Portugal

Portugal is a small country with a huge range. Ride a yellow tram up Lisbon's hills, taste port by the river in Porto, then drive south to cliffs and caves along the Algarve. Inland you find cork forests, whitewashed villages and castles on hilltops. Out in the Atlantic, Madeira and the Azores add flower-filled mountains, crater lakes and volcanoes. Everything is tied together by food: grilled fish, custard tarts, cheap coffee and a slow lunch that stretches into the afternoon. Portugal was once a great seafaring power, and you feel that history in the monasteries and tiled facades. People are warm and the pace is relaxed, which is why so many visitors plan a return trip.

Talking points

• Lisbon and Porto are both walkable, hilly, tiled and full of viewpoints.
• The Algarve has dramatic cliffs and sea caves, not only beach resorts.
• Madeira and the Azores are volcanic Atlantic islands with mountain trails and crater lakes.
• The pastel de nata, a custard tart, is the national treat.
• Port wine comes from the Douro valley, one of the world's oldest demarcated wine regions.