Praia da Samoqueira, Porto Covo, Portugal

Given that the country has over 1,790 kilometres of coastline, it should come as no surprise to find that Portugal is brimming with beautiful beaches from north to south. Some of the best beaches in Portugal are relatively unspoilt and there is a great deal of variety among them. WhetherRead More →

Views on Porto. Discover which city parks offer the most stunning views so you can fully appreciate them and take enviable photos

With its prime position on the mouth of the river Douro and its huddle of colourful buildings, Porto is extremely photogenic. Here are my tips for where to find the best views in Porto so you can go home with enviable holiday snaps. Note that my flexible self-guided walking tour of Porto sightsRead More →

Bandstand and monastery, Sitio, Nazaré. Best time to visit Portugal

The best time to visit Portugal is as soon as you can! Seriously though, this country has so much to offer throughout the year that there is no bad time to come. Obviously, this depends to some extent on what you want to do when you’re here as certain activitiesRead More →

Suitcase with Amália on front. Packing Tips for Portugal

Despite years of travelling in Portugal and further afield, I still hate packing. My husband Mike brags about his 5-minute packing process but it really is different for women. So many factors influence my decisions about shoes and clothes that it often takes me ages to work out what toRead More →

blue and green hot air balloon, inside

The wind did its best to thwart my attempts to fly in a hot air balloon but I finally got the chance to make one of my dreams come true at the International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Elvas in Portugal’s Alentejo region. Find out what my experience of hotRead More →