Everybody travels to the Southern region of the Algarve for the fun in the sun and for the relatively cheap prices. People also go to the central Lisbon to visit a fascinating European capital city with a romantic air. But the developed, economically prosperous and culturally relevant Northern Portugal, with Porto, Braga and Vila Real (and many others) is in a league of its own.

Particularly Porto, called by the locals “The Unconquered City” or the “Cidade Invicta” since the times of the ancient Romans, is a great tourist center. It is worth visiting the countless parks, museums and admire the Romanesque cathedrals, Manueline houses and sip a glass of the richest and sweetest Port wine, coming right from the Douro region.

Ok, so far we have established it is well worth visiting this area of Portugal. But this doesn’t solve the problem of getting there and of getting around the town while there. Getting flight tickets at accessible prices is a real lottery. But our advice is to log on to low cost flight websites, such as Ryanair periodically and to be prepared to be spontaneous. Nevertheless, from places in Europe you can get promotional prices starting with 10 Euro a ticket to Porto.

Once inside Portugal, in Porto, you will also need transport. If you want to save money and really know where you are going, you can go for public transport. Otherwise, at equally attractive prices, you can ride in style with a private airport transfer, such as Porto Taxi services and Porto Airport Transfers. These companies offer fixed and very attractive prices to countless destinations in Portugal and can take you to and from Porto Airport stress-free.

Redescobrir os Segredos do Algarve (in translation, Rediscovering the secrets of the Algarve) is an ambitious project that wants to show tourist agents, tour operators and journalists (who normally sit “at the other end” of the “tourism chain”) exactly what a tourist coming to the Algarve experiences.

Those who spend their time promoting Lagos and the entire Algarve and help “selling” the Portuguese tourist product are now rewarded with a beautiful late vacation. The program established by the organizers includes trips to less known destinations in the Algarve, cultural elements and many surprises.

In a program where culture is entwined with tourism, RTA plans to stress not only the littoral importance of Lagos and other Algarvian destinations, but also the cultural heritage and the natural splendor. The history and patrimony of Portugal and the Algarve are not to be ignored, believes Desiderio Silva, president of the Regiao de Turismo do Algarve organization.

Maria Joaquina Matos, president of the Municipal Chamber of Lagos, is also of the opinion that initiatives such as Redescobrir os Segredos do Algarve should receive all the attention, as they show the region in a new light: as a culturally relevant center, not just as a place with sunny beaches and water sports.

Lagos, Portugal is one of the most important centers in the Algarve, alongside Portimao, Faro or Alcoutim. Today, Lagos attracts thousands of foreign visitors, especially English, Dutch and Germans, many of whom settle here after retirement. But fewer people know the city is a herald of the Portuguese Age of Discoveries and home of the famous Henry the Navigator.

The city is easily accessible by car and Lagos rent a car companies are never out of business.

One of the 32 Portuguese municipalities, Tavira has won a medal, flag and diploma for its efforts in exceeding the ecologic goals set out in the previous year. By undertaking various projects, involving the public in educational activities and raising eco-awareness, as well as through a pro-active effort to improve the actual quality of the environment, Tavira managed to score an overall 61.7% in all 21 indicators required by the ECO XXI Award. Apparently the implemented actions, sustainability policy and activities involved were convincing enough for the EU.

Located on the southern coast of Portugal, at the heart of the sunny happy Algarve, between Faro and Seville in Spain, Tavira finds its origins rooted deeply into history, dating back to the Bronze Age (1000-800 BC) when it was one of the first Phoenician settlements in the Iberian West.

After the Roman conquest followed by the Moorish rule and the Reconquista, in recent years, Tavira became a proud municipality of Portugal, being most famous for its tourist potential. The sandy beaches as well as the premium golf courses attract thousands of enthusiasts to the sunny shores of the Atlantic Ocean. The city also presents particular interest from the point of view of architecture, harmoniously combining ancient relics, Moorish mosques and the Christian medieval style with modern-day buildings.

Only 17 miles away from Faro Airport and 110 miles from Seville, Tavira is easily accessible by car, following the A22 motorway.

So let’s all warmly salute the Municipality of Tavira for taking one step towards a cleaner, healthier world and put this beautiful Algarve location on our list of places to go for an unforgettable vacation.

The country of Portugal is considered by many one of Europe’s unspoilt gems thanks to its special mixture of traditional villages and vibrant modern cities, all of which are encompassed within wonderful geography, splendid beaches and tons of history.

Portugal – possible destinations

Here are a couple of ideas to start with

Algarve

The cities and villages of Portugal offer a wonderful array of historical treasures as well as a wide array of World Heritage sites which one can spend many days visiting and touring, not to mention the many natural and cultural sights and attraction that offer various windows into the history of this once great exploring nation. Let’s take a quick look at what Portugal has to offer on the whole.

Despite the country’s reputation for its great scenic countryside and wonderful beaches, Portugal also features some rather lively cities, top amongst them being its capital, Lisbon, and right next to it, both geographically and in terms of attractions, Porto.

These two cities can represent a great introduction to the country, they feature picturesque neighborhoods, wonderful large plazas and old-fashioned trams, all of which create a particular type of atmosphere.

They are great places to get introduced to Portugal because they’re amalgamations of things you’ll find in more detail as you travel away from them into the countryside, so exploring their range of restaurants, cafes and boutiques can give you a sense of what you’ll encounter once you start visiting the smaller towns.

When it comes to the smaller towns however, expect much more of a medieval vibe from at least some of them, if not medieval then traditional or folkloric for sure, but many of the smaller towns such as Coimbra, Braga or Evora retain very well-preserved medieval quarters which are big pulls for those who are interested in history and in medieval European history especially.

The countryside that Portugal has to offer is imbued with hundreds of years of history and people living and working its fields. You can enjoy the warm weather while visiting hundred year-old villages and centuries-old vineyards. Exploring the coastline will offer some truly dramatic panoramas, from dune-covered beaches to windswept cliffs. Those who love to get involved with outdoor activities or who just like to partake in some sports while on their holiday will find that Portugal caters to pretty much anything that they might want to do, whether it’s hiking, horse-riding or big game fishing to kayaking, diving and golfing, you can do it in Portugal.

When it comes to sampling the culture, once you start exploring the coastline and the smaller towns and villages you will be able to see and particularly taste, the traditional side of the country. The food is wonderfully creative, and this is the place that created port wine after all, and while in a coastal city you will have access to some of the best seafood ingredients and recipes in the world.

This is obviously just a very quick look at what this wonderful country has to offer, just a small taste, a tiny idea of what it is to visit Portugal, keep in mind that once you’re there there will be so much more to it than you can imagine or read about.

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Desperados – Portugal Holiday Segment – Video