Portugal [antikvár]

Destination Portugal s a Stunningly beautiful and sunny, Portugal is one of Europe's most fascinating nations. It. _ huge country disguised as a small one, with a bewitching air of faded grandeur and exotic tendrils that are a reminder of when it was massive, a 16th-century global superpower, running territories in China, Brazil, India, Mozambique, Angola and Cape Verde. The ocean has a powerful hold on Portugal. With 830km of coastline it's unsurprising that the Portuguese have spent a long time looking out to sea. The great blue expanse dominates its history, cuisine, economy and spare time. But it is surprising that the Portuguese were so passionate about exploration. Portugal itself is wonderful, with amazing beaches, glorious architecture, vast landscapes, rural hideaways, convents and monasteries, and an unfair share of natural beauty. And it's not only beautiful, but fantastically diverse: the south has burnished-gold cliffs and craggy streaked rocks meeting long beaches, lagoons and serene sandy islands, while the north rucks up into great wooded hillsides, gashed through with ravines and rivers. If all you ask from a holiday destination are sophisticated resorts, romantic cities, remote stuck-in-time whitewashed villages, palace hotels, farmhouse retreats, empty golden sands, great surf, fun nightlife, flavoursome, fruity, good-value wine and simple, delicious cuisine, Portugal is the place for you. The cinnamon sprinkling on this custard-tart country is that the Portuguese are notably charming, courteous, good-humoured and know how to have fun - all reasons why the 2004 European Football Championships passed here with such ease (and so much excitement). It's also cheap - still one of Europe's biggest bargains. You will get more for your euro here than anywhere else. ry]