6 reasons to spend your summer holidays in Portugal

Written on 27 May 2021.

Good weather has come and after long confined months, we can’t stop thinking where we will spend the long-awaited and well-deserved summer vacation with our family and friends, from whom we were apart during the pandemic.

We could list a thousand and one reasons why tourists are enchanted by Portuguese corners, but in this article, we present the main reasons why you should choose Portugal to spend your summer holidays with your family and friends.

1. The Weather

The Portuguese weather is one of the delights of tourists. We have, on average, 300 days of sunshine a year, many of which exceed 30 degrees in the summer, ideal to experience some outdoor activities.

To enjoy the good weather, that is already being felt and get out of the routine we recommend our mountain activities in Peneda Gerês National Park. You can get more details about our unique experiences here.

2. Food

Portuguese gastronomy is so rich and varied that it has become one of the most attractive elements to consider when planning your vacations in Portugal. From one end of the country to the other, you can find the typical dishes of each region that portray the history and local customs. It can really gives you an authentic experience!

For those looking for the North of Portugal to spend their summer holidays, the typical dishes that are mandatory for you to try are the famous “Francesinhas”, the “Tripas à Moda do Porto”, the Mirandesa steak, “Alheiras” and the “Abade de Priscos” pudding.

3. The Trails

Portugal has a diversity of natural landscapes that leave anyone speechless. Most of them are in mountainous areas and, therefore, there is no better way to get to know these landscapes without going through the different trails that we find from North to South. Currently, you can find trails with high or low difficulty, with a lot of information and well signposted, which makes an experience easier for those who are not familiar with an area.

Although walking is the most common method to do these trails, we recommend E-bike tours as a more fun and less demanding way of getting to know beautiful landscapes on the best trails in Portugal. You can find here our suggestions for E-Bike tours in the Peneda Gerês National Park. An authentic experience in touch with pure nature.

4. Hospitality

According to a study carried out by Jetcost.pt, Portugal is considered the second most hospitable and welcoming country in Europe, being surpassed only by the Netherlands. This is a feature that has been known for a long time by the Portuguese people which has always received tourists in a very warm and friendly way.

This becomes an extremely important factor when planning summer vacation in Portugal, since it makes it easier to share experiences and learn more about the region with the local people.

5. Peneda Gerês National Park

The Peneda Gerês National Park is the only Portuguese protected area classified as a national park. This protected area consists of four mountains: Serra da Peneda, Serra do Gerês, Serra Amarela and Serra do Soajo. It has an area with about 70 thousand hectares of enormous diversity of fauna and flora.

For those who want to escape from the noisy the cities, Peneda Gerês National Park is a great please to spend your vacation in full contact with nature. Enjoy the most historic trails in the park, discover the typical mountain villages, visit the natural lagoons and waterfalls of Gerês and the panoramic landscape in the viewpoints throughout the park.

Find here all our experiences to get the best out of your holidays and get to know the Peneda Gerês National Park.

6. The fantastic beaches

It would be impossible to think about vacation in Portugal and not to mention the beautiful Portuguese beaches. With 943km of coastal area, Portugal has beautiful beaches for the all the tastes, some of which are considered the best in Europe.

From north to south of Portugal, you can find beaches with extensive or shorter sands. Some with calmer waves and excellent for summer holidays with children and others with big waves for the comfort of surfers. And you can still find those that are near the city and others surrounded by mountains and nature. There are plenty of options!