Most Popular Places in Portugal

We are in Portugal, one of the countries with a long history in the world. Before moving on to the list of places to visit in Portugal, we will include interesting information about Portugal, which plays an important role in the discovery of America and finding the islands in the Atlantic Ocean, famous for its great cathedrals, nostalgic tram and wines. We think you will read our Portugal Travel Guide blog post with interest.

Where is Portugal?

Located in the far west of the European mainland and its only neighbor in the southwest of Spain, Portugal also has a long coastline with an Atlantic Ocean view. Portugal in the Iberian Peninsula has a strategically sheltered location due to its land borders with Spain only and the Atlantic Ocean to its west. Using this advantage provided by its geographical location, it has made great geographical discoveries that will go down in world history.

Portugal Map

Looking at the world map, we see a country whose northern and eastern lands are neighbors with Spain, and the western and southern coasts open to the Atlantic Ocean. A traveler departing from Portugal must pass through Spain in order to travel to other European countries such as Paris, Amsterdam or Rome by road.

How To Get To Portugal?

Portugal to road or rail transport from Turkey, as though theoretically there may be a return journey may seem difficult, even for an adventurous traveler. Therefore, transportation by air and sea would be a more logical decision. There are direct and indirect flights from Istanbul to Portugal every day.

Portugal Flights

There are 2 direct flights from Istanbul Airport to Lisbon every day, at 07:30 and 11:55. In addition, there is 1 flight from Istanbul to the city of Porto, departing at 11:55. When a direct flight is made by plane between Istanbul and Lisbon, it is approximately 4000 km away and takes 5 hours.

Pegasus Airlines arranges daily connecting flights to Portugal from Sabiha Gökçen Airport from Switzerland. Even though these flights take longer, ticket prices are more economical. However, with this option, the journey time by plane can reach 9-10 hours in total.

Portugal Schengen Visa

Tourist from Turkey to Portugal or to travel for business purposes General Tours (Bordeaux) passport with a visa are subject to Turkish citizens. Since Portugal is included in the Schengen visa system, you must obtain a Schengen Visa from the Portuguese Consulate for direct travels. However, if a different Schengen country has a valid visa, this visa can only enter Europe through that country and then pass to Portugal. In this case, you do not need to buy Portuguese Schengen.

Private (Green Passport), Service (Gray Passport) and Diplomatic Passport holders can enter Portugal without a visa for tourism purposes. In 180 days, you are only allowed to stay for 90 days for tourism purposes. You can check the Consulate’s https://www.ancara.embaixadaportugal.mne.pt/tr/ page for matters such as Portugal Work visa and residence permit.

Portuguese Embassy in Ankara
Kırlangıç St. No.39 Gaziosmanpaşa – Ankara
Phone : (+90) 312 405 41 01/09
Fax : (+90) 312 446 36 70
E-mail : ankara@mne.pt

Portugal Honorary Consulate in Istanbul
Fahri Konsolos Bay Aaron Nommaz
Fındıklı Meclisi Mebusan St. No: 77 Kat: 5, Kabataş, Istanbul 
Phone: (+90) 212 251 91 18
Fax: (+90) 212 251 73 48
E-mail: aaron@hugin.com.tr

Portuguese Honorary Consulate in Antalya
Fahri Konsolos Bayan Berna Kuner Van Mannekes
Liman Town Akdeniz Avenue, Aktur Apt. No 262/11 07070  Antalya
Phone: (+90) 242 259 00 83 
E-mail: bernakuner@akis.com.tr

Information About Portugal

If we give information about Portugal, which is the last representative of the European continent in the west, geographical, economic, political and agenda.

Portuguese Republic
Language: Portuguese
Başkent: Lisbon (Lisboa)
Money: Euro
Population: 10.030.000
Phone Pre-Code: +351

Portuguese Flag Description

The red-green background on the National Flag of the Portuguese Republic symbolizes the carnation flower in memory of the Carnation Revolution, when Dictator Salazar was overthrown by the people in 1974. The Royal Coat of Arms in the middle symbolizes the Old Kingdom destroyed by the revolution in 1910 and the Yellow rings symbolize the Horoscope (ringed astrolabe = Astronomical observation instrument), in other words, Science and discovery.

Weather in Portugal

It has the temperate characteristic of the typical Mediterranean climate around 20 degrees at night and 30-35 degrees during the day in summer seasons. It has an air temperature of 6-16 degrees in winter. In winter, precipitation is in the form of snow and sleet at higher parts, while it is in the form of rain at lower altitudes.

One of the longest rivers in Europe, the Tejo River brings renewable energy sources to the agenda with its high-altitude mountains and hills with intense wind and intense sunlight. By the way, it is worth remembering that Portugal conducted a scientific experiment in early 2019. During this experiment, Portugal was able to generate the electrical energy it needed from only renewable energy sources for a few hours. It was the first country in the world to conduct this experiment with wind turbines, solar panels and hydro power plants on the Tejo river.

Popular Routes

Amsterdam

Getting lost in the streets of Amsterdam.

Spain

List of things to do before going to Spain.

Lisbon

Check out the list of places to visit in Lisbon.

Portugal Time Zone

The time zone used by Portugal is the same as that of England. So GMT + 0 uses the Greenwich time zone. There are differences between Turkey 2 hours. For example, it is 12:00 in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, and 14:00 in Istanbul. If you ask what time is it in Portugal now, the answer will be 2 hours behind the value you read on your wristwatch.

What Continent is Portugal Located on?

The mainland of the Portuguese State is located in the European continent. However, what is interesting is that the island lands of the Portuguese Republic in the Atlantic Ocean outside the European Continent are considered as the African continent.
Therefore;

What continent is Portugal located on?
The answer to the question:

It will be both Europe and Africa.

Portugal History

Maritime activities are highly developed due to the advantage provided by its geographical location. The military navy has developed at a very advanced level compared to most of the other countries throughout history. So much so that even though the Portuguese claim that they opened the world’s first Maritime Academy in Lisbon, the world’s first maritime school is Santelmo Maritime School in Seville, Spain. It is known that Piri Reis also attended trainings in this academy.

This activity in the sea, more precisely in the ocean, brought along geographical discoveries. Portuguese ports, which host world-famous explorers, also played a major role in the exploration of America.

Portugal, which reached abundance and wealth as a result of the famous explorer Vasco da Gama’s discovery of India by sea in 1498, has always been at war with Spain, its only neighbor throughout history, but thanks to the raw materials and precious metals it has met from its colonies, the high level of prosperity has long has managed to save time.

Revolution of Carnation

Portugal, which was ruled by the Kingdom (Monarchy) for centuries after its establishment, abolished the Kingdom system with the Revolution made by the People in 1910 and accepted the Democratic Republic administration instead. However, the Portuguese political administration, which turned into a dictatorship system after a while, put the country in a stalemate both economically and politically.

Another interesting information about Portugal; At the Eurovision Song Contest held on April 24, 1974, the song “E depoi do Adeus” (… and then goodbye) by the famous Portuguese singer Paulo de Carvalho ignited the popular revolution known as the Carnation Revolution and the last dictator Salazar in power to leave the country had to.

The reason why this revolution is called the Carnation Revolution is the carnation flower that the people wore to the rifle barrels of the Portuguese soldiers to give the message “do not shoot us“. The red and green background color of the Portuguese flag therefore symbolizes the Carnation Revolution.

Great Portugal Earthquake

More than 100 thousand people lost their lives in the Portuguese earthquake that took place in Lisbon centered on November 1, 1755. According to some rumors, it is reported that the earthquake lasted 6 minutes. It is one of the largest and longest-lasting earthquakes in world history. The riverbed of the Tejo river has changed direction. We have covered this subject more in the article “Lisbon Travel Guide“.

Portuguese Economy

Before learning about the places to visit in Portugal, it is useful to have a look at the Portuguese economy. The Portuguese Republic is one of the lowest-income members of the European Union, although it has made great discoveries in its history, exploited many countries, and even today the colony continues in full swing. In Portugal, where the minimum wage was raised to 600 Euros in early 2019, it would not be a wise idea to get a work visa and work as an immigrant.

I compare the price of half a liter plastic bottle of water with the minimum wage in order to compare the economy of the country when I travel abroad. This formula reveals about three or five purchasing power per person. Since the price of half a liter of water in Portugal is around € 1 and the minimum wage is € 600, a worker can buy 600 half-liters of water per month for the minimum wage. This rate is 1500-2000 pieces of half a liter of water in Spain, Portugal’s closest and even only neighbor.

Do You Live in Portugal?

Is Portugal cheap? Is it expensive? if you ask. Yes, if you come from an EU country other than Portugal, this is a very cheap country for you. However, if you are working and residing in Portugal, unfortunately, it will not be easy to answer this question. Real estate prices and rental fees vary according to your city and neighborhood. If you live in island cities, it may be possible to benefit from some state incentives. The Portuguese economy is too small to be shown among the G-20 countries today. Turkey ranks 17th in the G-20.

Portuguese Language

The main reason why Portuguese, which is among the top 10 most widely spoken languages in the world and has a wide area on the world language map, is among the widely spoken languages is geographical discoveries and of course the colonial system. Countries in the Portuguese Colony even today speak Portuguese as their official language.

Which Countries Speak Portuguese?

Portuguese-speaking countries: Brazil, Angola, East Timor and Cape Verde Islands, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome, Portuguese Islands and of course Portugal. At the same time, the official languages of these countries are Portuguese.

While Spanish is spoken in many countries in the American continent, more precisely in South America, the reason why Portuguese is spoken in Brazil is hidden in ancient times. When the Queen of Spain, Isabel, came to the brink of war due to “Geographical Discoveries“, they signed a peace treaty with Portugal.

According to this treaty, a line was drawn to the west (left) of the Canary Islands and Brazil, which were just discovered at that time, and Portugal was accepted not to cross this line in new discoveries. Today, to the left of this line are Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia and North America. Spanish is the dominant language in almost all of South America. Because these regions were discovered and colonized by the Spanish. In fact, very interesting information; There are states in the United States where Spanish is spoken even today.

Portuguese Alphabet

It consists of 27 letters in Portuguese and the hats on these letters. The hats on the letters in the Portuguese alphabet do not create a change in meaning, as they only concern pronunciation. The 27 letters in the Portuguese alphabet of Latin origin and their pronunciation are as in the table.

Portuguese Daily Conversation Examples

Culture, Art, Music and Entertainment

Let’s count the top 10 of Portugal’s most famous artists ever. Joana Vasconcelos (painter), Adriana Molder (writer-writer), Paula Rego (fairy tale and story writer), Santiago Ribeiro (painter surrealist), Jorge Santos (painter), Catarina Botelho (painter), Francisco Vidal (painter), Vasco Araujo (sculptor), Pedro Cabrita Reis (industrial designer) and Carla Filipe (fictional architecture).

Portuguese Singers and Famous Portuguese Songs

Ana Moura, Mariza, Carlos Do Carmo, Raquel Tavares, Carminho, Cristina Branco, Misia and Camane are famous fado singers. When the country’s most famous Fado artist Amalia Rodrigues died, she was mourned across the country.

What is Portugal Famous for?

“What’s famous in Portugal?” The first answer to the question will be Fish, Portuguese Chicken and the famous Belem dessert. Be sure to taste the Belem dessert, known as the national dessert of Portugal. It’s hard to decide whether it’s Belem dessert, pastry or cake. But it is delicious. Famous for its lavender and lavender perfume.

It is possible to find Porto wine unique to Portugal in many restaurants. The Cork Tree, from which the material known as bottle cork is produced, is also famous. Now, let’s take a look at the world famous Portuguese Cuisine.

Famous Portuguese Dishes, Desserts, Drinks and Prices

• Bras a Bacalhau (Ask for Bakalao.) | €12,00
• Francesinha | €10,00
• Bitoque | €13,50
• Brigadeiros | €1,30
• Croissant Simples | €1,20
• Pastêl de Nata | €1,00
• Bola de Berlim | €1,20
• Bolo Caseiro | €10,00
• Bolo Caseiro (Fatia) | €1,50
• Bolo Vulcão | €15,00
  (Bolo is the name given to cake varieties.)
• Mini Bolo Cenoura com Brigadeiro | €3,00
• Mini Bolo Brigadeiro | €3,00
• Bolo com Recheio (inteiro) | €22,00 /kg
• Bolo com Recheio (fatia) | €25,00 /kg
• Bolo no Pote | €3,50
• Bolo na Taça Grande (4 kişilik) | €12,90
• Bolo na Taça Pequeno | €7,90
• Grand Gáteau | €7,90
• Brownie | €3,90
• Brownie com Gelado | €4,90
• Trufas | €1,20
• Pão de Mel | €1,50
• Sobremesa do Dia | €2,00
• Açai | €3,90
• Top Açai (Frutas and Granola) | €7,90
• Banoffee Pie | €3,50
• Tarte de Limão | €3,50
• Cheesecake | €3,50
• Frutas da Epoca | €2,00
• There are many dishes made of sardine fish. You must try it.
• Belem Dessert

What to Buy Souvenirs from Portugal?

How to get a gift that will remain as a souvenir during the Great Spain Portugal Tour, Porto Lisbon Tour or your trip?

• Portuguese houses themed mugs, glasses and ceramic products.
• Famous Christ statue.
• Yellow tram mockup or magnets.
• Ceramic products and magnets with a rooster symbol.
• Port wine.
• Belem Cake (has a lifetime of 2 days)
• Canned Sardines.
• Olive oil.
• Handbag and other items made of cork.

Portugal National Team and Football Teams

He has a successful football history, which is frequently mentioned in the international arena, with the European Football Championship, which he won in 2016, after his success in 1966 and 2004 respectively. It has players like the world famous Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix.

The first three football teams in the Portuguese Super League, founded in 1934, are Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon.

Portuguese Islands

The islands in the Atlantic Ocean discovered by Portugal and considered as Portuguese territory are:

1. Corvo Island (1.950 Km from Portugal)
2. Flores Island (1.965 Km from Portugal)
3. Horta Island (1.720 Km from Portugal)
4. Pico Island (1.740 Km from Portugal)
5. Sao Island (1.710 Km from Portugal)
6. Graciosa Island (1.700 Km from Portugal)
7. Terceira Island (1.640 Km from Portugal)
8. Madeira Island (1.070 Km from Portugal)
9. Porto Santo Island (1.015 Km from Portugal)

List of Places to Visit in Portugal

List of Places to Visit in Portugal & Travel Guide

1. Lisbon (Lisboa)
2. You can taste Portuguese wines in the city of Porto,
3. Passing through the arched roads of the city of Faro,
4. You can enjoy the ocean in Lagos town,
5. You can visit the wine cellars in Funchal,
6. You can get enough of baroque architecture in Coimbra,
7. You can see the historical Medieval Roman Temple in Evora,
8. You can immerse yourself in the cool waters of the ocean on Cascais beaches,
9. You can stroll the streets of Portimao, a port city, and sunbathe at Rocha beach,
10. Enjoy the crater lake view on the volcanic Sao Miguel Island,
11. You can visit the Medieval Castle in Tavira city,
12. You can take a canoe tour in Aveiro with canoes and rafts,
13. You can visit the Dukes Palace and Market Square in Guimaraes,
14. You can see the Episcopal Palace and the flower park in Braga,
15. Visiting museums in Vilamoura,
16. You can go golfing and surfing in the casino city of Estoril,
17. You can watch dolphins from the Sagres lighthouse,
18. You can visit the wineries in Madeira Island,
19. You can visit Tomar monastery,
20. You can see the vineyards and wine production in Pico Island,
21. You can take a break at the places around Vila Nova de Gaia river,
22. Insatiable fascinating view of the Volcanic Faial Island,
23. Visit Batalha monastery and chapel,
24. You can immerse yourself in hot sand in Albufeira,
25. You can visit Arrabida National Park,
26. You can watch bullfighting in Tarceira,
27. You can visit the Christopher Columbus Museum in Porto Santo,
28. In Olhao, you can get enough of the fish in Portuguese cuisine,
29. You can wander in the Peneda Geres National Park,
30. You can visit Fatima Shrine,
31. Purified at Furnas Hot Springs,
32. You can leave yourself in the cool waters of the Atlantic Ocean on the Costa da Caparica beaches,
33. You can visit Sintra Castle,
34. You can end the day at Praia do Guincho Beach,
35. Visit the Silves Cathedral.
36. You can visit Peniche Beach and Carvoeiro Caves.
37. You can see the aqueducts of Madeira.