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  • Portugal
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The region has some of Europe’s finest beaches and there are few more impressive than Praia da Bordeira. Many of the medieval houses in the fortified hilltop village of Monsaraz have been converted into atmospheric guesthouses. Float through the canals and lagoons of fascinating Aveiro on a brightly coloured boat. A golden-stoned university town complete with Roman temple, Moorish alleys and medieval walls. There are some great cycling opportunities along the entire Algarve coast. A picture-book walled town that was once the traditional bridal gift of Portuguese kings. Take a train ride or boat trip from Peso da Régua up one of the loveliest river valleys in Portugal. his historic city boasts Portugal’s most famous university and a vibrant student nightlife. The “Battle Abbey” is one of the greatest achievements of Portuguese architecture. Even novice kayakers will be enchanted by this gentle float down a verdant valley. A village in the heart of the capital, with streets so narrow and precipitous that few cars can enter. The hilltop retreat near Lisbon is one of the most scenic in the country, surrounded by opulent palaces and country estates. The country’s only national park offers alluring trails past gushing streams and alpine scenery. These delicious flaky custard tartlets have been made and served warm with cinnamon and icing sugar sprinkled over them for more than a century at the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém. Gigantic monument to religious devotion or obscenely over-the-top royal frippery? You decide at João V’s mighty monastery-cum-palace. The first capital of Portugal is a beguiling place of cobbled streets and historic buildings. Take a boat trip to see the playful bottle-nosed dolphins that live in this attractive estuary near Setúbal. Lisbon’s nightlife is legendary – chic Lux has long been the top place to dance until dawn. You’d be hard pushed to find a better long-distance footpath – it encompasses picturesque villages, wild surf-lashed beaches and vertiginous cliffs. Tomar’s extraordinary “Convent of Christ” is the former headquarters of the Knights Templar. Peniche offers consistently good surfing in a country that is blessed with rolling Atlantic waves. The country’s liveliest and most colourful market shows that rural traditions are alive and well. The highest mountains in Portugal conceal windswept uplands, remote villages and challenging hiking trails. The historic riverside bairro of Ribeira is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.