Spending winter in Portugal may prove to be an exciting option. And while the weather stays warm throughout the year in the Algarve, the northern part of Portugal enjoys snow and a temperate weather. In Porto, you might even have a white Christmas.

As for true winter resorts, there is one great place in Portugal: the Serra da Estrela National Park. Situated in the Serra da Estrela mountain range, crossed by the rivers Mondego, Alva and Zezere, the park covers around 1000 sq km, making it the largest protected area in the country. It is a fairytale land, where winters resemble those in the north and summers blossom in fast springs and multicolored flowers cover the fields. The horseshoe-shaped valleys are crowded with polished rocks, glacial lakes remind of the ice age that modeled the mountains and the surrounding landscapes.

For those who want to practice winter sports, there are 9 skiing pistes, set at a maximum altitude of 1967 meters.

Those of you who love to hike, there is plenty to see and endless miles of forests and valleys to wander around. Oaks and juniper grow here in abundance. But the fauna, unfortunately, is rather poor. Once upon a time, there were bears here and magnificent wolves, but now they are a mostly thing of the past. You can, however, still encounter badgers, wild cats, otters and frogs.

You can always travel throughout the entire country of Portugal by car and choose the best destinations to your liking.

The entire world is getting their scary costumes ready for the black and orange feast of Halloween. But while the kids are preparing to go “trick or treat”-ing, the adults may be interested in a more mature celebration organized in Castro Marim in honor of all the people and of the entire industry of salt harvesting.

The event is scheduled for 6 PM this week, October 31st , at the Casa do Sal and is the first edition of the Salt Festival (o I Convivio da Safra do Sal). Castro Marim is the most representative Portuguese core of salt production and the place where the largest community of people involved in the exploitation and production of salt resides. The local salt economy is thriving.

The initiative for this interesting celebration came from the Municipal Chamber of Castro Marim (Camara Municipal de Castro Marim). The event will also mark the inauguration of the collective photo exposition “Historias de Sal” (in translation, “Salty Stories”), promoted by Associacao ¼ Escuro in collaboration with Taller de Fotografia de Lepe (Spain), the Clube de Fotografia de Guerande and the French club La Baule. A total of 45 artist photographers will participate with their unique photos that piece together an unforgettably visually intriguing history of salt.

The organizers wish to bring together workers, companies operating in the salt field and other enterprises concerned in the production, exploitation or distribution of salt nationally and internationally. The stress will be placed on the importance of preserving the traditional salt industry and on the fact that salt is and will remain a vital component in the cultural life of Castro Marim.

You may come to Castro Marim for the sun, the ocean, the salt or for golf. Anyway, for this October end, you have an endless list of options.