Portugal
If someone asked us where to send them on a first trip to Europe, we would say Portugal, and we would keep saying it until they went. Officially the Portuguese Republic, it sits in the southwest corner of Europe and also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira. Mainland Portugal is the western most point of continental Europe and hosts some amazing cities including Lisbon and Porto. Soccer is the most popular sport and Portuguese is the national language. It’s my favorite country in Europe and the more that I spend time there, the more I love it.
When visiting Portugal it’s important to think about what time of year you are visiting and where you want to focus your time and energy. If you’re a wine and port lover, then spending time in the Douro Valley and up north by Porto should be high on your list. If you love the beach and warm weather then planning a trip to southern Portugal and the Algarve, Madeira or the Azores might be a better priority. If you gravitate towards large cities and want a taste of it all, beach and culture, then Lisbon is a place you could plan on spending a bulk of your time.
For first time visitors to Portugal, you’ll likely pass through Lisbon since it has a major international airport. From there you can take trains to many places and don’t need a car unless you plan on exploring some off-the-beaten-trail spots. It’s an easy city to navigate, though bring good walking shoes since the city can be hilly and steep. Same thing goes for Porto and Sintra, two other places you’ll likely want to explore with comfy walking shoes or sneakers.
It’s easy to communicate in Portugal, since the schools teach English and most everyone is bilingual in the bigger places like Lisbon. It’s also a melting pot of culture in Lisbon and has experienced an influx of expats from all over the world within the past decade thanks to generous visa incentives.
