Portugal Vacation Rental Self-Catering Apartments, Houses, and Condos.

Portugal has a rich seafaring past, superb beach resorts, wistful towns and a landscape wreathed in olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields. Littered with UNESCO World Heritage sites and graced by one of Europe's most relaxed and attractive capitals, it also remains refreshingly affordable.

Savouring life slowly is a Portuguese passion, and much of the best is humble - traditional folk festivals; simple, honest food drowning in olive oil; music that pulls at the heart strings, recalling past love and glories; and markets overflowing with fish, fruit and flowers.  

Four decades of dictatorship sidelined the country from modern progress and Europe's power centres, but like its neighbour, Spain, it has spent much of the last 20 years trying to move in from the periphery, forging new ties with the rest of Europe, restructuring its economy, and struggling to maintain what is best in its national culture despite the sudden onslaught of international influences.

Summer might be the most popular time to visit, but for the traveler who can chart his or her own course, spring and autumn are the most delectable seasons.

To use a North American analogy, the climate of Portugal most closely parallels that of California. There are only slight fluctuations in temperature between summer and winter; the overall mean ranges from 77°F (25°C) in summer to about 58°F (14°C) in winter. The rainy season begins in November and usually lasts through January. Because of the Gulf Stream, Portugal's northernmost area, Minho, enjoys mild (albeit very rainy) winters, even though it's at approximately the same latitude as New York City.

Snow brings many skiing enthusiasts to the Serra de Estrêla in north central Portugal. For the most part, however, winter means only some rain and lower temperatures in other regions. The Algarve and especially Madeira enjoy temperate winters. Madeira, in fact, basks in its high season in winter. The Algarve, too, is somewhat of a winter Riviera that attracts sun worshipers from North America and Europe. Summers in both tend to be long, hot, clear, and dry.

Lisbon and Estoril enjoy 46°F (8°C) to 65°F (18°C) temperatures in winter and temperatures between 60°F (16°C) and 82°F (28°C) in summer.

Best of Portugal

Óbidos
Traditionally the "Wedding City" - the bridal gift of Portuguese monarchs to their queens - Óbidos is perhaps Portugal's best-preserved walled town. Stay overnight and you miss the hoards of day-trippers.

Bom Jesus, Braga
The famous hill-top church of Bom Jesus, just outside Braga, is not only a place of pilgrimage, but it also provides a fun day out, surrounded by leafy parks, picnic tables, restaurants and cafés.

Train from Regua to Vila Real
The narrow gauge train route from Regua to Vila Real is an exhilarating ride through the magnificent mountains of the isolated region of Trás-os-Montes.

Évora
A historical UNESCO-protected city in the Alentejo, Évora is the best district to visit if you are after unspoilt white-washed villages and great wines.

Oporto
Oporto is Portugal's second city, and its saint's day, São João on June 23, just pips Lisbon's Santo António for being the rowdiest and most fun all-night street party.

Praia da Rocha, Algarve
Though long-discovered by tourists, the beach at Praia da Rocha on the Algarve still rates as one of the best in the country, especially off-season.

Restaurante D Fernando, Bragança
Restaurante D Fernando is not Bragança's top restaurant, but tucked inside the old walled town, its location is hard to beat.

Walks around Sintra
Only a stone's throw from the high-rise suburbs of Lisbon, the wooded slopes of Sintra - traditionally the summer retreat of royalty - offer some of the country's most lush woodlands and spectacular scenery.

Plateau, Lisbon
A long-established club in a city claiming to be one of Europe's hottest nightspots, Plateau in Lisbon is very cool and doesn't suffer from the heavy door policies of some of its neighbours.

For more information about Portugal, see the following website:

http://www.justportugal.org/