| Although it was once one of the poorest
countries in Western Europe, the end of dictatorship and introduction of
Democracy in 1974, as well as its incorporation into the European Union in 1986,
has meant significantly increased prosperity. However it may be one of the best
value destinations on the Continent. This is because the country offers
outstanding landscape diversity, due to its North-South disposition along the
western shore of the Iberian peninsula.
You can travel in a single day from
green mountains in the North, covered with vines and all varieties of trees to
rocky mountains, with spectacular slopes and falls in the Centre, to a
near-desert landscape in the Alentejo region and finally to the glamorous beach
holidays destination Algarve. The climate, combined with investments in the
golfing infrastructure in recent years, has also turned the country into a
golfing haven. Portugal was recently named "Best Golf Destination 2006" by
readers of Golfers Today, a British publication. Fourteen of Portugal's courses
are rated in the top 100 best in Europe. If you want a condensed view of
European landscapes, culture and way of life, Portugal might very well fit the
bill. Portugal is 900 years old, and even though it has a relatively small area, it
played a crucial role in world history. During XVI century Portugal started a
major chapter in world history with the New World Discoveries
("Descobrimentos"). It established a sea route to India, and colonized areas in
Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde...) and South America (Brazil), creating
an empire. The official language of Portugal is
Portuguese. Although it's mutually intelligible to a wide extent with Spanish,
Italian, and other Romance languages, it's not identical. Moreover,
pronunciation of some Portuguese letters and words can be daunting. Spanish is
universally understood, and your chances of being understood that way are quite
high, especially on the mainland North of Portugal. You might also find that the
large majority of Portuguese speakers understand Spanish very well though many
may not feel obliged to speak it. Preferably try to speak in Portuguese (be
formal:ask fala portugues?), and do not expect people in Portugal to speak
Spanish, even though most can and do. Of course, all people are welcomed. In
some areas may be difficult to access if you have a disability.
Portugal is part of the E.U. and is
improving; In Portugal it is against the law to discriminate. If you required
accommodations in any service, such as hotel, transportation, etc, you may
request them. English is spoken in many tourist areas, but is far from
ubiquitous. However, the younger Portuguese will speak at least some English,
Spanish or French or other Romance languages. In the main touristic areas it's
very frequent that there is always someone who can speak the main European
languages.
The Portuguese people are of
generally excellent humor when they are talking with someone who can't speak
their language. This means that all manner of shop owners, sales-folk, and
people curious about you will take time to try to carve out any means of
communication, often with funny and unexpected results. If the traveler attempts
to speak Portuguese with locals, the action is taken with respect and often the
local will apologize for how "difficult" it is to learn Portuguese, or how
"hard" the language is. This good favor might encourage travelers to learn the
very basics of Portuguese, such as daily greetings and the routine "please-thank
you" exchanges. |
Portugal, in Southern Europe, shares the
Iberian peninsula at the western tip of Europe with Spain. Geographically and
culturally somewhat isolated from its neighbor, Portugal has a rich, unique
culture, lively cities and beautiful countryside.