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Lisbon and Around

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Mainland Europe's westernmost capital, Lisbon is a fascinating and inspiring place to spend a few days, thanks to its wonderful waterfront location, balmy climate and quirky range of attractions that combine a place-that-time-forgot feel with a modern vibrancy that few European cities can match. Although its modern suburbs are ungainly, the historic centre is relatively compact and easy to explore in just a day or two. The oldest part of the city, the warren of streets that make up the Alfama, sits below the spectacularly sited Moorish Castelo de São Jorge, its ruined walls facing another hill, the Bairro Alto or upper town, famed for its bars, restaurants and vibrant nightlife. The valley between these hills makes up the Baixa, or lower town. This neat grid of grand eighteenth-century buildings was erected on the rubble of the earthquake which flattened much of the city in 1755, a planned commercial district rebuilt around the historic squares of Praça do Comércio, on the riverfront, and the broad Rossio. From here, the palm-lined Avenida da Liberdade is the main artery inland, rising to the green slopes of the city's central Parque Eduardo VII. Key attractions beyond the historic centre include the fantastic art collection of the Museu Gulbenkian, just north of the park; the Museu de Arte Antiga west of the centre; and the modern art of the Berardo Collection, 6km to the west in Belém, the suburb from which Portugal's great navigators set sail: the sublime Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is one of several monasteries built here to celebrate their achievements. Finally, 5km to the east lies the Parque das Nações, the futuristic site of Lisbon's Expo 98, whose main attraction is one of Europe's largest oceanariums.

A short way inland from Lisbon, the UNESCO heritage site of Sintra enjoys a cool mountainside location, which made it a favoured summer destination for Portugal's royals - their ornate and extravagant palaces make for a fascinating day-trip. It is also just a short hop from Lisbon to some fantastic Atlantic beaches: locals favour the southern coast, with miles of sands along the Costa da Caparica or the small cove beaches between the historic port of Setúbal and the resort of Sesimbra. Easiest to reach, however, are the town beaches of bustling Estoril and the former fishing village of Cascais, both easily accessible by train.

Brief history

Named Allis Ubbo (calm harbour) by the Phoenicians, the administrative capital of Lusitania was renamed Olisipo by the Romans when they settled in the western half of Iberia in 210 BC. During the early 700s, Moors from North Africa began to exploit trading links from the city they called Lishbuna to their territories to the south, and the city flourished. The Moors set up the Alcáçova - a Muslim palace - on the site of today's castle and settled around some hot springs (alhama, today's Alfama). In 1147, Catholics from the north under Afonso Henriques laid siege to Lisbon's castle with a band of ruthless European crusaders and, after seventeen weeks of resistance, the Moors finally gave in - they were either killed or forced to live as "New Christians" in the quarter still known as Mouraria. In 1150, with Afonso Henriques now Portugal's first monarch, the Sé (cathedral) was established on the site of the main mosque, and in 1255 Lisbon became the capital of a Christian country.

The discoveries

By the fifteenth century, Lisbon was the capital of an expansionist country whose navigational expertise had set up trading routes round half the world. Vasco da Gama sailed from Belém to open up a sea route to India in 1498, and within sixty years Lisbon controlled ports from Brazil in the west to Macau in the east. Lisbon became one of the wealthiest cities in Europe, able to fund lavish buildings such as the Torre de Belém, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the palace at Terreiro do Paço. By the early eighteenth century, further funds flooded in from newly discovered gold in Brazil, but this second "golden age" came to a sudden halt with the Great Earthquake of 1755. Under the Marquês de Pombal, a new city was rapidly rebuilt in a grid pattern (today's Baixa district), but Lisbon never recovered its economic clout. The city briefly flourished in the mid-nineteenth century when the Botanical Gardens were considered the best in Europe: a public works programme laid out the Avenida da Liberdade and financed a series of funicular street lifts to serve its hills.

The Salazar era

Political turmoil in the early 1900s saw the end of the Portuguese monarchy and ushered in the reign of Dr António de Oliveira Salazar, who ruled Portugal with an iron fist from 1928-68. An economist, Salazar's policies generated sufficient wealth to fund a wartime Expo in Belém in 1940, the Cristo Rei statue overlooking the Tagus and the impressive Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge (originally named the Ponte Salazar). But most of the population failed to prosper under his rule, and by the 1974 revolution which ushered in democracy, most of Lisbon was stuck in a time warp with little or no economic development.

The modern city

Entry into the EU and a series of events - including Expo 98, the hosting of the European Championships in 2004 and Lisbon's new-found status as a hub for low-cost airlines - have seen money and development pour into the city, bequeathing new rail and metro lines and Europe's longest bridge, Ponte Vasco da Gama. The historic bairros (districts) and riverfront have also been given makeovers. If some of the renovation has somewhat diminished the city's erstwhile lost-in-time feel, it has also injected a wave of optimism that has made Lisbon one of Europe's most exciting capitals.

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Lisbon and around Guide | Portugal Travel

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Mainland Europe's westernmost capital, Lisbon is a fascinating and inspiring place to spend a few days, thanks to its wonderful waterfront location, balmy climate and quirky range of attractions that combine a place-that-time-forgot feel with a modern vibrancy that few European cities can match.

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Estremadura and Ribatejo

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Now rebranded as south Centro de Portugal and northwest Alentejo, the historic districts of Estremadura and Ribatejo have some of the most famous buildings in Portugal. The monastery at Alcobaça, the extraordinary abbey at Batalha and the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Tomar are all easily accessible, even by public transport, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the country's tangled past. Other attractions are equally high profile, from the walled medieval town of Óbidos to the tremendous castle at Leiria, while the obscenely ornate palace-monastery of Mafra always intrigues. Heads are also turned by the shrine at Fátima, the country's (and, indeed, one of the world's) most important pilgrimage sites.

Along the Costa da Prata (the Silver Coast) , the main resorts are the holiday fleshpots of Ericeira and Nazaré , though there are several smaller, perhaps more charming resorts - notably - and plenty of less crowded beaches too. Ferries sail from Peniche to the remote offshore bird sanctuary of the Ilha da Berlenga, while inland, getting off the beaten track means delving into the spectacular underground caverns around Porto de Mós and viewing the amazing nearby sauropod tracks, all of which lie within the Parque Natural das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros.

Contrasting with the fertile agricultural land and market gardens of Estremadura is the flatter plain of Northwest Alentejo (formerly Ribatejo) - the traditional bull-breeding territory that runs alongside the banks of the Rio Tejo. The river valley itself boasts some of Portugal's richest vineyards, while Santarém, has the province's longest history.

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Estremadura and Ribatejo Guide | Portugal Travel

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Now rebranded as south Centro de Portugal and northwest Alentejo, the historic districts of Estremadura and Ribatejo have some of the most famous buildings in Portugal. The monastery at Alcobaça, the extraordinary abbey at Batalha and the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Tomar are all easily accessible, even by public transport, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the country's tangled past.

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Coimbra and the Beira Litoral

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The province of Beira Litoral is dominated by the city of Coimbra, which, with Guimarães, Lisbon and Porto, forms the quartet of Portugal's historic capitals. Situated on a steep hill above the Rio Mondego, it's a wonderfully moody place of ancient alleys and lanes, twisting and climbing around the country's oldest university. As a base for exploring the region, the city can't be beaten, with Portugal's most extensive Roman site, Conímbriga, 16km to the southwest, the castle at Montemor-o-Velho, 32km west, and the delightful spa town of Luso and ancient forest of Buçaco under an hour's journey to the north.

Beira's coastline, from Figueira da Foz north as far as Porto, remains one of the least spoiled in Portugal, backed by rolling dunes and pine forests. There's some development around the pretty lagoon town of Praia de Mira, but the only major resort is Figueira da Foz and even this remains mostly local in character. To the north of the region, Aveiro is one of Portugal's most attractive provincial towns and sits on an elaborate network of canals.

Following the delightful Rio Mondego upstream from Coimbra, you'll come to see why it has been celebrated so often in Portuguese poetry as the "Rio das Musas" - River of the Muses. A tributary of the Mondego, the Dão, is the source of some of the country's finest wines, while there's an equally beautiful route along the Rio Vouga up to the pretty little town of Vouzela. To the north is the impressive convent at Arouca, and the serras of Freita and Arada, both peppered with remote hamlets and offering more scenic routes for drivers. To the south lies the Serra do Caramulo, where the village of Caramulo makes a good base for mountain pursuits. East of Coimbra, as the land slowly rises towards the mountainous Beiras region and the Serra da Estrela, the first foothills are encountered in the Serra da Lousã and the Serra do Açor, rustic regions containing a range of pretty settlements such as riverside Góis and the incredibly sited, schist village of Píodão.

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Coimbra and the Beira Litoral Guide | Portugal Travel

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The province of Beira Litoral is dominated by the city of Coimbra, which, with Guimarães, Lisbon and Porto, forms the quartet of Portugal's historic capitals. Situated on a steep hill above the Rio Mondego, it's a wonderfully moody place of ancient alleys and lanes, twisting and climbing around the country's oldest university.

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Beira Alta and Beira Baixa

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The two historic mountain provinces of Beira Alta (Upper) and Beira Baixa (Lower) feature some of the most spectacular landscapes in the country, from upland plains of enormous boulders to towering mountain peaks. This harsh but beautiful landscape was home to the mighty warrior Viriatus, who used its remote wildness to his advantage when repelling the Romans. Later, as Portugal strived for nationhood, many of the towns along and near the disputed border with Spain acquired mighty castles, still in existence today. The ancient town of Viseu is the pleasant capital of Beira Alta province and the only place of any real size in the region. The fast east-west A25 links Viseu to the mountain-top town of Guarda - with Spain another 40km to the east - while to the north, between the highway and the Douro River, are the high-sited castle-towns of the planalto (or tableland). Some, like medieval, walled Trancoso, or the star-shaped fortress town of Almeida, are worth a day of anyone's time.

South of the main highway rises the Serra da Estrela mountain range, whose landscape is protected under the auspices of the Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela. Mountain villages, tumbling rivers and glacial valleys are linked by an extensive series of hiking trails, though there's also road access to the major settlements, notably the enjoyable small town of Manteigas. The park's southeastern boundary is flanked by the university town of Covilhã, handy for the winter ski fields and the ascent of mainland Portugal's highest mountain, Torre.

South and east of Covilhã lies the sombre plain of the lower province, Beira Baixa, whose parched landscape has its own mysterious beauty, dotted with cork, carob and olive trees. Castelo Branco in the south is the provincial capital, but most tourist attention is centred on the ancient hilltop villages rising dramatically from the surrounding plains, notably Sortelha and Monsanto. There's historic interest, too, in pretty Belmonte, halfway between Covilhã and Guarda, and in the extensive Roman remains at isolated Idanha-a-Velha. Meanwhile, in the border hills and reservoirs of the Serra da Malcata, there are hiking, biking and wildlife-spotting opportunities.

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Beira Alta and Beira Baixa Guide | Portugal Travel

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The two historic mountain provinces of Beira Alta (Upper) and Beira Baixa (Lower) feature some of the most spectacular landscapes in the country, from upland plains of enormous boulders to towering mountain peaks. This harsh but beautiful landscape was home to the mighty warrior Viriatus, who used its remote wildness to his advantage when repelling the Romans.

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Porto and the Rio Douro

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Lisbon might be the country's capital, but Portugal's second city, Porto, is very definitely not second best. Dramatically situated at the mouth of the Rio Douro, it's a massively atmospheric place that's well worth a couple of days of your time - more if you plan to make a serious assault on the famous port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia, located just across the river. In recent years, the city has seen a massive tourism boom and this is reflected in the many hotels now on offer, many of which are of the boutique variety. For eating and going out you'll be spoilt for choice, as areas have been gentrified with new restaurants and bars opening up.

For a convenient trip to the seaside, the pretty town of Vila do Conde, 45 minutes to the north of Porto, offers a taste of what's to come as you head up the coast towards the Minho. East of Porto, meanwhile, the N15 or much faster A4 motorway runs inland to the vinho verde-producing towns of Penafiel and Amarante, the latter perhaps the single most attractive town in the region, set on the lazy Rio Tâmega.

Inevitably, however, it's the Rio Douro ("River of Gold") that defines the region, winding for over 200km from the Spanish border to the sea, with port wine lodges and tiny villages dotted above intricately terraced hillsides. It was once a wild and unpredictable river, though after the port-producing area was first demarcated in the eighteenth century, engineering works soon tamed the worst of the rapids and opened up the Douro for trade. The railway reached the Spanish border by the end of the nineteenth century, while the building of hydroelectric dams and locks along the river's length in the 1970s and 1980s turned the Douro into a series of navigable ribbon lakes.

It's possible to cruise all the way from Porto to Barca d'Alva on the Spanish border, while the drive along the Douro also makes for an unforgettable journey. But take the train at least part of the way if you can, since the main Douro train line is no slouch for scenery - particularly once you've reached the rough halfway point, marked by the port wine town and cruise centre of Peso da Régua. Just to the south of Régua, a slight detour takes in the delightful Baroque pilgrimage town of Lamego and the fascinating churches and historic buildings of its little-explored surroundings. Beyond Régua, the main stop is the idyllically set wine-town of Pinhão, and the train line continues to hug the river as far as its terminus at Pocinho, though the Douro itself still has a way to go, winding on to the border at Barca d'Alva. However, following the uppermost reaches of the Douro is impossible by road beyond Pinhão, with the N222 finally veering south of the river to reach the extraordinary collection of paleolithic rock engravings near Vila Nova de Foz Côa.

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Porto and the Rio Douro Guide | Portugal Travel

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Lisbon might be the country's capital, but Portugal's second city, Porto , is very definitely not second best. Dramatically situated at the mouth of the Rio Douro, it's a massively atmospheric place that's well worth a couple of days of your time - more if you plan to make a serious assault on the famous port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia, located just across the river.

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The Minho (the region where we live/ our school is located

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It's around 100km from Porto to the mouth of the , a broad river of even broader historical and cultural significance for the Portuguese since it marks the border with neighbouring Spain. The river has lent its name to the entire northwestern province, the Minho, which tourists may see referred to as a rebranded sub-region of Porto and North Portugal. The area encompasses a range of postcard-worthy landscapes and features that could almost be Portugal in microcosm: dreamy river scenes, high mountains, rolling vineyards, beautiful historic towns, dramatic Atlantic beaches, ancient religious foundations and mysterious archaeological sites. Add a modern network of roads - it takes only an hour or so to get from the main towns to remote hiking villages - and a useful regional bus and train network ensures the Minho is an instantly appealing region to visit, as a sort of Portugal-in-a-nutshell experience, easily accessible straight out of Porto airport.

For a start, the region features many Portuguese traditions, whether it's the vast weekly market at Barcelos - a cross between a medieval fair and vast farmers' market - or the summer , or carnival, at Viana do Castelo. The Minho's two principal historic towns, both in the south, are also steeped in tradition - handsomely preserved, medieval Guimarães, Portugal's first capital, and neighbouring Braga, the country's ecclesiastical centre. The Minho coast, meanwhile, as little as half an hour's drive from Braga, is the typical Atlantic swathe of sweeping dunes and wild surf. Known as the Costa Verde (Green Coast), it's pretty much one unbroken stretch of sand as far as the Spanish border, punctuated by small-scale resorts and the historic maritime town of Viana do Castelo.

Central Minho is characterized by the region's other major river, the Rio Lima, which idles through a succession of pretty towns where there's little to do but soak up the scenery - ideally, while staying in one of the manor houses or country homes for which this area is renowned. Further east, the charming Lima valley eventually gives way to the mountains of the Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês, Portugal's only national park, which stretches north as far as the Spanish border and east into the province of Trás-os-Montes.

To the north, the Minho region ends - where the country ends - with the Rio Minho, across which lies Spain. A string of compact fortified towns flanks the river on the Portuguese side, and the Minho train line from Porto terminates in the best of the lot, the spectacular walled town of Valença do Minho, a major crossing point into Spain.

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It's around 100km from Porto to the mouth of the , a broad river of even broader historical and cultural significance for the Portuguese since it marks the border with neighbouring Spain. The river has lent its name to the entire northwestern province, the Minho, which tourists may see referred to as a rebranded sub-region of Porto and North Portugal.

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Trás-Os-Montes

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Alentejo

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The Alentejo covers a huge area, around a third of the country, stretching south from the Rio Tejo to the northern mountain ranges of the Algarve - the name derives from the words além do Tejo, beyond the Tejo River. This is Portugal's garden, the bulk of the region given over to huge cork plantations, wheat fields and vineyards - and though much of it is flat, the region repays exploration, offering unexpected surprises, from ancient dolmens and superbly sited castles to Roman ruins and sweeping Atlantic beaches. Much of the population make a living from the huge agricultural estates known as latifúndios, which are handed down from generation to generation - many have been in existence since Roman times. The vast farms are generally wildlife-friendly - the Alentejo is home to wild boar and hundreds of species of bird, from black stork to great bustard.

For most visitors, the region's major draws are its towns, two of which have UNESCO World Heritage status: the spectacular fortified town of Elvas, and Évora, whose Roman temple, medieval walls and cathedral have put it firmly on the tourist circuit. Elsewhere in Alto Alentejo (Upper Alentejo), you'll find the dazzling hilltop villages of Monsaraz and Marvão, and the marble towns of Estremoz and Vila Viçosa, where the local marble quarries have given an opulent look to many of the buildings.

South of Évora, in the plains of Baixo Alentejo (Lower Alentejo), the attractions lie further apart and can be difficult to see without a car. However, there are some good overnight targets, including the main town of Beja, as well as nearby Moura, Serpa and Mértola, all enjoyable historic towns with a wealth of accommodation. The coast, too, is an unexpected joy. Only a few small resorts - prime among them Vila Nova de Milfontes - attract summer crowds, but the beaches are superb and you can reach them all by public transport.

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The Alentejo covers a huge area, around a third of the country, stretching south from the Rio Tejo to the northern mountain ranges of the Algarve - the name derives from the words além do Tejo, beyond the Tejo River.

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The Algarve

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With many of the country's safest and loveliest beaches, and a year-round balmy climate, it is not surprising that the Algarve is Portugal's most popular region for holidaymakers. Inevitably, this also means that stretches of the coast - in particular from Faro west to Albufeira - are heavily developed, though even here the beaches are first-rate, as are the facilities. Elsewhere in the Algarve, especially around Sagres and Tavira, the surroundings are more attractive, with laidback resorts and low-key development.

To the west of Vilamoura, you'll find the rocky outcrops and cove beaches for which the Algarve is best known, especially around the main resorts of Albufeira, Armação de Pêra and Lagos. The coast becomes progressively wilder as you head west, where attractive smaller resorts include the former fishing villages of or Salema, and the historic cape of Sagres - thought to be the site of Henry the Navigator's naval school. The string of villages along the rougher west coast, as far as Odeceixe, are quieter still, with limited facilities but fantastic wild beaches ideal for surfing.

The eastern coast between Faro and the Spanish border is very different. Most of it is protected within the Reserva Natural da Ria Formosa, a series of barrier islands fronted by extensive sandy beaches. That means taking a short boat trip to reach the sands, which has helped preserve the towns from large-scale development. The resorts here have a more Portuguese feel than those in the central stretch, and first-choice bases here would be Faro itself - capital of the entire region - as well as Olhão, Fuseta, Cabanas or Tavira, all of which offer easy access to the sandbank islands.

Inland Algarve is still relatively undeveloped, especially around Alcoutim on the Spanish border. The Roman ruins of Milreu and the market town of Loulé are both worth an outing from Faro, while the old Moorish town of Silves is easily accessed from Portimão. Towards the west of the region, Caldas de Monchique is a quaint spa town in verdant woodland that makes up much of the picturesque Serra de Monchique mountain range.

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With many of the country's safest and loveliest beaches, and a year-round balmy climate, it is not surprising that the Algarve is Portugal's most popular region for holidaymakers. Inevitably, this also means that stretches of the coast - in particular from Faro west to Albufeira - are heavily developed, though even here the beaches are first-rate, as are the facilities.

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Madeira: Islands for Lovers | www.visitportugal.com

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The archipelago of Madeira is synonymous with charm and sophistication, making it the ideal place for a holiday tour filled with romantic possibilities.In Funch

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Plan your travel to Portugal. Looking for romance, discovering culture, living adventure, relaxing? Indulge yourself in Portugal, your holidays' destination.

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27 Nov 2014

The "Cante Alentejano" (Alentejo Song) is World Heritage

Portugal has, in its cultural heritage, a very genuine musical expression, unique in the world, the "Cante Alentejano" (Alentejo Song), now recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Among the 46 candidates for the representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, we have the "Cante Alentejano", the only Portuguese presence in the group of possible classifications for 2014, promoted by the municipality of Serpa in conjunction with the Alentejo Regional Tourism Entity.

A feature of the region of the Alentejo, the " Cante Alentejano" is sung as a group, without any use of musical instruments. Although it is more traditional in the district of Beja in the various counties of Baixo Alentejo, it was the Municipality of Serpa which took the initiative to register it as World Heritage.

To represent the "Cante Alentejano" at the announcement of the classification by UNESCO, in Paris, the "Grupo Coral e Etnográfico da Casa do Povo de Serpa" (Choral and Ethnographic Group of the People's House of Serpa), founded in 1928, one of the oldest in the county and the only one still to continue since its formation (many were interrupted due to the Colonial War and the strong migration that occurred in the mid-20th century to the cities along the Portuguese coast, such as Lisbon, and abroad) performed. There are currently over 150 "cante alentejano" groups.

The documentary by Sérgio Tréfaut "Alentejo, Alentejo" was also part of the application. It was considered the Best Portuguese Film at the Lisboa 2014 Indie Festival and the Best Film DOCSBarcelona+Medelín 2014. Don't miss the presentation on the website www.alentejoalentejo.com.

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The "Cante Alentejano" (Alentejo Song) is World Heritage |

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27 Nov 2014 The "Cante Alentejano" (Alentejo Song) is World Heritage Portugal has, in its cultural heritage, a very genuine musical expression, unique in the world, the "Cante Alentejano" (Alentejo Song), now recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

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Cultural Heritage of Humanity -UNESCO Archives

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Cante Alentejano, polyphonic singing from Alentejo, southern Portugal

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UNESCO: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - 2014 URL: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/01007 Description: Cante Alentejano is a genre of traditional two-part singing performed by amateur choral groups in southern Portugal. It is characterized by distinctive melodies, lyrics and vocal styles, and performed without instrumentation.

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UNESCO Archives

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Portugal

Inscribed in 2014 ( 9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

© Faux, 2012

Cante Alentejano is a genre of traditional two-part singing performed by amateur choral groups in southern Portugal, characterized by distinctive melodies, lyrics and vocal styles, and performed without instrumentation. Groups consist of up to thirty singers divided into groups. The ponto, in the lower range, starts the singing, followed by the alto, in the higher range, which duplicates the melody a third or a tenth above, often adding ornaments. The entire choral group then takes over, singing the remaining stanzas in parallel thirds. The alto is the guiding voice heard above the group throughout the song. A vast repertoire of traditional poetry is set to existing or newly created melodies. Lyrics explore both traditional themes such as rural life, nature, love, motherhood and religion, and changes in the cultural and social context. Cante is a fundamental aspect of social life throughout Alentejano communities, permeating social gatherings in both public and private spaces. Transmission occurs principally at choral group rehearsals between older and younger members. For its practitioners and aficionados, cante embodies a strong sense of identity and belonging. It also reinforces dialogue between different generations, genders and individuals from different backgrounds, thereby contributing to social cohesion.

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Cante Alentejano, polyphonic singing from Alentejo, southern Portugal

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Portugal Inscribed in 2014 ( 9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Cante Alentejano is a genre of traditional two-part singing performed by amateur choral groups in southern Portugal, characterized by distinctive melodies, lyrics and vocal styles, and performed without instrumentation.

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Cultural Heritage of Humanity - UNESCO Archives

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Fado, urban popular song of Portugal - intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO

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Website of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

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UNESCO Archives

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Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

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UNESCO: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - 2011 URL: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/00563 Description: A symbol of identity, Fado music is widely sung in Lisbon and represents a distinctly Portuguese multicultural synthesis of Afro-Brazilian music, local genres of song and dance, rural music, and urban song patterns of the early nineteenth century.

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One of the greatest "Fado" singers of all time

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27 Nov 2014

Carlos do Carmo brings a Grammy home to Portugal

A Portuguese artist has, for the first time, been awarded the "Lifetime Achievement" award by the Latin Recording Academy, attributed to Carlos do Carmo, considering him one of the greatest "fado" singers of all time.

The Grammy Awards are considered a reference in the music industry and were announced on the 19th of November in Las Vegas, in the United States.

Carlos do Carmo receives the recognition in the same year in which he celebrates the 50th year of his career. The moment is marked by a retrospective exhibition at Cordoaria Nacional, in Lisboa, and by the launching of the album "Fado é Amor", with guest artists including Mariza, Ana Moura, Carminho, Camané and Aldina Duarte. Still in 2014, the documentary by Ivan Dias on the life and works of the singer, "Um Homem no Mundo" will also premiere.

Throughout his life, Carlos do Carmo has always been a great defender of the "fado" heritage, having participated with Rui Vieira Nery in the candidacy of the classification of "Fado" as World Heritage, which took place in 2011.

Photo: Latingrammy.com
www.latingrammy.com

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Carlos do Carmo brings a Grammy home to Portugal |

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27 Nov 2014 Carlos do Carmo brings a Grammy home to Portugal A Portuguese artist has, for the first time, been awarded the "Lifetime Achievement" award by the Latin Recording Academy, attributed to Carlos do Carmo, considering him one of the greatest "fado" singers of all time.

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PORTUGUESE MUSIC | The Music of Portugal | Música Portuguesa

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Portuguese Music - Guide to Portuguese Music | Madredeus, Amalia Rodrigues, Rodrigo Leão, Mariza, Dulce Pontes | Musica portuguesa

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Our "Fado" Diva

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Ceramic tile decoration

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The Top 10 Tile Attractions in Lisbon | As 10 Grandes Atrações de Azulejaria em Lisboa

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PORTUGUESE FOOD | Lisbon Gastronomy | Portuguese Wines | Gastronomia portuguesa | Vinhos Portugueses

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Portuguese Food - Information about Portuguese cuisine and Portuguese wines. What to eat in Lisbon, Portugal. | Informação sobre o que comer em Lisboa. Cozinha portuguesa.

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Unlike the world famous literary traditions of Britain, France or Russia, Portuguese literature is still something of a hidden treasure trove waiting to be fully discovered by readers outside the country. However, it has been quietly gaining popularity since José Saramago won the Nobel prize in literature in 1998, with Portuguese authors now making it onto many international bestseller lists including that of the renowned New York Times Book Review.

To help you out on your journey into the realm of Portuguese literature, PDV has selected some of the most internationally read Portuguese authors, both classic and contemporary in a variety of genres, who make the perfect introduction to what the country has to offer in the art of writing.

Fernando Pessoa

Regarded as one of the greatest poets of the 20th Century, the unique Fernando Pessoa and his several heteronyms, each endowed with a different personality, biography and writing style, is beyond comparison. Pessoa's poetry changes radically according to "who" was writing, making each alternate self as distinctive as the real life poet himself. Acclaimed and revered as one of Portugal's finest writers, the leading figure in Modernism only published one book of poetry during his lifetime, " Mensagem ", with all his other writings being only discovered and published after he died at the age of 47 in 1935.
The Book
The Book of Disquiet is the fourth most sold book originally written in Portuguese on Amazon.com. Penned by one of Fernando Pessoa's heteronyms, Bernardo Soares, it was written in fragments, part narrative, part journal and part prose, and yet it captivates the reader in a way no other book can.

José Saramago

José Saramago won the Nobel prize in literature in 1998 securing his place as one of the best writers in the world. His books often offer sharp criticisms on society and religion (Saramago was renowned for his Communist, atheist stance), or delve into history and re-write the past. His writing style includes an original form of punctuation, in a prose that emphasises orality, almost seeming like someone is constantly speaking to the reader, and sarcastic humour.
The Book
Blindness is one of Saramago's most popular books, where the author tackles the themes of the human condition and human values. In this acclaimed novel an epidemic spreads across the earth causing people to become blind or only see a "milky sea", and it follows the characters afflicted by this ailment as hygiene, food and general living conditions begin to deteriorate. A film based on the book was released in 2008, directed by Brazilian Fernando Meirelles, who gained world renown for his movie City of God. Actors Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore play the main characters, the doctor and the doctor's wife.

Eça de Queirós

Eça de Queirós, one of Portugal's leading writers of the 19th century, has often been ranked with Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy. He embraced Realism and often mocked the previous style, Romanticism, as can often be seen in his novels. Many of his books offer an incisive portrait of social customs in 19th century Portugal, often revolving around the mundane details of everyday life, with sharp social criticisms.
The book
The Maias, first published in 1888, is considered his finest work. A novel focusing on the everyday life of the old Maia family from Lisbon, it details the intrigues and romances that affect three generations. Often described as a soap opera, it is also heavily imbued with social criticism and humour. It follows the story of young aristocrat Carlos da Maia and the dramatic, incestuous relationship he establishes with Maria Eduarda.

António Lobo Antunes

Having spent his childhood dreaming of becoming a writer, Lobo Antunes became a psychiatrist instead, before deciding to pursue his first ambition. He has become one of the most original writers in the country (and the world), and his novels always contain hints of memories and recollections. In interviews, Lobo Antunes often claims that no one writes quite like he does. In fact, his narrative is an intertwinement of thoughts and dialogues which lead the reader to become lost inside the characters' minds. However, this allows the reader to fully understand the characters, as they are able to follow their every thought as the story unfolds, a unique effect in literature.
The book
What Can I Do When Everything's on Fire? is a psychological novel narrated by Paulo, the son of a transvestite whose lover was a heroin addict and committed suicide. It's set in Lisbon in this hallucinatory world as Paulo tries to psychologically understand his life which has been surrounded by madness.

Gonçalo M. Tavares

Only 42 years-old, Gonçalo M. Tavares is the great promise of Portuguese literature. Before passing away, José Saramago praised his writing and predicted he would become the next Portuguese writer to win the Nobel prize in literature. Many of his novels are set in abstract places with characters with Germanic names, and his writing is often influenced by philosophers such as Wittgenstein. He is widely known and praised for his tetralogy of " black books", all focusing on the theme of evil. His most recent book, not yet published in English, Viagem à Índia (Journey to India), is a modern pastiche of the epic poem The Lusiads by Luís de Camões, in which the main character bears the name of Harold Bloom, the American literary critic.
The book
Jerusalem is one of the "black books" and it tells the story of four different main characters whose stories intertwine: the doctor Theodor Busbeck, who studies evil and horror throughout the novel; Mylia, his ex-wife, who has been crazy since first meeting Busbeck; Gomperz Rulrich, director of the asylum where Mylia is staying; and Kaas Busbeck, the disabled son of Theodor and Mylia, regularly beaten by his father who tries to force him to act normally by resorting to violence.

Luís Miguel Rocha

Luís Miguel Rocha is the first and so far only Portuguese author to have made onto The New York Times' bestseller list, in 2009. A relatively new author of bestsellers - who is better known abroad - he has already sold over half a million copies worldwide, and is sold in over thirty countries. The author is also a television writer and producer, and worked in London prior to publishing his first novel. He has also translated a variety of books, but currently focuses on his writing career.
The book
The Last Pope, his second book which granted him entry in the bestseller list, is a novel with a conspiracy theory at its core that revolves around the mysterious death of Pope John Paul I involving various intelligence agencies such as the CIA and Propaganda Due.

José Rodrigues dos Santos

José Rodrigues dos Santos is a journalist and the most popular news anchor in state-owned broadcasting corporation RTP, where he worked as editor-in-chief. As a new author, Rodrigues dos Santos is known for his fast-paced thrillers with a historical background, written in an easy-to-read style. His books have been translated into sixteen different languages including English, Spanish, French, Russian, German and Italian.
The book
The Einstein Enigma will remind readers of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code because of its suspense and action-packed plot. It is a novel about a quest for the scientific proof of the existence of God based on a formula devised by Einstein himself. An easy novel that promises to keep you entertained from cover to cover.
Photos: António Lobo Antunes, homepage, by Pedro Loureiro; António Lobo Antunes, article, Jo Schwartz

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Literature: A short guide to Portugal's most internationally acclaimed writers

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Unlike the world famous literary traditions of Britain, France or Russia, Portuguese literature is still something of a hidden treasure trove waiting to be fully discovered by readers outside the country.

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-Portuguese Literature-

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Poet Fernando António Nogueira Pêssoa was born in Lisbon, Portugal. His father died when Pessoa was five years old, and the family moved with his mother's new husband, a consul, to Durban, South Africa, where Pessoa attended an English school. At thirteen Pessoa returned to Portugal for a year-long visit, and returned there permanently in 1905.

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Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen - Portuguese Literature -

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Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen (poet) - Portugal - Poetry International

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Some poets make poems the way a builder builds a home - verse by verse, brick by brick. For Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, the whole world was home, and poetry just a ...

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-Portuguese Literature-

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Generally regarded as the greatest poet of the Portuguese language, at least until Fernando Pessoa came along, Camões led a rambunctious but uncertain life, much of his biography being based on conjecture and what we can extract, or extrapolate, from his poems. He was probably born in Lisbon, the son of minor, impoverished aristocrats, and definitely died there in 1580. In between, he lived or sojourned in many places: Coimbra, where he is assumed to have studied at the university; Morocco, where he lost an eye during combat as a soldier for the Portuguese army; India, where he served as a soldier for three years, after which he probably held administrative posts; Arabia and the East African coasts, on military expeditions launched from western, Portuguese-ruled India; Macao, in the employ of the Portuguese government; and Mozambique, without funds enough to continue the journey back home. Some friends came to his aid, sharing the cost of his passage to Lisbon, where he arrived in 1570, after 17 years abroad.

Two years later Camões published The Lusiads, one of the last great historical epics, in certain respects modeled after the Aeneid and taking Vasco da Gama's voyage to India as its immediate theme. Although the poem was well received, earning its author a small pension from the crown, Camões died in poverty and was buried in a collective pit for plague victims. That same year - two years after a disastrous expedition to North Africa in which the heirless King Sebastião and thousands of Portugal's most able-bodied men were slaughtered - the country fell under Spanish rule, which would last until 1640.
From public records and four surviving letters signed by Camões, we know he was a rowdy and lusty sort, who landed himself in a Lisbon jail for roughing up a court official during a religious feast, and in a Goan jail for failure to pay his debts. And his one and only eye was continually on the lookout for women, whether they belonged to nobility or to brothels.

It makes no sense to pit Camões against Pessoa in a contest to decide who was greater - they are too far apart in historical and poetic time for that. But it is interesting to note how Portugal's two master poets had diametrically opposed sensibilities. The twentieth-century poet was the great negator, who divided himself into fictional 'heteronyms' capable, he claimed, of experiencing and feeling life better than he himself could. Pessoa wrote about politics, but his ideology was utterly utopian. He read hundreds of books and wrote hundreds of pages about assorted religions but committed himself to none. And love was for him such a thoroughly literary matter that he very probably died a virgin.

Camões was the opposite of all that. A Falstaffian lover of life, he never conceived of his writing as a substitute for living but as its literary embodiment. Camões is wholly, passionately present in most of what he wrote - if not literally so, then in the manner of his writing, probably comparable to the way he made love. And when, in his last years, he "got religion", it wasn't a scholarly inquiry; he embraced the Roman Catholic faith with ardor, repenting the carnal loves of his younger days. Pessoa, in contrast, could only repent (and did somewhat repent in his later poems) for not having ever loved except in theory. Which is not to say that the 16th-century poet was a 'natural' who simply wrote out of experience. He was an intellectual with an enormous capacity for synthesis, drawing on the philosophy and literature of antiquity (Plato, Aristotle, Hesiod, Virgil, Ovid, Plutarch), on Neo-Platonist thought, on Petrarch and his followers (especially Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán), and on the Portuguese popular and formal poetic tradition that preceded him.

The Lusiads has been so widely read and translated that Camões's vast and no less impressive body of lyric poetry has tended to be overlooked. Over the centuries, there have been at least ten complete translations of Os Lusíadas into English, but only several large-scale translations of his lyrical oeuvre, which includes about 200 short poems in popular verse forms, over 150 sonnets, a sestina, and poems of larger scope: odes, elegies, songs (or canzones), octaves and eclogues. Camões's sonnets are comparatively well known (Wordsworth pays them homage in his 'Scorn Not the Sonnet', where he also mentions the sonneteers Shakespeare, Petrarch, Tasso, Dante, Spenser and Milton), but his full powers as a lyric poet are revealed by some of the longer poems, which succeed in sustaining a narrative across 150 or even 250 verses, interwoven with lessons from mythology, ancient history and philosophy. The excerpted octaves from 'On the World's Chaos and Confusion', for instance, retell a story from antiquity which is perfectly integrated into the longer story (thirty octaves in all) announced by the poem's title.

Camões's sonnets are thematically far more diverse than those of Petrarch or Shakespeare. Some are retellings of Biblical tales ('Jacob') or Greek myths, often with a new twist; or they present historical or mythological figures in new scenarios, as in the sonnet which has the goddesses Diana and Venus discussing the merits of trapping animals versus ensnaring human hearts ('While Phoebus was lighting up the mountains'). Other sonnets take up the theme of the world's disorderedness and the inevitability of change ('Times change, desires change'), life's brevity ('Oh how long, year after year'), and the hardships imposed by exile ('Epitaph for Pero Moniz'). But love, for Camões as for most Renaissance poets, is an ever-present hope and complaint, a source of pain alternating with ecstasy, a rich symbol and a chimera - an inexhaustible subject of poetic and existential exploration. Love, in the sonnets and sestina presented here, is not merely a hankering after an idealized and beatified 'senhora' (lady); it is a psychological territory for self-discovery. This is most blatantly the case in the celebrated 'Transforma-se o amador na cousa amada', a twentieth-century remake of which 'The Lover Transforms'by Herberto Helderwas produced by Herberto Helder (b. 1930).

Because the Renaissance world and its world-view are so far removed from our own, a reader of Camões needs to make an imaginary leap, for no translation can possibly bridge the gap in consciousness between 16th-century Portugal and the 21st century in whatever part of the world. In dealing with that wider-than-usual gap, the four translators into English of the poems presented here have remarkably different approaches. See 'Translating Camões' for a brief discussion of the problems they face and how they try to resolve them, or elude them!

Bibliography

Epic Poetry in Portuguese
Os Lusíadas, Lisbon, 1572.
Os Lusíadas, ed. Álvaro Júlio da Costa Pimpão, Instituto Camões, 4th ed. 2000 (1st ed. 1972). One of various reliable modern editions available; with notes.

Lyric Poetry in Portuguese
Rhythmas, ed. Fernão Rodrigues Lobo Soropita, Lisbon, 1595. First edition of the lyric poetry.
Rimas, ed. Soropita, Lisbon, 1598. Expanded edition of the lyric poetry.
Segunda Parte das Rimas, ed. Domingos Fernandes, Lisbon, 1616. Part Two of the Rimas.
Terceira Parte das Rimas, ed. D. António Álvares da Cunha, Lisbon, 1668. Part Three.
Rimas várias, in 2 vols., ed. Manuel de Faria e Sousa, Lisbon, 1685-89. Greatly enlarged, and accompanied by a commentary.
Rimas, ed. Álvaro Júlio da Costa Pimpão, Livraria Almedina, Coimbra, 1994 (first published 1953, revised 1973). Generally regarded as the most trustworthy edition of the lyric poetry so far produced.

Plays in Portuguese
Anfitriões. Staged in Goa, in 1555. First published, in an anthology including Camões's other dramatic works, as well as plays by other Portuguese playwrights, in Primeira Parte dos Autos e Comédias Portuguesas, Lisbon, 1587.
Filodemo, ibid, 1587.
El-Rei Seleuco, included in Rimas de Luís Camões. Primeira Parte, Lisbon, 1645.
All three plays available in Luís de Camões, Obras Completas, ed. Hernani Cidade, Livraria Sá da Costa Editora, Lisbon, 5th ed. 1985 (1st ed. 1946-47).

Lyric Poetry in French (modern editions only)
La lyrique de Camões, tr. Roger Bismut, Centro Cultural Português de Paris, Paris, 1970.
Sonnets, tr. Anne-Marie Quint, Michel Chandeigne, Paris, 1989.
Sonnets, tr. Maryvonne Boudoy and Anne-Marie Quint, L'Escampette, Bordeaux, 2001.

Lyric Poetry in English
Epic & Lyric, tr. Keith Bosley, Carcanet, Manchester, 1990.
Selected Sonnets, tr. William Baer, Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2005.

Lyric Poetry in Italian
I Sonetti, tr. C. Cannizzaro, Gius. Laterza e Figli, Baria, 1913.

Also on this site
Translating Camões, an essay by Richard Zenith

Links

In English
Sonnet Central
Fourteen 19th-century translations of sonnets by Camões
http://lusiadas.gertrudes.com/

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Luís Vaz de Camões (poet) - Portugal - Poetry International

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Generally regarded as the greatest poet of the Portuguese language, at least until Fernando Pessoa came along, Camões led a rambunctious but uncertain life, much of his biography being based on conjecture and what we can extract, or extrapolate, from his poems. He was probably born in Lisbon, the son of minor, impoverished aristocrats, and definitely died there in 1580.

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-Portuguese Literature-

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José Maria de Eça de Queirós | Portuguese novelist

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José Maria de Eça de Queirós: José Maria de Eça de Queirós, novelist committed to social reform who introduced naturalism and realism to Portugal. He is considered to be one of the greatest Portuguese novelists and is certainly the leading 19th-century Portuguese novelist. His works have been translated into many languages.

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-Portuguese Literature-

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Documentário Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen

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"O Sorriso" dito por Eugénio de Andrade. Portuguese poet Eugenio de Andrade saying one of his poems.

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-Portuguese Literature-

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José Saramago: José Saramago, Portuguese novelist and man of letters who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998. The son of rural labourers, Saramago grew up in great poverty in Lisbon.

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The Nobel Prize in Literature

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Nobelprize.org, The Official Web Site of the Nobel Prize

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Portugal's cuisine is as rich and varied as its landscape.
The most distinctive feature of Portuguese cuisine comes from the sea. As you enjoy a simple grilled fish, always fresh like the seafood that abounds from end to end along the coast, you can be sure that you are in Portugal! Cataplanas, bouillabaisses and any other fish or seafood dish are also excellent choices.

For meat dishes, our main suggestion is cozido à portuguesa, a mix of meats, vegetables and various sausages, cooked in a delicious way. We have excellent DOP (Protected Denomination of Origin) meats, from north to south, whether it's beef, pork or kid. Many vegetables and fruit also preserve the taste of the old times, and some also have the DOP label, especially as many are produced organically.

Portuguese olive oil is of prime quality and is part of every dish, including cod (for which it is said that there are 1001 recipes!), which we excel at preparing and enjoying.

Each dish is matched to the right wine. The whole country produces wine and, while Port wine is famous, the Douro, Alentejo and many other table wines are no less superior.

And the cheeses! While Queijo da Serra (mountain cheese from Serra da Estrela) tops the bill, all the cheeses from Centro de Portugal, Alentejo and the Azores are delicious.

The sweets, whose roots go back to the many convents where they were originally prepared, even today make us "give thanks to heaven". And a pastel de nata (custard tart) is a must. It is delicious with coffee, which we drink in the form of espresso.

At the end of a meal, we might make a toast with some Port or Madeira, fortified wines that have been spreading our name to faraway lands for centuries. Or with an excellent sparkling wine produced in Portugal, to celebrate a memorable meal provided by the country's talented chefs.

The food in Portugal is a closely guarded secret. Portuguese cuisine has everything to please even the most discerning palate because it is based on genuine quality products, cooked according to (...)

Portugal is a country of strong wine tradition, and the excellent quality of its wines is recognised across the world, with numerous awards and distinctions won in international competitions. And to (...)

With a fruity, slightly thick aroma, golden or greenish yellow in colour, bitter, spicy or sweeter, mild or intense. This is Portuguese olive oil.In a country so strongly influenced by a (...)

The Mediterranean Diet, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, is part of the identity of the Portuguese gastronomy.Its basis is plants, including vegetables, fruit, good quality bread and largely (...)

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Portugal's cuisine is as rich and varied as its landscape. The most distinctive feature of Portuguese cuisine comes from the sea. As you enjoy a simple grilled fish, always fresh like the seafood that abounds from end to end along the coast, you can be sure that you are in Portugal!

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Vineyard Culture, World Heritage - UNESCO

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Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture, World Heritage

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What about tasting a wine that grows on basaltic rock? It seems strange that such conditions produce such a delicious nectar, but the truth is that in days

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Don't miss

have a coffee accompanied by a pastel de nata or some other kind of Portuguese pastry

taste the excellent Portuguese olives

simply taste some grilled fish, seasoned with Portuguese olive oil

savour the excellent Portuguese seafood

taste one of the many convent desserts: rice pudding, crème brûlée, sponge cake, barriga de freira (nun's belly), papos de anjo (angel's chins), toucinho do céu (bacon from heaven) and many others

taste Rocha do Oeste pears or the Bravo de Esmolfe apples and enjoy the PGI varieties of Alcobaça apples, Elvas plums, Cova da Beira cherries and pineapples from the Azores. These are all DOP fruits

Taste some chilled white wine on hot days

The food in Portugal is a closely guarded secret. Portuguese cuisine has everything to please even the most discerning palate because it is based on genuine quality products, cooked according to traditional recipes or to the most innovative and unusual trends.

We might say that Portuguese cuisine hinges around into five icons. Let's start with the fish from our extensive Atlantic coast, the best fish in the world in the opinion of many renowned international chefs.

Their habitat and specific geomorphological location in the Atlantic give the fish unique conditions for birth and growth that enable them to acquire a taste and texture hard to match elsewhere.

The best fish are caught by line and by traditional techniques. They then benefit from high-tech storage and distribution methods which create the best conditions for the fish, and the shellfish too, to reach Europe's and America's top quality restaurants, where they are cooked by the world's best chefs. These restaurants, however, don't have another icon of Portuguese cuisine, the cataplana, a utensil that is the delight of gourmets and those who like to conjure up all the senses around the table.

The third icon of Portuguese cuisine is Port wine, considered both sumptuous and sensual. Its unique characteristics come from the soil, man's hard work and the sunshine that ripens the fruit. When we think in the grapes grown in the oldest wine region in the world we have to smile as we realise that nature and man knew how to unite to create a truly exceptional product. This region was classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, as well as the Lodges in Gaia where these wines age.

Let's us speak about Portuguese sweets next: they are divine. We should give thanks to God, like the nuns used to do in the old days while preparing their recipes of sugar, eggs and almond in the seclusion of their cloisters. The result of the balance between flavour, creaminess and crispiness is another icon of Portuguese cuisine, considered a truly heavenly sweet: the pastel de nata (custard tart)!

The fifth icon of Portuguese cuisine lies in the human factor. Our chefs are increasingly talented and are winning more prizes, revolutionising the richness of Portuguese cuisine with their creativity, boldness and good taste. Currently Portugal is proud to have a host of chefs who work at the highest levels of cuisine, using old-established recipes or more unusual methods that often enhance the flavour and quality of local products.

We haven't yet spoken of a number of other products that also help to distinguish what is eaten in Portugal. The Protected Denomination of Origin (DOP) meats from local breeds - Bísaro pig and black pig, Arouquesa, Maronesa, Mertolenga, Barrosã and Lafões beef, Barroso kid (charnequeiro and transmontano), Terrincho and Bragançano lamb - whose producers work hard to maintain their succulence and flavour. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the basis of Portuguese cuisine and of its more Mediterranean characteristics, typical of a healthy, simple and varied cuisine. They are the product of a fertile land, which is adopting the new organic production processes that are friendly to both consumers and the environment. For seasoning, we have another Mediterranean product, pure aromatic olive oil that is conquering international markets with every passing day. Fish, soups, salads and cheeses are all seasoned with it. Yes, even the wonderful mountain cheeses produced in Portugal that the world has yet to discover. The creamy, oily or dry goat and sheep cheeses also make us bless the heavens.

To accompany all this, we have another secret that is just beginning to be revealed: our excellent table wines. Created from a new generation of winemakers and producers with a new vision for the cultivation of vines, Portuguese wines are exactly the right drink to accompany meals and you always have a wine of great quality according to the region of the country in which you are dining.

Now you just need to sit down at the table and toast a delightful experience.

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Don't miss have a coffee accompanied by a pastel de nata or some other kind of Portuguese pastry taste the excellent Portuguese olives simply taste some grilled fish, seasoned with Portuguese olive oil savour the excellent Portuguese seafood taste one of the many convent desserts: rice pudding, crème brûlée, sponge cake, barriga de freira (nun's belly), papos de anjo (angel's chins), toucinho do céu (bacon from heaven) and many others taste Rocha do Oeste pears or the Bravo de Esmolfe apples and enjoy the PGI varieties of Alcobaça apples, Elvas plums, Cova da Beira cherries and pineapples from the Azores.

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Don't miss

make a toast with the recent but excellent sparkling Vinho Verde wines

visit the Lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, where Port Wine ages, on the Port Wine Route

when in Porto, visit the Portuguese Wine Tasting Rooms (open Tuesday to Saturday) in the Palácio da Bolsa, which is also worth a visit

take a boat ride with the Sado dolphins, on the Setúbal wine route

on the same route, discover the Tróia Peninsula, the longest stretch of beaches in Europe

discover Alqueva in the Alentejo, the largest artificial lake in Europe, where you can take a cruise or rent a houseboat and spend a few days of pure relaxation

Portugal's wine routes will provide some excellent trips to discover a pleasure that has been perfected over time.

In fact, it is known that wine has been widely grown in Portugal since at least the time of the Roman Empire. Production has gone through many phases over time, but the year 1756 is worth noting, when the Marquis of Pombal created the Upper Douro General Vineyard Agricultural Company aimed at delimiting the 1 st demarcated region in the world, registering the vineyards and classifying the wines according to their quality.

Vinho Verde Route
Starting in the north, the Vinho Verde Wine Route runs from the Minho to the Douro. Green, which gives its name to the wine, is the predominant colour in the region, punctuated by historical cities like Braga and Guimarães, and others along the rivers, which are smaller but also full of charm. Examples include Amarante, Viana do Castelo, Barcelos and Ponte de Lima. This is a region of rural tourism, with palaces and manor houses whose vineyards are worth a visit to discover vines growing on trellises, the espigueiros (grain stores) and an amazing landscape that gives rise to light, young, fresh wines.

Alvarinho Vinho Verde Route
The sub-region of Monção and Melgaço, alongside the river Minho, is within the Vinho Verde route , but is also the birthplace of the reputed Alvarinho, the most prized variety of vinho verde. For this reason, Alvarinho wine has its own route, centred around these towns. In the Solar do Alvarinho in Melgaço, or in the Paço do Alvarinho in Monção, you can try the wine, and taste or buy other regional products.

Port Wine Route
The Port Wine Route follows hillsides of great scenic beauty with the River Douro meandering down below, between the mountains. It was this beautiful and unique landscape that won the title of World Heritage for the Alto Douro Vineyards. The route also includes the region of the Archaeological Park of Foz Côa, another World Heritage site. It encompasses cities full of heritage and tradition, like Vila Real and Lamego, but what distinguishes the DouroValley is its vast expanse of farms producing wine, many of them dedicated to wine tourism. You can stay overnight in their tourist accommodation, have wine tastings and participate in the work of the wine production, particularly during the grape harvest. These days, on this route, some excellent table wines, the Douro white, red and rosé wines, are produced by the same vineyards that produce Port Wine.

Bairrada Route
Right in the centre of Portugal, the Bairrada Wine Route is located along the strip of coastline where Aveiro and Figueira da Foz beach are to be found, but also covers the area around Coimbra, a city classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. This region also contains some of the oldest and most reputed Portuguese spas, with thermal baths and health programmes. The suckling pig from Bairrada, one of the highlights of Portuguese cuisine, is particularly enjoyable accompanied by the great wines of the region, which include the sparkling wines, which Bairrada was one of the first regions in Portugal to produce.

Setúbal Península Wine Route
This is an area of great beauty south of the River Tagus, bordered by the Serra da Arrábida Natural Park and the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, known for its friendly dolphins. The beautiful beaches of Sesimbra and Portinho da Arrábida, north of the Sado, are counterbalanced by the huge expanses of sand on the Tróia Peninsula, on the southern side. While Setúbal is the main city, with an historic centre that is well worth strolling around, Palmela and Vila Nogueira de Azeitão are the capitals of the Wine Route, with wineries and farms you can visit. The Setúbal Muscatel, one of the most reputed wines in Portugal, comes from this region.

Photo: ©Turismo do Alentejo

Alentejo Wine Route
The Alentejo Wine Route stretches along the plains of the region, and is marked by the heat, except in the far north near the S. Mamede Mountain. Here is the walled Marvão, one of the most beautiful of Alentejo villages, and another further south, Monsaraz, on the edge of Alqueva. Borba, Redondo, Reguengos and Vidigueira are the names of lands and wines with a long tradition. The region's capital, Évora, owes its World Heritage classification to the variety and beauty of its heritage, but the entire region is worth visiting to enjoy a unique landscape, made of rolling fields, cork oaks and lakes which reflect the blue sky and the soul of a region where the power of the land wins you over.

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Don't miss make a toast with the recent but excellent sparkling Vinho Verde wines visit the Lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, where Port Wine ages, on the Port Wine Route when in Porto, visit the Portuguese Wine Tasting Rooms (open Tuesday to Saturday) in the Palácio da Bolsa, which