Portugal

Overview
Portugal shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain, and isbordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. Its long,varied coastline, sunny climate, and the relaxed lifestyle of theinhabitants of its charming towns and villages have made it asought after holiday destination. The delight of Portugal is that,although it is undeniably part of modern Europe, it retains somerural enclaves where time has stood still and traditions flourish.In the southern province of the Algarve, modern high-rise resortsline the coast and buzz with all the trappings of a packagetour destination; the capital city, Lisbon, on the west coast, is abright, busy, crowded metropolis surrounded by bustling touristresorts. Travel a few miles north or east, however, and discover alargely undeveloped picturesque countryside full of medievalvillages and towns where life has changed little over severalcenturies.The Portuguese have a close affinity to the sea; for centuriestheir famed mariners led the way in the exploration of Africa andthe Americas, and opened trade routes to the East. The countrybecame a strong colonial power, and remained so until the mid-20thcentury, resulting in distinctive foreign influences on thelocal culture and architecture. From Africa, for example, wasimported the now traditional, sentimental fado music, which is oneof the country’s unique experiences for visitors,particularly in the cafés of Lisbon.In recent years Portugal, long overlooked on the list of theworld’s top vacation stations, has been investing time, moneyand effort into ensuring it is discovered by the world’stravellers, just as once it was the Portuguese who discovered theworld. This new age of discovery is paying off, as increasingnumbers of visitors arrive each year and hotel andresort construction has exploded. From the visitor's point ofview the compactness of the country makes it easy to take in allthe best elements: sandy beaches, scenery, history, wonderfulcuisine, lively entertainment, charming handcrafts, thrillingnightlife, country fairs, excellent sporting facilities and warm,friendly people.From the cobbled winding streets of Lisbon’s medievalcitadel to the cork forests in Alentejo, and from fishermen mendingtheir nets on remote beaches to the shopping malls andsophisticated glitzy resorts, Portugal is a country well worthdiscovering.

Money
Portugal is a member of the European Union and its officialcurrency is the Euro (EUR), which is divided into 100 cents. Thereare numerous banks, bureaux de change and ATMs available in maincities and tourist destinations. Foreign currency can be exchangedat banks, bureaux de change and automatic currency exchangemachines. Banking hours are generally 8.30am to 3pm Monday toFriday. Major credit cards are widely accepted, as are travellerscheques.

Time
Local time is GMT (GMT +1 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Language
Portuguese is the official language, but English is widely spoken and understood.

Climate
Summers are hot and dry throughout Portugal, particularly in theAlgarve, which experiences very little rain. However refreshing seabreezes make for pleasant conditions. Winters are cold and wet,particularly in the northern and west coast regions. Spring andautumn are good times to visit with cheaper rates at hotels andless crowded beaches, restaurants and golf courses.