Hotels & Resorts in Portugal

The Atlantic Ocean kisses 528 miles of beaches under 3,000 hours of sunshine in this seafaring land that counts Magellan and Vasco de Gama among its earliest celebrities. Launching from Lisbon, Europe’s second-oldest capital and the only one with oceanfront sunsets, these intrepid men would find much unchanged, and the views from the seven hills lovely as ever. After colonialism, its melancholy fado music was named a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage; many of its beaches became Blue Flag-certified; and the tramway system turned 100. Today, follow the sound of live music to the Estrela Gardens, Chiado, and Bairro Alto, all at their liveliest after sunset.

To the north, Porto provides a more leisurely contrast – fitting as the birthplace of port wine, a beverage meant to be relished in its UNESCO World Heritage city center. Here, Gustave Eiffel’s pre-Tower Dom Luis Bridge arches over the Douro River, where cafés and port warehouses line the banks. Looking for modern scenery? Don’t miss the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art’s changing exhibits or shopping on pedestrian Rua de Santa Catarina.