Welcome to a cultured, stylish country with a tradition of gentle hospitality, gourmet foods and great wines. A seafaring nation with a complex history, Portugal has produced such legendary navigators and explorers as Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan. For a time, with Spain, it dominated the New World. Today, it is a country with a rich heritage and thriving cosmopolitan lifestyle. 
 

Lisbon, the capital, is a bustling port city that combines exquisite 16th-century architecture with such 20th-century attractions as restaurants, shops and nightclubs. In the historical quarters, you can listen to the melancholy Fado, traditional Portuguese poetry set to guitar music. From Lisbon, the coastal areas of Cascais and Estoril and the impressive forests at Sintra are easily accessible.

Porto, famous for its fine fortified and table wines, is Portugal's second city, situated on the River Douro on the Atlantic coast. With magnificent architecture, plazas and churches, Porto is a good base for exploring the northern forests and mountains.