Looking towards the Atlantic, Portugal has traditionally been a nation of great explorers, but is a country that deserves to be explored itself. In the north, the sense of spirituality in the
Peneda-Gerês Mountains, the verdant beauty of the
Minho, and the grandeur of the port-wine-producing
Douro Valley are all striking, as are the brightly coloured wooden boats and candy-striped houses of the
Aveiro region.
West of Lisbon, it is the sumptuousness of the palaces and monasteries that impresses, while in our other chosen regions, the outstanding feature is the tranquillity that reigns over the little-known sierra and rugged clifftops of
western Algarve, and the beaches and vineyards of the
Setúbal Peninsula south of the capital.