Today, Portugal is the only European country to use coriander as a fresh herb, in food and salads, and it makes the key ingredient in Açorda, a bread soup that defines the Alentejo. Simple, local and complex, Açorda is made with water, olive oil, garlic, a poached egg, salt, stale bread and coriander. Also made from local bread are migas which accompany fried pork cubes. Read more →

Portugal’s Travel Market Sets New Record in 2019 Portugal Welcomes More than 27 Million Guests in a Single Year, Including more than 1 Million Americans Read more →

-- 3 Couples Wearing Wedding Attire Will Win Flights, Long Weekend in Lisbon, Staying at Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Hotel -- Read more →

For Portugal, 1958 was a year that would finally see the last remnants of democracy crumble. The “Estado Novo” had held regular elections since coming to power in the 1920s, but the 58 Presidential elections where the first were the opposition was able to really challenge the power of Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar. Read more →

The Madeira Islands, an archipelago 750 miles southwest of Lisbon in the Atlantic Ocean, has a nearly perfect climate—warm all winter and never too hot in summer. Ancient volcanic cliffs that rise dramatically from the sea dominate Madeira’s fascinating landscape, with beautiful flora and fauna that leads to comparisons of Madeira with Hawaii. Read more →

TAP Air Portugal has been named as having the best Economy Class in Europe -- and the sixth best in the world -- by the readers of USA Today, as voted in the 2020 10Best awards.  Read more →

Portugal has no entrance exam.  But it is sneaking up on 900 years of existence.  Like a good glass of wine there are many flavors, and hues Last year we offered our tongue-in-cheek Portuguese citizenship exam. It gained a few comments, and stumped a few people. As a result, here is the 2nd round of “So you think you know Portugal.” And the questions just got a tad harder. Read more →

Madeira has never been easier to get to. TAP Portugal offers easy connections from Lisbon – and with non-stop service to Portugal from 9 US cities on five airlines, getting a connection is easy. TAP now has a 1 stop from Boston, DC, New York and Newark, Miami, Chicago and San Francisco. It is a 1.5-hour flight from Lisbon, Porto or the Azores and it takes about 15 minutes to fly between the two islands in the group—Madeira and Porto Santo. Madeira’s Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport and the Porto Santo Airport serve the archipelago.  The airport on Madeira is about a 30-minute drive to Funchal, the archipelago’s capital.  Madeira has also become a major stop for cruise ships. Read more →

Going North is also worthwhile when exploring Portugal. Make Porto your base and visit Northern cities like Braga or Chaves, or drive along the Douro River into Spain. And if you’re looking to be in touch with nature, venture in to the mountains and explore Portugal’s only National Park, Peneda-Gerês. Here you’ll find paradise-like waterfalls, challenging hiking trails and rewarding views. The surrounding towns and villages are good options for a more comfortable night’s sleep. And another mountain destination is Serra da Estrela, in the northern countryside Beira Interior, which is also close to quaint villages like Piódão. Read more →

Not all castles are the same. In Portugal, most are walled defensive structures built to protect a region. They were built around a main keep, and housed soldiers placed there to defend them. But you also had forts and fortified palaces. Portugal has hundreds of cables, but very few walled palaces, a mix of the defensive and the high living. Most date from the 15thcentury, when King D. Afonso V gave the nobility unprecedented powers, and his wars in North Africa and expansion of trade brought wealth to Portugal enriching the noble class. All the palaces here date from that brief period, as Portugal transitioned from the Middle Ages into the Renaissance. Read more →