Portugal is a Beautiful Place to Visit

Portugal is of the best places for tourists, especially if you remember that this country is no less beautiful and no less attractive for May holidays than the rest of the European locations.

Since early 2011, the attractiveness of Portugal has grown even more. Egypt struggles with man-eater sharks and Tunisia is full of internal problem, and for some time these two countries forgot all about the hospitality. Naturally, the tourists who wanted to relax in these countries choose other destinations. Some of them stop their choice on Turkey and sunny Thailand, exotic Africa or, in some cases, on the extremely prestigious Canary. The most sensible tourists prefer to go to Europe, and from this part of the pie there’s a chance for Portugal to bite a big chunk.

Visa

It’s not difficult to get a Visa to Portugal. The residents of foreign countries are required to get a Schengen visa, which is generally something simple and affordable. The registration of it takes only a day, and usually the process takes place without any hassle.

There’s only one problem that can be faced by the tourists — the absence of a Portuguese Embassy in their country. This leads to the idea that the residents of these countries need to have a visit to the neighboring country to get the visa. The worst thing about this situation is that it is expensive and inconvenient.  I think this is one of the main reasons why people prefer to choose visa-free countries, which provide them easier, faster and cheaper access.

Flight

The length of the flight to the Lisbon depends on your initial location and the price of the ticket also depends on it. Nevertheless, tourists can always navigate between Closeouts of the European carriers and eventually find a flight at relatively low cost. But in that case you might be required to have a transfer flight.

Accommodation

The main feature of Portugal is the opportunity to choose accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets. If you’re not short of money, you can get a room in the capital hotel Dom Pedro, where even presidents of different countries love to stop.

The most economy place to stay is considered to be the Portuguese hostel. The hostels are famous all over the world: the website Hostelworld has been awarding its first place to the Travellers House Lisbon Lounge Hostel for several consecutive years. This option will not cost too much (around 18 euros per person per day), while at the same time they are mainly located in the heart of the capital and enjoy popularity among the students and active youth.

Another attractive option is the so-called pousada. This suburban hotel house offers decent rooms at moderate prices.Finally, if you travel in a big company, you can always choose the option of renting a small apartment or even a house. You just need to find the phrase “para as ferias” (on vacation) in the description of the object and just rent it!

Attractions

The answers to the question of what to see in Portugal are multiple. Over the long history of the country, it has accumulated a lot of attractions and cultural sites that attract tourists from around the world. Castle of St. George in Lisbon, Belem Palace (a beautiful architectural ensemble, for some time it has even become the palace of the president of Portugal), and countless monuments, churches, parks and museums. Only in Lisbon you might be required to stay for a few weeks, wandering through the black and white patterned streets, spending hours on the miradouro (it’s an observation deck), hang out in endless cafes or enjoy the waters of the Tagus on the waterfront.

As soon as you get tired of Lisbon, you can go to Sintra, and your half an hour will be spent on the process of admiring the beauty of the Aerial Palace and Quinta da Pena de Regaleyra.

If you have plans to enjoy the ocean, sunset, lighthouses and ancient fortifications, sunbathing and swimming, you better go to the Cascais. Incidentally, this year the official bathing season in the area of ​​Cascais started on May 1, which is earlier than usual.  The town called Algarve is much loved by beach lovers and party people, while in Nazare you will find pilgrims (mostly Christians) from all over the Europe. At the same time the coast near Peniche will be typically occupied  by surfers: riding the local waves is possible at any time of the year.

There are several focused tours that need to be experienced. They include wine tasting tours for the wine lovers, and cycling tours. The cyclers should be aware that there’s an easy biking trail almost across the entire coast of the Portugal, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful trails in the world.