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Lisbon

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Tourist Guide and Information about Portugal

 

 

 

Portugal (Republica Portuguesa) is a Parliamentary democracy, member of the European Union, situated at the south-west point of Europe and also includes the Madeira and Azores archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east. The state capital is Lisbon, while the other main cities are Porto, Braga and Coimbra. The administrative division of the territory comprises 7 regions: Norte, Centro, Lisboa and Vale do Tejo, Alentejo, Algarve, Madeira, Azores. Mainland Portugal is split by its main river, the Tagus. Other major rivers include the Douro, the Minho and the Guadiana. The northern landscape is mountainous in the interior areas, with plateaus indented by river valleys. The south, between the Tagus and the Algarve (the Alentejo), features mostly rolling plains and a climate somewhat warmer and drier than in the cooler and rainier north. The Algarve, separated from the Alentejo by mountains, enjoys a Mediterranean climate much like southern Spain. Portugal's highest point is Mount Pico on Pico Island (Azores), it is an ancient volcano measuring 2 351 metres. Mainland Portugal's highest point is Serra da Estrela, measuring 1 993 metres.

  

The Azores are situated in the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America. They have an area of 2 355 km2 and consist of nine islands - São Miguel and Santa Maria in the Eastern Group, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial in the Central Group and Flores and Corvo in the Western Group. The Madeira Archipelago has an area of 741 km2 and lies in the Atlantic Ocean about 500 km from the African coast and 1,000 km from the European continent. It consists of the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo and the uninhabited Desertas and Selvagens islands, which are nature reserves.

Climate: Portugal is one of the warmest European countries. The climate in Portugal varies considerably from one region to another and is influenced by the relief, latitude and proximity to the sea, which offers mild winters, especially in the Algarve. In the Porto e Norte area and the Centro de Portugal region, particularly inland, nearer Spain, the winters are colder, although the temperatures are still mild when compared to the rest of Europe. The summers are hot and dry, especially in the inland areas (Trás-os-Montes in north-eastern Portugal and Alentejo). Spring and Summer months are usually sunny and the temperatures very high during July and August. Temperatures are slightly lower in the coastal areas, because of the influence of the sea. There are often warm, sunny days in autumn.

Azores: the climate in the Azores is influenced by the islands’ latitude and by the Gulf Stream, and temperatures are mild there all year round. The same factors also influence the sea temperature, which is very pleasant both in winter and summer and ideal for nautical sports all year round.

Madeira: the subtropical characteristics of the weather in the Madeira Archipelago can be explained by its geographical position and mountainous relief. The climate in Madeira is exceptionally mild, with average temperatures varying between 24 ºC in summer and 19 ºC in winter. The sea temperature is also very pleasant all year round, thanks to the influence of the warm Gulf Stream. It varies between 18 ºC in winter and 22 ºC in summer.

Tourist attractions: Portugal is renowned for its magnificent southern coast, the Algarve, one of the main destination of European tourism.

Unesco has inscribed 13 Portuguese sites in the World Heritage List: Alto Douro Wine Region (2001), Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores (1983), Convent of Christ in Tomar (1983), Cultural Landscape of Sintra (1995), Historic Centre of Évora (1986), Historic Centre of Guimarães (2001), Historic Centre of Oporto (1996), Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture (2004), Monastery of Alcobaça (1989), Monastery of Batalha (1983), Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon (1983), Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites in the Côa Valley (1998), Laurisilva of Madeira (1999). Between the properties submitted on the Tentative List are: Historic Centre of Santarem (1996), Algar do Carvao (1996), Furna do Enxofre (1996), Town of Marvao and the craggy mountain on which it is located (2000), Ilhas Selvagens (Selvagens Islands) (2002), The Southwest Coast (2004), Pombaline 'Baixa' or Downtown of Lisbon (2004), Mafra Palace, Convent and Royal Hunting Park (2004), Fortifications of Elvas (2004), Coimbra University (2004), Forest Park of the Discalced Carmelites, Bucaco (2004), Arrabida (2004).

Travel Documents: Citizens of the European Union, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland need only an identity card to enter Portugal. In addition to their identity card, minors must also present authorisation from their parents to travel. For visits of less than 90 days, a passport valid for at least three months after the end of their stay is necessary for visitors from Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, United States, Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela and Special Administrative Regions of the People’s Republic of China in Hong Kong and Macao. Citizens from countries not mentioned above need a visa to enter Portugal, which may be requested at the Portuguese Embassy or Consulate of their country for stays of up to 90 days.

Health: Nationals from the 25 European Union countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland are entitled to free or reduced-cost healthcare (the same benefits as Portuguese citizens). In order to have access to health services, citizens from the above-mentioned countries, who are not resident in Portugal, must produce their European Health Insurance Cards (issued by the origin country) together with passports or identity cards. In general, pharmacies are open on weekdays between 9 am and 7 pm (some close for lunch between 1 and 3 pm) and on Saturdays between 9 am and 1 pm. All of them have information posted on the door indicating the nearest pharmacies that are open at night.

Shopping hours: Shops are open from Monday to Friday, from 9 or 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some close for lunch from 1 to 3 p.m. On Saturdays from January to November, shops generally close at 1 p.m. though in city centres some are open in the afternoon. Shops tend to stay open on Saturday afternoons and sometimes even on Sundays in December for Christmas shopping. There are plenty of shopping centres inside and outside the cities that are usually open from 10 a.m. to midnight every day of the week.

Electricity: The electric current in Portugal is 230/400 volts at a frequency of 50 hertz and sockets comply with European standards. You will need a 230 volt transformer and an adaptor to use American-style flat-prong plugs.

Cuisine: The dishes of the portuguese cuisine are mainly made up of fish or meat. Between the soups, very good is Açorda de Mariscos a soup of fish, and the sopa de legumes. The cod, “bachalau” in Portuguese, is the main dish of the portuguese cousine, it comes served in hundred of ways: “assado”, that is fried with potato, or “cozido” (bubbled) or in the oven with potatoes and onions. Another famous dish, always fish, is the “fataça na telha”. Also popular are sardines, especially when grilled as sardinhas assadas, octopus, squid, crabs, shrimp, lobster, hake, horse mackerel (scad), lamprey, sea bass, scabbard (especially in the islands) and a variety of shellfish. Caldeirada is a stew consisting of a variety of fish and shellfish with potatoes, tomato and onion. Between the meat: “bife com batatas” (the steak with potatoes), leitao assado (meat of roast pig), roasted chicken or cabrito (the kid), the carne de porco a Alentejana, that is a combination of pig and sea fruits. There is a wide variety of Portuguese cheeses, especially made from goat's or sheep's milk, like Queijo de Azeitão, Queijo de Castelo Branco and Queijo da Serra da Estrela. PORTUGUESE CUISINE RECIPES.

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Airports and Flights: The main international airports are: Lisbon Portela Airport; Oporto Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport; Faro Faro Airport; Funchal, Madeira Funchal Airport; Ponta Delgada, Azores João Paulo II Airport. There are several Portuguese airlines offering regular domestic and international flights. TAP Air Portugal has scheduled flights to more than 50 international destinations and domestic flights between Lisbon, Oporto, Faro, Madeira and the Azores, and also between Madeira and Porto Santo. Portugalia has regular domestic flights and various flights to foreign destinations. SATA has regular flights between all the islands of the Azores and from the Azores to Madeira and mainland Portugal and also offers regular flights to a number of international destinations. ATA Aerocondor Transportes Aéreos operates regular domestic flights and international charters. Hi Fly flies to domestic and international destinations and is also a charter airline.

Area: 92,152 sqkm

Population: 10,500,000

State Capital: Lisbon

Language: Portuguese. Portuguese is the third most spoken European language in the world and the native tongue of about 200 million people.

Religion: Roman Catholic.

Currency: Euro

Time: During winter time, i.e. from 1 a.m. on the last Sunday in October to 1 a.m. on the last Sunday in March, the official time in mainland Portugal and Madeira is the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The rest of the year (between 1 a.m. on the last Sunday in March and 1 a.m. on the last Sunday in October), summer time is in effect and the official time in mainland Portugal and Madeira is Universal Time Coordinated plus one hour. In the Azores, the time is one hour earlier than in the rest of Portugal and therefore one hour earlier than the Universal Time Coordinated during winter time and two hours earlier during summer time.

 

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