PORTUGAL

Portugal brims with old-fashioned charm. This sun-blushed Iberian country offers postcard-perfect villages, medieval castles, heritage pousada hotels, a gilded coastline and walkable cities steeped in history.

During the Age of Discovery, Portugal became Europe’s first colonial empire. Wealth flowed into cities including the capital, Lisbon, and funded an artistic flourishing known as the Portuguese Renaissance – visible in the grand Manueline and Mannerist buildings, as well as paintings by masters such as Vasco. Alongside these national treasures, you will find relics of older empires: the Romans left their mark, not least in the UNESCO-listed city of Évora, which preserves ruins that include a first-century temple; as did the Moors, in Lisbon’s labyrinthine neighbourhood of Alfama – today the perfect spot to hear traditional fado music.

Wine enthusiasts can explore the history of port in pretty Porto or embark on a Douro River cruise between vineyards. The Algarve, meanwhile, tempts sunshine seekers with its golden beaches framed by dramatic cliffs. For more remote exploration, the nine-island archipelago of the Azores promises an experience of Portugal a world away from Lisbon.