An undiscovered pearl...
I want to show you my country Portugal, a land of undiscovered wonders and beauty. I hope that after seeing this lens you will want to visit us.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was a pioneer of worldwide exploration with a vast transcontinental empire and was one of the world's major economic, political, and cultural powers. Until recently, however, it was never as successful in attracting visitors to its own shores. Outside of greater Lisbon, the Algarve, and the island of Madeira, Portugal remained unknown and undiscovered by the mainstream visitor for many decades.
So come and discover our country. Our people, whose warmth is legendary, inhabit a majestic land of extraordinary variety. You'll see almond trees in the African-looking Algarve; cork forests and fields of golden wheat in Alentejo; ranches in Ribatejo; narrow, winding streets in the Alfama in Lisbon; ox-drawn carts crossing the plains of Minho; and vineyards in the Douro. Azaleas, rhododendrons, and canna grow for miles on end; the sound of fado music drifts out of small cafes; windmills clack in the Atlantic breezes; sardine boats bob in the bays; and gleaming whitewashed houses glisten in the sun. The sea is never far away.Â
So please, on your next vacations why not visit Portugal! You will be most welcome!
Lisbon the white city
In its golden age, Lisbon gained a reputation as the eighth wonder of the world. Travelers returning from the city boasted that its riches rivaled those of Venice. As one of the greatest maritime centers in history, the Portuguese capital imported exotic wares from the farflung corners of its empire.Today, after a decades-long slumber, there is excitement again in this luminous city. Construction went on around the clock as Lisbon prepared for EXPO '98, which marked the 500th anniversary of Vasco da Gama's journey to India. Lisbon welcomed the world to its doorstep, and the visitors found a brighter, fresher city, as they continue to do today.
Lisbon the white city
The most beautiful pictures of Lisbon
Padrao dos Descobrimentos
Mosteiro dos Jeronimos
Guides to Lisbon
Lisbon (Eyewitness Travel Guide)
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
Top 10 Lisbon (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE)
Amazon Price: $9.60 (as of 10/07/2008)
Lonely Planet Lisbon
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
Madredeus
Antologia
Amazon Price: $9.97 (as of 10/07/2008)
O Espirito Da Paz
Amazon Price: $16.98 (as of 10/07/2008)
Ainda: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack From The Film "Lisbon Story"
Amazon Price: $9.97 (as of 10/07/2008)
Book your Hotel
Hotel Pestana Carlton Palace
A luxury hotel in a glamorous XIX century typically Portuguese building that has been painstakingly restored: this hotel is hidden in the midst of a splendid garden that is considered a national monument,...
*Rates found for: Nov 30 to Nov 30
- Pool
- Pets allowed
- Room Service
- Restaurant
- Fitness Room
Dom Pedro
Meeting rooms, baby sitting and laundry services are also available. mp 05/05. It is a magnificent modern building combining stained glass and white panels on each of the corners. This nice hotel is...
*Rates found for: Oct 5 to Nov 4
- Pool
- Pets allowed
- Room Service
- Restaurant
- Fitness Room
Lapa Palace
The hotel has its own private health club, with a beautiful spa with the latest treatments from La prairie, a bar and a top restaurant. mp 03/05 This hotel was previously a private family Palace. It is...
*Rates found for: Oct 5 to Nov 4
- Pool
- Pets allowed
- Room Service
- Restaurant
- Fitness Room
- Lisbon Tourism board
- The official site of the Lisbon tourism board.
Sintra, a glorious Eden
Writers have sung Sintra's praises ever since Portugal's national poet, LuÃs Vaz de Camões, proclaimed its glory in Os LusÃadas (The Lusiads). Lord Byron called it "glorious Eden" when he and John Cam Hobhouse included Sintra in their 1809 grand tour. English romantics thrilled to its description in Byron's autobiographical Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.Picture a town on a hillside, with decaying birthday-cake villas covered with tiles coming loose in the damp mist. Luxuriant vegetation covers the town: camellias for melancholic romantics, ferns behind which lizards dart, pink and purple bougainvillea over garden trelliswork, red geraniums on wrought-iron balconies, eucalyptus branches fluttering in the wind, lemon trees in groves, and honey-sweet mimosa scenting the air. But take heed-some who visit Sintra fall under its spell and stay forever. Sintra is one of the oldest towns in the country. When the crusaders captured it in 1147, they fought bitterly against the Moors firmly entrenched in their hilltop castle, the ruins of which remain today. Since then it has been a place of mystery and enchantment becoming the first centre of European Romantic architecture in XIX century of which the Pena palace is one of the most remarkable examples (see foto).
Sintra, a glorious Eden
City hall
Quinta da Regaleira
Quinta da Regaleira
Palacio da vila
Mourish castle
Wall of the mourish castle
Pena park
Initiation well, Quinta da Regaleira
Initiation well from above
Quinta da Regaleira
Pena Palace
View from the Battlements at Castelo dos Mouros
Neptune at Pena Palace
Sintra vila
Sintra vila
Always with a touch of magic
Montserrate
Macon symbol, Quinta da regaleira
Quinta da regaleira
Sintra vila
The XIX century Romanticism of Pena Palace
The westernmost gate of continental Europe
Palácio da Regaleira.
Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra
One of the most misterious places in Portugal
Books on Sintra
Sintra: A Glorious Eden
Amazon Price: $40.82 (as of 10/07/2008)
Sintra World Heritage
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
- Sintra tourism board
- The official tourism site on Sintra
- City hall of Sintra
- The site of the city hall of Sintra with information on events and locations.
- Sintra - A glorious eden
- My other lens on squidoo this time just about sintra!
Porto
Porto (Oporto in English) is Portugal's second-largest city and its capital of port wine. The 15th-century residence of the royal family, and a bastion of trade and mercantilism, the city is rich in the legacy of the past-art treasures, medieval cathedrals, famous museums, a fine library, and other attractions. Many old homes trace their beginnings to fortunes made in Portugal's overseas colonies and, in some cases, to events leading up to the Age of Discoveries.Every year, port wine is brought from vineyards along either side of the Douro River to lodges at Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto, where it's aged, blended, and processed.
Guides to Porto and the Douro region
Oporto and Northern Portugal
Amazon Price: $17.64 (as of 10/07/2008)
Port and the Douro (Classic Wine Library)
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 10/07/2008)
Port wine stuff on ebay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
- Porto tourism board
- The official tourism board for Porto
Algarve
Algarvian beaches are some of the best in Portugal. Their quality has led to the tourist boom across the southern coastline, making it a formidable rival of Lisbon's Costa do Sol and Spain's Costa del Sol. There are literally hundreds of beaches, many with public showers and watersports equipment available for rent. 
Guides to the Algarve
Algarve Top 10 (Eyewitness Top Ten Travel Guides)
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
Algarve Travel Pack (Globetrotter Travel Packs)
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 10/07/2008)
The Rough Guide to The Algarve
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
- Algarve tourism Board
- The official tourism board of the Algarve region
Plan your trip to Portugal
Reader Feedback
So what did you think of my country? Did I manage to convince you to come visit us? Leave your thoughts here.
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axlarry
Great lens madscientist! Lensrolled yours to my Algarve lens. Good job! Posted April 27, 2008 |
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LeahWhitehorse
Maravilhoso :-) Posted March 16, 2008 |
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LeslieBrenner
I've only been to Porto, but it was beautiful. Saw a lot of Pritzker-winner Alvaro Siza's architecture. Would love to go back and explore more. 5 star lens. Posted February 27, 2008 |
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heipet
Hi madscientist, you did a brilliant job showing us your country! I don't need to be convinced to visit you though, I feel "homesick" for Portugal anyway and would love to return many many times! Posted February 15, 2008 |
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Karendelac
Fabulous pictures of a beautiful country. 5 star lens, thank you. Please visit me soon. Posted July 14, 2007 |
