Updated for 2003, this guide for all budgets explores "off the beaten path" adventures in Portugal--where to stay, eat, and relax.

Explores the traditional ways of rustic Portugal while introducing the tourist to the modern conveniences and attractions of her major cities.

Explores the traditional ways of rustic Portugal while introducing the tourist to the modern conveniences and attractions of her major cities

Written by locals, Fodor's travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for 80 years. With its medieval hilltop towns, magnificent beaches, traditional Fado music, and excellent food and wine, Portugal is Western Europe's most exotic destination. This comprehensive new Fodor's guide captures the best this country has to offer, from its ever-popular café and bar scene to its lush vineyards and picturesque, mountainous landscapes dotted with castles. This travel guide includes: · Dozens of maps · An 8-page color insert with a brief introduction and spectacular photos that capture the top experiences and attractions throughout Portugal · Hundreds of hotel and restaurant recommendations, with Fodor's Choice designating our top picks · Multiple itineraries to explore the top attractions and what’s off the beaten path · Major sights such as Sintra, Lisbon, and Queluz National Palace · Side Trips from Evora and Funchal · Coverage of Lisbon and environs, Estremadura and the Ribatejo, Evora and the Alentejo, The Algarve, Coimbra and the Beiras, Porto and the North, Madeira

Whether you want to explore Lisbon, go on a wine-tasting trip in the Douro Valley, or lounge on the beaches of the Algarve, the local Fodor's travel experts in Portugal are here to help! Fodor's Essential Portugal guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor's “Essential” guides have been named by Booklist as the Best Travel Guide Series of 2020! Fodor's Essential Portugal travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 30 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, side-trips, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Best Beaches,” “Best Vineyards in Portugal,” “Best Free Things to Do,” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, art, architecture, cuisine, geography and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “Portugal's Most Impressive Castles and Fortified Cities” “Spectacular Gothic Churches in Portugal,” and “What to Eat and Drink in Portugal" LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE PRIMER with useful words and essential phrases UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve, Estoril, the Douro Valley, Alentejo, Sintra, Óbidos, Serra da Estrela, Coimbra, Monsanto, Braga, Madeira, and the Azores Planning on visiting Spain or spending more time in Lisbon? Check out Fodor's Essential Spain, Fodor's Barcelona, and Fodor's Inside Lisbon *Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor's has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

Full-color guide - Make your trip to San Francisco unforgettable with illustrated features, 44 maps, and 240 color photos. Customize your trip with simple planning tools - Top experiences and attractions - Lodging comparison charts - Easy-to-read color maps Explore the Haight, the Castro, the Mission District, and beyond - Discerning Fodor's Choice picks for hotels, restaurants, sights, and more - "Word of Mouth" tips from fellow Fodor's travelers - Illustrated features on Chinatown, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Park - Best market shopping, cable-car hopping, and hilltop strolls - Side trips to Napa and Sonoma wineries Opinions from destination experts - Fodor's San Francisco-based writers reveal their favorite local haunts - Revised annually to provide the latest information Added bonus: At the end of each Fodor's hotel review, we've included snippets from TripAdvisor reviews. Plan your trip with the extra peace of mind that comes from knowing each of Fodor's expert selections is reinforced by consumer experience and feedback.

Explores the traditional ways of rustic Portugal while introducing the tourist to the modern conveniences and attractions of her major cities.

All the essentials of a perfect trip - Lodgings for all budgets, including resorts, hotels, pousadas in castles and mountain monasteries, and more - Great meals at easy prices, from seafood stew to suckling pig, plus wonderful wine bars and authentic fado - Walking and driving tours, to old towns and port wine lodges, palaces and churches - The most beautiful beaches, both secluded and swinging Special feature--maps of dining, lodging, and sights

"Grayson tells the story of a miraculous ocean encounter that happened to her when she was seventeen and in training for a big swim (she had already swum the English Channel, twice, and the Catalina Channel)." "It was in the dark of early morning; Lynne was in 55-degree water as smooth as black ice, two hundred yards off-shore, outside the wave break. She was swimming her last half-mile back to the pier before heading home for breakfast when she became aware that something was swimming with her The ocean was charged with energy as if a squall was moving in; thousands of baby anchovy darted through the water like lit sparklers, trying to evade something larger. Whatever it was, it felt large enough to be a white shark coursing beneath her body." "It wasn't a shark. It became clear that it was a baby gray whale - following alongside Lynne for a mile or so. Lynne had been swimming for more than an hour; she needed to get out of the water to rest, but she realized that if she did, the young calf would follow her onto shore and die from collapsed lungs." "The baby whale - eighteen feet long! - was migrating on a three-month trek to its feeding grounds in the Bering Sea, an eight-thousand-mile journey. It would have to be carried on its mother's back for much of that distance, and was dependent on its mother's milk for food - baby whales drink up to fifty gallons of milk a day. If Lynne didn't find the mother whale, the baby would suffer from dehydration and starve to death. Something so enormous - the mother whale was fifty feet long - suddenly - seemed very small in the vast Pacific Ocean. How could Lynne possibly find her? This is the story - part mystery, part magical tale - of what happened."--BOOK JACKET.