Viva Las Portugal

I realised the other day that I’ve spent a lot of time talking about the delights of Spain, but I’d never ventured across the border into Portugal. Part of this is because I’ve never actually been to Portugal, where as I’ve been to Spain several times. So to redress this we’re once again off on a virtual car hire trip around the Iberian Peninsula.

Portugal, like Spain, has a long and bountiful history. The Iberian Peninsula has been settled and occupied practically since the dawn of time. In-fact most major civilizations active in Europe and the Med have at some point left their mark upon the Portuguese Republic. Most of these cultures, especially the Moors and the Romans, left clear and visible marks upon the Portuguese cultural landscape, much of which is still evident today.

In 900AD the majority of Portugal was under Arabian control. After 300 years of bitter fighting the Christian forces of the then Duke of Portugal, Alfonso Henriques, succeeded in securing independence from Leon having gained the papacies seal of approval. In 1249 his successors defeated the Moorish armies to the south and captured the Algarve region effectively bringing the era of the Reconquista to an end.

After the Moorish expulsion, Portugal began its transformation into one of the major Christian powers of Europe. Portugal’s influence soon expanded across the world during the ‘age of discovery’ in the 15th century when Spanish and Portuguese explorers began to chart the known world. Lisbon soon became a populous and cultured metropolis, and it’s from there that we start our journey.
Lisbon is set amongst the local hills near the mouth of the Tagus River, virtually slap bang on the Atlantic coast. With a natural harbour formed by the Atlantic and the Tagus it’s easy to see why Lisbon became such a prominent city. Lisbon’s location near the equator and the Gulf Stream provides the city with over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, making it an ideal holiday location for those desperately in need of sun.

As with most European cultural centres there are literally hundreds of sites, monuments, building, museum s and galleries to visit within the city limits, each offering their own unique blend of Portuguese history and culture. Some of the greatest sites in Lisbon are the Castle of São Jorge, Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, Church of Santo António, Santa Luzia Belvedere, Largo das Portas ao Sol and the historic parish of Belem which contains several monuments dating back to the 15th century age of discovery, all are easily accessible via by car or public transport.

Of course Lisbon is not the only the place to visit in Portugal, two other places of merit are worth visiting and they are the city of Porto and the Algarve. One is north of Lisbon and the other is south, so arranging car hire in Portugal is probably a necessity unless you wish to fly or use public transport. Porto like Lisbon is another hustling and bustling cultural centre with lots to see and do. The Algarve is the Riviera of Portugal, thousands of people visit the every year. The area contains hundreds of beaches set across 5,412 KM’s of lush valleys, mountains and coastline. The area has long been a hot destination for both natives and tourists.

Posted on
Monday, March 1st, 2010

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Meh.