Things to do in Portugal

Portugal runs about 560 kilometres north to south, and rarely more than 220 across. The north and the south read like different countries. Add two mid-Atlantic archipelagos and the map turns into four decisions, not one.

Where the country splits

• Lisbon and the centre. The capital sits where the Tagus meets the Atlantic; Sintra's palaces and the Cascais coast lie under an hour out, Setúbal and the Alentejo plains a little further.
• Porto and the north. Granite hills, port wine, and the Douro terraces climbing the river valley east of the city, wetter and greener than the south through most of the year.
• The Algarve. The southern coast splits in two at Faro: golden cliffs and sea caves to the west, a flat lagoon behind barrier islands to the east.
• Madeira and the Azores. Volcanic islands out in the Atlantic, one subtropical and dry, the other cooler and often under cloud; walking and diving country rather than beach country.

Porto is under three hours from Lisbon on the fast Alfa Pendular. Faro takes about as long by rail, or under an hour by air. The islands need a flight, not a train.

What the country is built for

• Wine. Port from the Douro terraces, vinho verde in the north, moscatel around Setúbal; tastings tend to come with a vineyard lunch rather than a shop counter.
• The Atlantic. Surf runs the length of the west coast, from Ericeira's reef breaks to the winter giants at Nazaré; the south coast is calmer, built for boat trips and grottoes instead.
• Walking. Peneda-Gerês in the north is the only national park on the mainland; Madeira's levada paths and the Azores' craters are a wetter, greener kind of trail.
• The table. Grilled fish and salt cod on the mainland, tropical fruit and tuna on Madeira, dairy and beef from the Azores' wetter pastures.

Practical

• Weather. Lisbon and the Algarve pass 28C in summer; Porto sits nearer 25C and rains more. Winter days run about 14–17C on the coast, colder inland.
• Getting between regions. Trains run the mainland spine from Braga through Porto and Lisbon to Faro; the islands are reached by air.
• Rhythm. Lunch runs to about three, dinner rarely starts before eight, and small shops outside the big cities close for a couple of hours at midday.
• Tipping. Around ten percent is generous rather than expected; rounding up covers most casual meals.