When it comes to choosing your next holiday location it can be a lot more complicated than you first imagined. Taking a typical family of four, one child might want to go somewhere with a beach so they’ve got something to do, another child might just want to lay in the sun around the pool. Your partner might want a city break with the opportunity to learn something about the country they’re in and pick up a bit of the language and culture, whereas you might want a cruise.
One thing you might all have in common is the country you want to visit. After all, for sunshine, culture, beaches and cruises, you need to be going somewhere coastal, and one country that provides all of this in abundance is Portugal. Surrounded by the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, it’s easy to see why it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the whole of Europe.
But what is it that makes Portugal so appealing? I could go on for hours, but I won’t bore you with all of the reasons, here are just five:
Affordable
Prices in Portugal are among some of the lowest in Western Europe, which includes nations such as Spain and France don’t forget. Many hotel reviewers have found that five-star hotels in Portugal can range from anywhere between 25% and 50% less than similar standard accommodation across the border in Spain.
Food
Like most coastal countries, Portugal is filled with fresh seafood like Paella and tapas – which, while traditionally Spanish dishes are just as popular in Portugal. Fresh food and drink are in abundance and there is always something new to try as well as local delicacies.
Language
The Portuguese language, while globally renowned, is regularly sacrificed by natives who are often perfectly happy to talk in English too with many learning it as a second language throughout their education. For this reason, you get the opportunity to help Portuguese people to learn English, and you can learn a bit of Portuguese in return – as well as having a conversation with local people which is always useful in a foreign country!
Cities
With cities like Lisbon, it’s easy to see why Portuguese city breaks are popular. The capital city is packed full of history and is one of the oldest in Europe.
Weather
A lot of European cities suffer from extreme fluctuations in temperature, making them unbearable to us Brits who are either cold or warm – there’s no alternative! In Portugal, you know what you’re getting before you arrive, with the warmer temperatures in the south and the north much more like the UK, so you can find your happy medium!
