which mixes well with tonic water and should be served chilled (if drunk alone) or with lots of ice (with tonic), commonly used as an aperitif.

Vinho Verde

• Another good choice is the ubiquitous vinho verde (green wine), which is made mostly in the region to the north of Porto (the Minho.) It's a light, dry and refreshing wine (approx. 9% -9.5% in volume), made from region specific grapes with relatively low sugar content. Mostly white, and sometimes slightly sparkling. Very nice, and very affordable.

Sleep

The youth hostel network has a great number of hostels around the country . There are also many camping places. 'Wild camping' (camping outside camping parks) is not allowed, unless you have the land owner's agreement.

There's a wide and abundant hotel offering all through Portugal.

If budget is a concern, and you want a true 'typical-portuguese' experience, gather your courage and try one Residencial, the home-like hostels ubiquitous in cities and most towns. In most places you can get a double room for €25-€35 (Oct 2006). Be sure, however, of the quality of the rooms.

On the luxury side, you might try the 'Pousadas de Portugal', a network of hotels managed by the Pestana Group remarkable for using very beautiful ancient buildings like Palaces and Castles and also for having excellent service, consistent all over the country. You will do well in eating out eventually, as the cuisine of Pousadas is frequently both expensive and boring, although it appears the trend is changing for the better (mid-2008).

The "Casas de Campo" (Turismo de Habitação, Turismo Rural, Agro-Turismo), when traveling through the countryside, are also an affordable, picturesque and comfortable B&Bs. Don't expect them to be open all year round, and try to contact them beforehand if your itinerary depends on them.

Stay safe

As regarding violent crime, Portugal is generally safe. This does not mean that you should throw caution to the wind and let down your guard. In particular, there is a refreshing lack of boozy stupidity at the weekends, despite the profusion of bars open to all hours in the major cities. Also, there are no internal conflicts to speak of, and no terrorism-related danger.

Like any big city, there are some areas of Lisbon and Porto that you might want to avoid, especially at night. Also like in any other tourist areas, you might want to have in mind that pickpockets do tend to target tourists more frequently - but some common sense should be enough to keep you safe. Wear a money belt or keep your documents and money in an inside pocket. Public transport places and queues are the most usual places for pickpockets.

Especially aboard the Metro in Lisbon, gangs of Gypsies are becoming more and more famous for pickpocketing anyone aboard. When the metro gets crammed, they too, pack themselves in and while one may bump into your really roughly, up to three more people may be waiting in the wings to grab your camera, wallet, or anything else you carry. Many are under 18 and take advantage of the non-harsh laws on minors. If you try to run them down, you will often be met with a large group of the Gypsies outside the metro station, and a fight may be neccessary to get your items back.

-Dont keep anything valuable in your back or side (cargo) pockets on the Lisbon metro -Put your backpack or fanny pack in front, and keep your hands on it at all times -If it is at all possibly try to sit (anywhere) or stand as far from the doors as possible.

Currently (mid-2008) gang violent crime has been on the rise, mostly aimed at ATMs, shops, banks and motorway service areas. Primarily gangs of gypsies have been known to 'jump' people after they have put in the PIN and select €500 (the max amount) to withdraw from the ATM. If you are attacked do not react, give what you're asked to give and stay alive and well. Don't use weapons even for self-defense, the legal system will be harsh on you.

Stay healthy

Major cities are well served with medical and emergency facilities. BPublic hospitals are at European standards. The national emergency number is 112. Bottled/spring water (água mineral) is recommended as per use but the network's water is perfectly safe. Members of the European Union receive free medical health care as long as they hold an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Respect

If you make an effort to speak some Portuguese with the people there, it can go a long way in being more accepted in the culture. A large percentage of the younger population especially speak some English, and many Portuguese understand Spanish quite well. At the very least starting a conversation with Portuguese, then switching to English can be a successful technique to obtain this type of help.

When visiting churches or other religious monuments, try to wear appropriate clothes. That means that shoulders and knees should be covered.

Smoking in public enclosed places (taxis and transport, shops and malls, cafés and hotels, etc.) is not allowed and is subject to a fine, unless in places showing the appropriate blue sign.

It is not unusual for women to sunbathe topless in the beaches of southern Portugal, and there are several naturist beaches too. Thong bikinis are acceptable throughout the country's beaches.

There are no serious political or social issues to be avoided. Of the issues below, it is possible to say that most (but not all) Portuguese will find them far-fetched, adequate to fringe activists, shrug them off and suggest you to pick an interesting conversation subject instead.

Some cities in Portugal still stage bullfighting events. In Portugal, traditionally, and contrary to what happens in Spain, the bull is never killed during the bullfight and is many times "re-used" for other bullfights. However, it is totally wrong to assume that all Portuguese people support or even faintly like bullfights. If you like bullfighting, it is better to keep this opinion to yourself, as the issue is sensitive to the many Portuguese who are indifferent to bullfighting and are offended by acts of cruelty. You might also end up offending someone if you make generalizations or insist that bullfighting is a part of Portuguese culture. If you do not support bullfighting, it is also better to keep the opinion to yourself or to be cautious when sharing it, as bullfight supporters tend to have a violent character, and others find the subject distasteful. You might protest simply by avoiding visiting cities and towns that still stage bullfights; this will effectively restrain your travel possibilities. A very few border towns actively defied the law and law enforcement agents and killed the bull in the arena (Barrancos).

Tread lightly on the Galician issue. While some Portuguese consider the Galician language to be rustic and refuse any relation with Portuguese, some others (as well as Brazilians and other speakers of Portuguese) will insist that Galician is a dialect of their language (and is so classified in the Britannica.) Spaniards may tell you otherwise, although Galicia, an autonomous region in northwestern Spain, has expressed interest in joining the official association of Portuguese-speaking countries. The argument arises because official written Galician uses the Spanish version of the Latin alphabet and much of Spanish phonetic rules, although the differences are very blurry between spoken Portuguese and Galician and often can understand each other (specially in Northern Portugal) without the need of a translator, much like Bulgarian and Macedonian in the Balkans.

Try to avoid "Olivença" issue as a very few people over-react to it and you will have to listen to long and inflamed historical and political explanations.

Other touchy subjects include abortion rights, death penalty, slavery (specially the idea that Portugal was the major offender in past centuries' slave trade), the Portuguese Colonial War and decolonization process, and North/South rivalry (i.e., Lisbon vs Porto).