Portugal holiday villas, holiday homes and apartments for rent, self catering holiday rental accommodation direct from owners in Portugal.
Portugal Weather Portugal
is one of the warmest countries in Europe and is also one the most
popular holiday destinations for villa holidays. The weather in
Portugal varies between the 3 main regions: the north, the south and and
the islands. However, all coastal regions have a Mediterranean style
climate.
The average temperature in mainland Portugal varies
between 13 °C (55.4 °F) in the mountainous interior in the north to over
18 °C (64.4 °F) in the south. The warm Mediterranean style regions of the Algarve are separated from the Alentejo region by mountains. In
some areas, such as the Guadiana basin the average temperatures can be
as high as 20 °C (68 °F) with summer temperatures reaching as high as
45°C (113 °F).
Towns and cities in Portugal The capital
of Portugal is Lisbon with a population of around 2,661,850. It is
situated on the south central coastline of Portugal. Porto is Portugal’s second largest city and is situated in one of the Northern regions of Portugal. Faro is the main city and port of arrival for flights to the Algarve on the Southern Coast of Portugal.
Types of accommodation in Portugal Holiday
Villas in Portugal, Apartments in Portugal, Townhouses in Portugal,
Holiday Homes in Portugal, Vacation Rentals in Portugal, Holiday Rentals
in Portugal, self catering Algarve villas with pools. Portugal villa
holidays. House for rent in Portugal.
Portugal holiday info and destination guide Portugal
is located in south-western Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to
the west and south and sharing the Iberian peninsula with Spain to the
north and east. The Azores and Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean are also a
part of Portugal. Its climate is Mediterranean, it being one of the
warmest European countries. In mainland Portugal, yearly temperature
averages are about 15°C (55°F) in the north and 18°C (64°F) in the
south. Once Portugal was one of the poorest countries in Western Europe but latterly there has been significantly increased prosperity. It
has everything to offer the visitor, a rich, unique culture, lively
cities and beautiful countryside with outstanding landscape diversity.
It is possible to travel from green mountains in the North, covered with vines
and all varieties of trees to rocky mountains, with spectacular slopes
and falls in the Central Portugal, to a near-desert landscape in the
Alentejo region and finally to the glamorous beach holidays destination
of the Algarve – and all this in a single day. For those with who like
to combine their holiday with leisure and sport, Portugal is a golfing
haven with an excellent golfing infrastructure. Fourteen of Portugal's courses are rated in the top 100 best in Europe.
Lisbon Lisbon
is the capital of Portugal, its contemporary culture is alive and
thriving, making it one of the most ‘happening’ places in Europe today. Stretching
along the northern bank of the river Tejo and perched on the edge of
the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon is a city that uses water as a defining
element where as the land rises away from the water, steep streets and
stairways form the old tangled neighbourhoods or give way to squares and
green parks. It is an enchanting city with its white bleached limestone
buildings, intimate alleyways and an easy going charm mixed with a
nostalgia reflected in the traditional music of the fado performed in
cafes and small night clubs in the old quarter of the city, the Alfama
district. Still bearing signs of a long ago Moorish presence in the
city, the buildings are very close to each other with irregular streets,
winding alleys and the azulejo-covered crumbling walls of ancient
buildings. It is a great place in which to wander around. For
people watching the Rossio, the main square in Lisbon, and the
equivalent of London's Trafalgar Square is the meeting place for locals
and a great way to experience the lively city life of Lisbon. Other
‘must-sees’ in any visit to Lisbon are the Belem Tower, the Jerónimos
Monastery, the Monument to the Discoveries and the Cristo Rei, which is
similar to the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro, standing over 100
meters tall on the opposite bank of the Tejo from downtown Lisbon.
Estoril Further
afield but within an easy day trip from Lisbon is Estoril. Here can be
found a coastline with fabulous beaches interspersed with impressive
cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. It used to be the playground of
European royalty and this glamorous past is reflected in its many
gardens, villas and palaces. Estoril is renowned nowadays for its fresh
fish and seafood restaurants, the Estoril Spa, renowned for its
regenerative therapies, the Casino Estoril, the largest in Europe, and
its golf courses where it is considered one of the top destinations for
this sport.
Porto Porto is the second largest city,
the capital of the historic region of northern Portugal. Porto is above
all renowned for the production of port wine but it is also a busy
industrial and commercial centre. It has a semi-Mediterranean
climate, but it can be cooler than other cities with this climate
because it is strongly affected by the Atlantic Ocean. The city is built
along hills that overlook the Douro river estuary. It has a
historical centre whose buildings are granite and monumental unlike
other major Portuguese cities which tend towards the baroque. It has
UNESCO World Heritage status.
Coimbra Coimbra is a
small university city full of interesting places. The medieval centre
of Coimbra is wonderful for just wandering around in and getting lost
there is a pleasure. It is unusual in still having a number of independent bookshops, boutiques, toyshops, galleries, antique shops, restaurants and interesting museums.
Evora Evora
is the largest city in the central Alentejo region. It has a
magnificent cathedral and cloisters and its historic centre also has
UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Algarve The Algarve
is the southernmost region of Portugal, on the coast of the Atlantic
Ocean. It has stunning coastlines, wonderful beaches and excellent golf
courses. The water along its coastline tends to be warmer and calmer
than the water along the west coast. In winter, it is a beautiful,
peaceful corner of southern Europe with plenty of sun bleaching its
white-washed towns with their Iberian and Moorish-influenced
architecture. Faro is the regional capital and is a popular destination.
There is an impressive beach party and night life but many visitors
might prefer to use Faro as a base to explore the more remote areas
of the Algarve in the off-season. Albufeira, once a small fishing
village, has now developed into being a very touristic area but it does
have lovely beaches, a very good climate, and many restaurants, bars
and pubs. Algarve holiday homes and villas can be found near some of the
most popular beaches and may offer access to some of the finest golf
courses in the region.
Madeira Madeira is 310
miles from the African coast and 620 miles from the European continent.
It is known worldwide as the island of eternal spring, or the Garden
Island. It has a mild if rather wet climate throughout the year. Funchal,
the island’s capital is home to resorts, gorgeous panoramas and lots of
local colour. ‘Must-sees’ in any visit to Madeira are the levadas, an
impressive system of aqueducts started in the fifteenth century to
bring water from the mountains to farmland, Cabo Girão, one of the
world's highest ocean cliffs, the magnificent gardens of the Jardim do
Monte Palace and the Jardim Orquídea orchid gardens, for which Madeira
is justly renowned. A Madeira holiday home or villa would be the perfect
base for a holiday in Madeira.
