up a big part of it and the authorities decamped farther from the border. Isolation has allowed the town to maintain its own unique language, Mirandese, and traditions like the war dance performed by local men wearing frilly skirts and striped woolen socks. There’s a sturdy stone cathedral and cobbled streets lined with centuries-old homes. It’s also famed for steak. See p. 410.
Piodão: Huddled on a terraced hillside in a remote corner of the Açor mountains in the center of the country, homes here are made from dark, almost black schist stone with slate roofs. In dramatic counterpoint is the little parish church, a wedding-cake confection in purest white with pale blue trim. At dusk, when the village glitters with yellow lights, it resembles a Neapolitan nativity scene. It’s a great base for hiking the hills or sampling hearty highland dishes like goat slow-cooked in red wine. See p. 328.
Ponte de Lima: Once a Roman outpost, Ponte de Lima lays claim to being the oldest village in Portugal. It’s defined by the ancient stone bridge that arches over the slow-moving River Lima and connects the village to the slender tower of St. Anthony’s Church on the west bank. Ponte de Lima is packed with historic mansions whose balconies overflow with summer flowers. It’s set in the verdant hills of the Minho region and surrounded by baroque estates producing crisp vinho verde wines. See p. 386.
Mértola: Clinging to a high ridge over the River Guadiana, this picturesque collection of white-painted houses surrounded by medieval walls was the capital of an Arab kingdom in the Middle Ages. Its parish church was a mosque with a multi-columned interior—a rare survivor of Islamic architecture in Portugal. Wandering its ancient streets, it’s not hard to imagine its golden age as a cosmopolitan river port. The river provides swimming and kayaking opportunities, and local restaurants thrive on boar, hare, and other game hunted in the wild surroundings. See p. 290.
Portugal’s best Beaches
Porto Santo: Madeira Island lacks beaches, but a 2-hour boat trip (or 15-min. flight) away is one of Portugal’s best. The little island of Porto Santo boasts a 10km (6 mile) stretch of golden sand stretching around a bay of still blue water with views across the mountains of Madeira on the horizon. See p. 428.
Cabanas: Cabanas is a little fishing village just outside the Algarve town of Tavira. After lunching in one of the great waterfront seafood joints, hop on one of the skiffs that skim across the blue lagoon to a sandbar island flanked with over 5km (3 miles) of soft yellow sand. See p. 229.
Praia da Marinha: Coves of pale sand nestled beneath honeycomb cliffs, near the resort of Carvoeiro, this is one of the most iconic Algarve beaches. In summer, you won’t have it to yourself, but its distance from the main resorts means it does not get as crowded as most along this stretch of coast. See p. 235.
Comporta: A endless curve of platinum-blond sand in a bay of sapphire blue water. It’s achingly beautiful, with the Arrábida hills in the distance. With the shabby-chic village of Comporta on the other side of the dunes, this is the most fashionable spot on the coast. Be careful you don’t bump into Madonna or Maria Sharapova as you head from the seafood desk to the water, and make sure you’re inside before mosquito time around sunset. See p. 190.
Guincho: In the lee of Europe’s westernmost point at Capo da Roca, this broad expanse of sand is the most dramatic of the beaches in the Cascais-Sintra area west of Lisbon. Its exposure to Atlantic breezes whipping around the cape means that except on rare calm days, it’s better for surfers and wind sports rather than laying out on the sand. But the views are dramatic, and there are excellent restaurants along the coast road. See p. 150.
Supertubos: Portugal’s surfer beach par excellence. Although the waves here are not as big as the record-breaking rollers up the coast in Nazaré, this strand, just south of the fishing town of Peniche, is renowned for the regularity of its perfect tubular waves crashing on to the soft sand. See p. 204.
Quiaios: Look north from the Serra da Boa Viagem hills above the resort of Figueira da Foz and Quiaios beach stretches as far as you can see—an endless strip of sand backed by dunes and pine forest. There’s a small village at the southern end, and beyond that, solitude. Care can be needed with riptides; check with the lifeguard. See p. 310.
Moledo: Portugal’s northernmost beach has long been a favorite for the in-crowd from Porto. A vast sandy expanse, it curves down from the River Minho that forms the border with Spain. It is overlooked by the conical outline of Mount Santa Tecla over the frontier and a 15th-century fort on a small offshore island. As with other northern beaches, the water can be cold, the wind fresh, and the mornings shrouded in mist, but there is no denying the wild beauty of the location. See p. 401.
Portugal’s best Hotels
Belmond Reid’s Palace (Funchal): The grand old lady of Madeira hotels was built in 1890s and was once the favored retreat of Sir Winston Churchill. Tea and scones are still served on the terrace at 5pm as a reminder of the time when the British upper set wintered here, but Reid’s has managed to shed a one-time fusty image without losing any of its period charm or superlative service standards. It’s wonderfully located amid clifftop gardens overlooking the Atlantic. See p. 430.
Dá Licença (Estremoz): Two guys from the Parisian antique and fashion world have transformed an Alentejo farmstead into a work of art. Each of the enormous, light-filled suites and rooms is decorated with great style using locally mined marble and unique pieces from their world-class collection of art nouveau furniture and design. There are private pools hewn from marble and views, citrus groves and thousands of olive trees and the opportunity to take dinner in art-themed private dining rooms. See p. 282.
Le Monumental Palace (Porto):This long derelict 1920s palace has been rescued by French investors who have restored its Jazz Age glamor. It blends Belle Epoque, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco styles with sensitive modern touches. The pavement-level cafe is again a city social hub; rooms are “grand hotel” elegant, and the deluxe spa ensures premium pampering on the main boulevard
up a big part of it and the authorities decamped farther from the border. Isolation has allowed the town to maintain its own unique language, Mirandese, and traditions like the war dance performed by local men wearing frilly skirts and striped woolen socks. There’s a sturdy stone cathedral and cobbled streets lined with centuries-old homes. It’s also famed for steak. See p. 410.
