Spain & Portugal

Spain is a country with four official languages, a rich palette of local cuisines, powerful mountain ranges and desert plains. It is a haven of high art and home to some of the most extraordinary Islamic architecture in the world. It offers the traveller a diverse choice of holidays from the vibrant cities, to the unspoilt coastal coves, country castles and let-your-hair down festivals.

Spain & Portugal

Useful Information for Spain & Portugal

Top Highlights - Spain

Madrid

This is Spain's headiest city, where the revelling lasts long into the night and life is seized with the teeth and both hands. Strangers quickly become friends, passion blooms in an instant, and visitors are swiftly addicted to the city's charms. With a triad of truly great art museums that includes the Museo del Prado, and buildings like the Palacio Real that span the centuries, plus lively plazas, mighty boulevards and neighbourhoods brimming with character, Madrid has plenty of sights to keep the eyes, ears and mind occupied.

Barcelona

Barcelona has transformed itself from a smug backwater into one of the most dynamic and stylish cities in the world. Summer is serious party time, with week-long fiesta fun. But year-round the city sizzles; it's always on the biting edge of architecture, food, fashion, style, music and good times. The wild and whimsical architecture of Gaudí dominates the streets of Barcelona and makes for some of the finest city-walking in the world. The art will beckon you from museums and street sides. The vibrant central drag, La Rambla, will lead you to the city's marvellous medieval quarter, Barri Gòrtic.

Granada

During the period of Muslim domination of Spain, Granada was the finest city on the peninsula. Today it is still home to the greatest Muslim legacy in Europe, and one of the most inspiring attractions on the Continent - the Alhambra.

The Alhambra Palace is a must-see. Set against the stunning Sierra Nevada and surrounded by cypress and elms, it's an escape into Granada's Moorish past. There's a lot to see, including the Alcazaba, the Palacio Nazaries (Nasrid Palace) and the Generalife Gardens, so allow at least an afternoon.

Seville

One of the first people to fall in love with Seville (or Sevilla if you prefer) was the poet-king Al-Mutamid, and the city's ability to dazzle has not abated since. It takes a stony heart not to be captivated by its exuberant atmosphere - stylish, confident, ancient, proud, yet also convivial, intimate and fun-loving.

Toledo

Toledo is an intact medieval city of narrow winding streets perched on a small hill above the Río Tajo. The city is crammed with fascinating museums, galleries, churches and castles. The awesome cathedral harbours glorious murals, stained-glass windows and works by El Greco, Velázquez and Goya.

Valencia

Spain's third-largest city, and capital of the province of Valencia, comes as a pleasant surprise to many. Home to paella and the Holy Grail, it is also blessed with great weather and the spring festival of Las Fallas, one of the wildest parties in the country.

Top Highlights - Portugal

Portugal is a country of astonishing beauty and diversity, not to mention clear blue skies and friendly, courteous people. Pick any destination and the view from your window might be a rugged stretch of windswept coastline (Cabo do São Vicente, Castelejo, Cabo Espichel), a pristine beaches where fishermen mend their nets beside brightly painted sardine boats (Albufeira, Bordeira, Praia do Camilo) or a cobbled street overlooked by dazzling whitewashed houses with wooden balconies and red-tiled roofs.

Portugal is a land of infinite options. You can mingle with the crowds in one of the more sophisticated beach resorts or wander through the medieval quarters of historic cities like Lisbon, Porto, Braga or Coimbra. To explore the more remote beauty spots (car hire is relatively cheap, driving a delight) stay overnight in a romantic pousada - a converted farm, monastery or manor house enjoying a wonderful setting - an amazing bargain.

Lisbon

Lisbon's position on seven low hills beside a river once lured traders and settlers, and it's still a stunning site. Add to that its cultural diversity, laid-back feel and architectural time warp, and you have one of the most enjoyable cities in Europe. At its heart are wide, tree-lined avenues graced by Art Nouveau buildings, mosaic pavements and street cafes.

Douro Valley

The Douro is one of Portugal's scenic highlights, with some 200km of bold, expansive panoramas stretching from the city of Porto all the way to the Spanish border. In the upper reaches, port-wine vineyards wrap around every crew-cut hillside, interrupted in parts by stark white manor houses. The roads which wriggle along the banks of the Rio Douro can be crowded with day-trippers from Porto, but the river has been tamed by five dams and is now navigable along its entire length, making boat cruises an attractive way to soak up the atmosphere in peace.

Lagos

Lagos, on the south coast of the Algarve, is one of the country's most popular tourist resorts. Most visitors are drawn to the superb beaches, which include Meia Praia, a vast strip of sand to the east, and the more secluded Praia do Pinhão to the south. The town has abundant facilities for renting bicycles, mopeds and horses, and there are also boat trips from the main harbour.

Conimbriga

The Roman ruins at Conimbriga, 16km southwest of Coimbra, are the finest you'll see in Portugal and among the best preserved in the Iberian Peninsula. The Conimbriga site actually dates back to Celtic times but the Romans developed it into a major city.

Igreja de Sao Roque

The dull facade of this 16th-century Jesuit church is one of Lisbon's biggest deceptions. Inside are chapels stuffed with gold, marble and Florentine azulejos (traditional tiles). The pièce de résistance is the more restrained but exquisite Capela de São João Baptista to the left of the altar.

Spain

Country Dialling Code:
+ 34
When to Go:
Spain can be enjoyable any time of year. The ideal months to visit are May, June and September (plus April and October in the south). At these times you can rely on good-to-excellent weather, yet avoid the extreme heat - and the main crush of Spanish and foreign tourists - of July and August.
Food & Water:
Spanish food has a deservedly fantastic reputation, and tapas are probably one of the most civilised inventions since cold beer. Paella, gazpacho and chorizo may be familiar to most Western diners, but Spanish cuisine goes well beyond these, with a smorgasbord of rich stews, soups, beans, seafood and meats, all of which have been influential in Latin American cooking. It's a good idea to reset your stomach-clock when travelling in Spain because lunch, eaten between 1.30 and 4pm, is usually the main meal of the day. The evening meal is lighter and is served between 10 and 11pm.
Currency:
The unit of currency is the Euro. (€)
Tipping:
In restaurants the law requires menu prices to include a service charge, and tipping is a matter of personal choice - most people leave some small change if they're satisfied and 5% is usually plenty.
Language:
The official language is Spanish; however English is spoken in hotels, most restaurants and department stores.
Email:
Access to email is available at most large corporate hotels. Internet cafes can be found in most cities.
Electricity:
Electricity is 220v, 50 cycles. Plugs are the standard continental type with two round pins. An international adaptor will be required.

Portugal

Country Dialling Code:
+ 351
When to Go:
Portugal’s high season is mid-June to mid-September. The Algarve has almost year-round sunshine spring and autumn are good for lush foliage. It gets hot everywhere in July and August, but particularly in the Algarve and Alentejo - where it climbs over 45 degrees in some places - and the upper Douro valley.
Food & Water:
Typical Portuguese dishes include sopa de marisco (shellfish soup cooked and served with wine), caldo verde (green soup made with finely shredded green kale leaves in broth) and bacalhau (dried cod, cooked in over 100 different ways). Caldeirada is a fish stew with as many as nine kinds of fish, cooked with onions and tomatoes. Also typical is carne de porco á Alentejana, in which bits of fried pork are covered with a sauce of clams stewed with tomato and onions. Puddings include arroz doce (rice pudding), Madeira pudding and nuvens (egg custard). Portugal’s sweet pastries (available in most cafes) are also worth a try. Table service is normal. Portuguese wines have changed beyond recognition over the past 10 years. Many of these new, modern wines are indigenous varieties with distinctive flavours. Mateus Rosé is a famous lightweight rosé. Portuguese brandies are also good; the best are produced around Oporto, where Port wines originate.
Currency:
The Euro is the official currency. (€)
Tipping:
If you’re satisfied with the service, tip 5% to 10%.
Language:
Portuguese. English is widely spoken within the business community.
Email:
Internet access is becoming a lot more common throughout Portugal and most major town and cities will have a few internet cafes.
Electricity:
230 volts AC, 50Hz. 110 volts in some areas and 230 DC in parts of the south. Continental two-pin plugs are in use; a travel adaptor is recommended.
Shopping Hints:
Portugal is the home of ceramics, port, wine and lace, and is a great place to shop, not least because it moves at a relaxed pace ideal for browsing and window-shopping. Its low prices are also a great attraction! Other popular items to buy are leather goods, copper, ceramics, handcrafted silver and gold, embroidery and tapestry, woodcarving, cork products, porcelain and china, crystal and glassware.