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Holidays in Portugal
Find your holiday to Portugal
Find your holiday to Portugal
Choose your Portuguese adventure with Co-op Travel
With its intriguing history, beautiful landscapes, sandy beaches and diverse cities, Portugal is a captivating destination. Delight in the fairytale town of Sintra with historic palaces surrounded by lush forests. Cruise down the Douro River, stopping off to sample the best Portuguese wines. Immerse yourself in the history of cities, monasteries, castles and ancient ruins. Or simply relax on a sandy beach.
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Top 10 sights to see in Portugal
1. Family friendly beaches
The Algarve is a fantastic place for family beach holidays, offering golden sandy beaches with crystal-clear waters, thrilling water parks, boat trips to see dolphins, and water sports, mini-golf and the Algarve zoo.
Portugal overview
Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe. Its culture reflects its history and is a fusion of old and new. It is considered one of the most peaceful countries in the world and is known as ‘a garden by the sea’ with green mountains, open plains, and fertile valleys.
Literary heroes such as Luís de Camões and Fernando Pessoa hail from Portugal. Fado music is renowned for its soulful nature and is a significant part of Portuguese culture. Portugal hosts many festivals and religious celebrations throughout the year, attracting locals and tourists.
Portugal enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. But with so much diversity in its geography, there is variation across the country.
Coastal areas benefit from the Atlantic Ocean keeping temperatures moderate; summers along the Portuguese coast will be hot and dry, seeing temperatures of between 25 and 30°C (77–86°F) but will drop to 10–15°C (50–59°F) during winter months, when the weather is more likely to be wet.
The climate changes as you go inland towards central and northern parts of Portugal. Here you’ll experience a more continental climate with hotter summers and colder winters.
Portugal also includes the Azores and Madeira. The Azores have a mild maritime climate with temperatures of 15–25°C (59-77°F) all year round. Madeira benefits from a subtropical climate, making it a popular destination for tourists who want to see some winter sun.
Each season has its own unique characteristics; if you like nature then in the spring you’ll see the country come alive with lush, green landscapes and spring blooms.
Wine lovers will be able to enjoy vineyard harvest time in autumn. Like in spring, the temperatures will still be warm so it’s a perfect time for some outdoor activities or sightseeing.
If you’re looking for winter sun, then Madeira is the place to go, benefitting from a subtropical climate, so you should see warm to hot weather all year round.
What to eat
With the country’s long coastline, seafood is a speciality in Portugal, particularly the iconic dish bacalhau (salted cod). Traditional Portuguese meat dishes include piri-piri chicken, cozido à Portuguesa, a traditional Portuguese meat stew with seasonal vegetables, and chouriço assado, Portuguese sausage, often served with bread and olives as an appetiser. For something sweet don’t miss the famous pastéis de nata, otherwise known as Portuguese custard tarts.
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