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Portugal – the oldest country in Europe and one of largest running and reaching empires in history, is home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Alto Duoro Wine Region, the University of Coimbra, and historic Centres of Évora, Guimarães, and Oporto.
Portugal’s official language is that of nine countries and is the world’s top port (Vinho do Porto) and cork producer.
Portugal is also home to Vinho Verde wine, cheese, the largest artificial underwater park, Pintta shoes, great surfing, beautiful beaches, Bobbin lace, fado music, Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama, Cristiano Ronaldo, José Saramago, Carmen Miranda, and a world-class city and capital, Lisbon.
The official language is Portuguese. Other languages in Portugal that can be heard are Mirandese, Spanish and Calão, depending on the region.
Need any easy way to brush up on your Portuguese for your trip to Portugal?
Located in the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, bordered by Spain and the Atlantic Ocean, civilization in Portugal goes back 400,000 years. Throughout time it has been invaded by the Roman Empire and the Islamic Umayyad Caliphate.
It was in a dynastic union with Spain. It experienced military coups in 1926 and 1974 when, ultimately, it underwent democratic reforms, and in 1975, Portugal granted independence to its African colonies.
Today, Portugal holds a homogeneous Mediterranean society with the influence of African cultures. It also holds recent immigrants from Eastern Europe.
The Portuguese Republic is made up of four sovereignty bodies, including the democratically elected government, the President, the Assembly, and the courts. Portugal’s political party system has been dominated by the Socialist and Social Democratic parties since 1975.
Portugal has a healthy education system where education is compulsory and free for children to age 18 – through both public and private school offerings – with university and polytechnic education costing only 1.3 times the minimum national wage rate.
The Portuguese enjoy a national health care system (NHS) that is free to those under 18 and over 65. Private health insurance can be purchased voluntarily.
The Portuguese are considered traditional and conservative people who deal with each other with a sense of formality and politeness. They take pride in appearance in themselves, their homes, and their cities. They respect hierarchical statuses such as age and position within business, government, religion and within the family, and use titles when addressing or greeting each other.
Greetings can be formal with a handshake and eye contact but may become more relaxed with a hug and/or kiss through personal familiarity. When invited to a home it is customary to be punctual, but tardiness is considered OK when going to a party. It is recommended to research what gifts to bring at a particular event.
The Portuguese place high value on a strong family structure with mutual support within close extended families, and nepotism is a positive value implying trust on those they know. The majority of Portuguese (81%) identify as Roman Catholic with the remaining population about equally distributed amongst Protestant Christian, agnostic or atheist.
Portuguese cuisine comes mostly from its Mediterranean influence and is known for its seafood and spices, such as piri piri (chili peppers), black pepper, vanilla, saffron and cinnamon. Garlic, olive oil, bay leaf and parsley are also widely used in dishes.
A typical Portuguese breakfast could consist of a combination of fresh bread, ham, cheese, jam and butter, cereal, pastries, yogurt and fruit served with tea, coffee or espresso (bica), milk and hot chocolate. Lunch and dinners could consist of a soup (meat or vegan) with a combination of a fish, pork, rice, potato, vegetable and/or salad.
Cod is the most widely consumed fish in Portugal with a fishing industry dating to the 15thcentury. Other popular fish include, but are not limited to, sardines, squid, octopus, cuttlefish, shrimp, crab, lobster, sea bass, mackerel and a variety of shellfish.
Traditional Portuguese dishes include caldo verde (pureed potato, onion and garlic soup) with or without chouico (spicy sausage); bacalhau (salted cod); sardinhas assadas (freshly grilled sardines); cozido (slowly boiled meats, enchidos (sausages) and vegetables); açorda (day-old bread and poached eggs served in an herbed broth); and, peixinhos da horta (breaded and fried green beans), to name but a few.
Traditional desserts include arroz doce (rice pudding with cinnamon), caramel custard and pastel de nata (custard tart with cinnamon).
The Portuguese cheesemakers in the Serra da Estrela, Queijo São Jorge regions and island of São Jorge are known for producing varieties from cow, goat and sheep’s milk.
The Portuguese enjoy producing and drinking green, white and red wines from Vinho Verde (one my favorites) to Maduro to port wine. Popular liqueurs include Licor Beirão and Ginjinha.
Like most other European countries, Portugal is crazy about its football (soccer). The Portuguese not only attend a lot of football events or watch them on TV, but they also like to participate in football – there are many local teams to be involved with. The Portuguese also like to play golf, fish, sail, windsurf, water ski, jet ski, surf, hike, cycle and jog.
With many great beaches to choose from, hanging out on the beach, beach picnicking or beach football are also popular activities. The Portuguese like to dine out or enjoy bica (espresso) in the many cafés across Portugal.
You can also see the Portuguese going to concerts, movies, museums, national monuments, bookstores, shopping centers or special events such as the Nos Alive music festival in Lisbon, The Lisbon and Estoril Film Festival or Feira do Livro de Lisboa (Lisbon Book Fair), to name a few.
Portugal uses the Euro (€). Exchange rates are usually favorable for Europeans but could fluctuate in the other direction. Check throughout your travel planning phase on any exchange rate changes.
Portugal has Bolt, Uber, Carpoolworld, and other possible regional ridesharing services and apps (research in advance if they are in your destination area). There are also taxis and rental cars, of course.
Portugal is also part of Europe’s incredible regional and inter-country bus and train services, so getting around and booking transportation is easy.
Traveling in a new country is easier when you know the country’s tipping etiquette in advance as each country has its own rules. That said, country rules and norms can shift, so here is an international tipping resource for over 70 countries to use as a general guideline that I have found is constantly updated.
What’s not on there is how to tip a concierge, beauty salons or spas, travel or tour guides, etc. For these extras, it is acceptable to tip 10% at minimum. Remember, tipping is for good service only.
Additionally, you should always tip in the local currency (if tipping in cash), and do not be offended if your tip is refused as it may not be the norm. I feel it’s always better to offer a tip for good service than not, unless I know it will be considered offensive, like in Japan.
A key activity to do in your early planning stage is to know, at minimum, the national holidays. I so suggest also looking into the local holidays. It’s a complete bummer to spend time and money to take the holiday of your lifetime and when you show up at one of your key attractions, it’s closed due to a holiday. It’s also not fun trying to travel and have a hard time accessing travel or other essential resources when no one is around because, yes, it’s a local holiday. So, take just a few moments to look at Portugal’s holidays.
Besides money, required ID and your ticket, Portugal voltage is 230V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz, so bring Type C and F adapters (it doesn’t hurt to bring 2 of each) for Portugal outlets and research if your electronics require a voltage converter, if not already included in the adapter; or, you can bring electronics already adapted for Portugal outlets or wait to purchase them there (I recommend just bringing the adapters with converter).
Remember, most smart phones, tablets and laptops don’t require a converter, but double-check your device(s) before you leave home. If you are going to another country in addition to Portugal on your trip, you can check the global adapters list to make sure you’re prepared. I have also provided suggested adapters below for your convenience.
From the U.S., you will need a valid passport. Visa’s are not required if your stay is less than 3 months. Make sure your passport expiration date is greater than 6 months from your return to the U.S.
The U.S. State Department always has their link up to date with pertinent information when traveling to Portugal. It is advised to always check there during your planning stage and again before you leave. If you are not from the U.S., please check your government’s website.
There are normally no vaccinations required for Portugal travel. The U.S. State Department always has their link up to date with pertinent information when traveling to Portugal. It is advised to always check there during your planning stage and again before you leave. If you are not from the U.S., please check your government’s website.
There are ways to reduce your eco and carbon footprint through air travel, accommodations, tours, and activities in Portugal. To help avoid greenwashing businesses, here are some eco-friendly or sustainable travel (also called responsible travel) tips and resources, you can use to book your travel.
Skyscanner provides a ‘Greener flights’ filter highlighting flights that emit less CO2.
Purchase carbon offsets through your airline or through a third party, like MyClimate.org, Carbonfund.org, or terrapass. Carbon offsetting allows you to buy a certificate to reduce carbon emissions, a major contributor to climate change, which in turn contribute community projects across countries to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Try to avoid renting a car in Portugal by using regional and inter-country bus and train services.
When booking a rideshare in Portugal, select the Bolt Green or Uber Green options instead of a traditional rideshare, or use Carpoolworld, to support the use of electric cars and carpooling for cleaner transportation in Portugal.
Bolt and Lime also have electric scooters to rent in Portugal for faster and cleaner commuting. Search Bolt and Lime for select city availability.
Look for accommodations with the following self and third-party assessed certifications when you book:
Green Globe certifies hotels, resorts, conference centers, transportation, attractions, tour operators, and other tourism businesses globally on sustainable operations and management. Look for Portugal and other European Green Global members.
Green Key Global is an internationally recognized environmental certification for the lodging and meetings industries, including hotels and hostels, campsites and holiday parks, restaurants and attractions in 65 countries. Search for Green Key awarded sites.
Living Building Challenge – if you want to stay in a true, sustainable building, find one certified by the Living Building Challenge. LBC’s certification directory shows all project types globally. Hopefully they will put in a filter soon to allow searching by hotels or hospitality type.
LEED Certified – the USGBC’s LEED Certified label on buildings, like many of the Marriott’s hotels, are those that have verifiably employed multiple and varying green building strategies to improve human and environmental health. Search the LEED directory for Portugal certifications.
Green Lodging Program – Audubon International has an environmental stewardship certification through third-party verification. Search its certified members directory.
GSTC Certified – the Global Sustainable Tourism Council provides global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, as well as international accreditation for sustainable tourism Certification Bodies. Booking sites that offer GSTC certified sustainable are bookdifferent, EcoHotels, and Transat.
Another way to find an establishments implementing eco-friendly or sustainable practices, certified or not, is through Booking.com in which you’ll need to find and review each establishment’s ‘Sustainable Initiatives’ within the booking process. Starting 2022, however, you’ll be able to filter searches for accommodations with the Travel Sustainable badge. Finally!
Portugal has ecotourism ideas available to explore for your next vacation.
Search Green Global and Green Key awarded members for eco-friendly activity providers in Portugal. Some may also have the GSTC Certified logo.
There are more ways to do your part for the planet in your responsible travel. Read my 10 Easy Eco-Travel Tips and view my suggested Eco Travel Resources to learn more.
Portugal is considered a very safe place to visit for any tourist, solo or not. There may be instances of theft or pickpocketing in Lisbon, so be careful in tourist areas. Beyond that, there is nothing I can recall from Portugal making it more of a “safety concern” than traveling in my own home country, so my standard tips for female and solo travelers are:
Like other countries in Europe, Portugal’s high, tourist season, and most expensive time, is the summer (late June to August). The weather is hot and the beaches are crowded. Crowds are not as heavy, however, March to May or late September to October. The weather is still nice in these months as well. The least expensive time to go to Portugal would be November to February. For overall best weather and prices, try booking well in advance for spring or autumn.
Portugal is where I met my mates from Australia and New Zealand. Originally, I was only going to spend a few days in Lisbon wandering the cobblestone streets and then a couple of days in Lagos. We were having so much fun in Lagos, however, two days turned into six. Instead of heading back to Barcelona, I celebrated my 26th birthday in Lagos.
Lagos was, and still is, one of my favorite towns. I finally revisited Lagos, along with Lisbon, in 2021. I also went to the Duoro Valley, Porto, Sintra, Braga, Coimbra and Cascais.
Portugal’s countryside, beaches, food, wine, history, and people are not to be missed. If it’s not there, put Portugal on your bucket list.
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