Luxury Vacations in Portugal

We may already have known about the Algarve’s golf courses and white-sand beaches, but there is so much more to discover in Portugal, from the rugged mountain panoramas of the Serra da Estrela to the castaway dunes of the Costa Verde. The sheer diversity of the landscape can come as a surprise: sprawling cork forests and boulder-dotted peaks; bird-flocked lagoons in eastern Algarve and the vineyards of the Alentejo. It’s prime territory for a road trip, navigating using the wine map, perhaps – from Vinho Verde to Dão, Douro to Beira.

This is a country that cherishes its past while innovating for the future. Cities are rich tapestries of baroque architecture and contemporary design, old-fashioned shop signs, artisan crafts and painted blue-and-white tiles. Lisbon has evolved into one of the most fashionable city destinations in Europe, serenaded by the rhythms of fado and the rattle of trams, nourished by Michelin-starred restaurants. Close by are the stylish rivieras of Cascais and Estoril, and the ice-cream colors of hilltop Sintra. Porto, to the north, with its cobbles and Eiffel bridge, is emerging as a close rival. And over the waves, the archipelagos of Madeira, Cape Verde and the Azores, patchworks of emerald green amid the Atlantic blue.