Portugal

Pros: Beautiful Scenery
Cons: Hmmm...this is tough...none...other than the cheese really making your suitcase heavy

BASIC INFO

Sao Jorge is just one of the nine islands that make up the island group called the Azores. The Azores are located approximately 800 miles off the coast of Portugal.

Sao Jorge is part of the central group of the...

Pros: Interesting History, Beaches, Friendly People
Cons: Not Much of a Night Life, and those sickeningly sweet Suspiros

This review is on the island of Santa Maria. Santa Maria is part of the group of nine islands known as they Azores which are located approximately 800 miles off the coast of Portugal. It belongs to the Eastern group of the Azores Islands and it's the...

Pros: Port wine, the scenic Douro Valley, architectural gems, surprises, and Lisbon's cosmopolitan feel
Cons: Terrible train system, natural beauty has been stripped in places by over-tourism, food was unspectacular

Portugal is one of those tourist destinations that you don't hear much about. I've always wondered why that was so, and usually chalked it up to its being isolated out on the tip of the Iberian peninsula. When I embarked on my trip to Europe, my...

Pros: Can be quaint in a postcard kind of way
Cons: The general level of rudeness and lack of service ethic

I am not a seasoned traveler. I have a sensitive stomach. I can be idiosyncratic, perhaps even bordering on the neurotic. I am of Portuguese ancestry. The disclaimer is out of the way. My recent, and first, trip to Portugal in August 2004 was not ...

Pros: The Algarve has plenty, if you make the effort
Cons: Crazy drivers.. bad development in some areas.

By taking a trip to the eastern Algarve and/or heading a mile or so inland it is still possible to find the beauty of the Algarve. The original inhabitants of the Algarve were Moors from North Africa and there is still plenty of Moorish influence which...

Pros: Rich history and great architecture; best per-dollar value in Western Europe
Cons: Expensive car rental and gas; dumpy Lisbon

After a feverish four-month preparation and over 2000 kilometers of driving accomplished in a week, I can confidently say that my trip to Portugal was a success. It was everything I had expected and more. Unfortunately, we had only 8 days in which t ...

Pros: Many things to do and see, wonderful climate, great hospitality
Cons: Some places are dirty. Wind can delay flights in the winter months, We had a hurricane while there!!

A few months ago, I bought a little Arts and crafts thing made out of fabric. On it said, Home is where the Air Force sends you. Let me tell you, that is certainly the truth.

In 1992, we were stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base in NY....

Pros: Lisbon: charming and has some interesting sights. Sintra, a must see. Algarve is beautiful/tourist-friendly.
Cons: Lisbon: some very bad tourist restaurants and in parts seedy/nasty atmosphere, people and businesses.

Just spent a nice 10 days in Portugal August/September 07. All in all, the trip was a pretty mixed bag. There were things we loved and hated and I thought it was worth passing some of these on. Our trip was mostly based on Rick Steves guide ...

Pros: Wine and Brandy :)
Cons: Pretty quiet

Graciosa is just one of the nine islands that make up the Azores Islands of Portugal.

When I think of Graciosa, my first thought is of wine and brandy. Back in the 16th century, the inhabitants of the islands devoted their lives to agriculture...

Pros: I'd never seen cork trees before!
Cons: Rude hotel owners, country is under construction, dirty

My wife and I spent 5 days in Portugal in April 2001. Our visit was part of a 3 week vacation in Spain and Morocco.

You can see pictures of our trip on our website,
http://ianandwendy.com . Follow "trips" to Spain, Portugal, and...

Pros: Lots To Do
Cons: I Had to Leave

This island has a special place in my heart as this is where my mother and grandfather are from. Faial is just one of the nine islands that make up the Azores Islands - about 800 miles off the coast of Portugal. I went to Faial for the first time when I...

Pros: Beautiful, breathtaking scenery
Cons: No night life, very quiet

The island of Flores is the westernmost of the Azores Islands which are located roughly 800 miles off the coast of Portugal. It's more out of the way and most outsiders do not get to it. As a matter of fact, even though I go to the Azores Islands every...

Pros: Sun, sea, sand and great food
Cons: Destroyed by the British package tour

When I first went to the Algarve it was the early 1980's and the biggest draw about the area was that it was like Spain (Costa Brava / Costa Blanca) before it was destroyed by the British package tourist. I am sad to say that, in the ten or so times that...

Pros: inspires awe (literally); not crowded
Cons: none, unless you can't be more than five minutes from fast food

Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point on the European continent. To go beyond it, you need a boat.

And the people of Portugal had boats, vast armadas of everything from little fishing craft to mighty warships. There is a wonderful maritime...

Pros: Quite a sight! Beautiful!
Cons: None - unless you get seasick :)

The Azores are a group of 9 islands in the middle of the Atlantic - located about 800 miles west of the Portuguese mainland.

For many years people have gone to the Azores in search of whales. Beginning in the 1700s the islands' inhabitants...