The history of the country, and her cultural influences, is as rich as her natural landscape is diverse. Portugal was once, of course, a great Empire, colonising large parts of Africa, China, America and Malaysia. Gold from Brazil provided for magnificent Baroque buildings and gilded alter carvings. Exotic fruits and oriental spices changed gastronomic traditions forever, and Oporto and Lisbon are awash with memories of the great explorers, Prince Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama.But Portugal was colonised too and there is also a surprising variety of architectural sites, reflecting a succession of occupying civilisations from the Ibero-Celts to the Christian reconquest. Romanesque temples, Baroque castles and numerous hidden churches all bear witness to a colourful past, as do ordinary village houses adorned with beautiful azulejo tiles and topped with Moorish-style chimney pots.
Self-guided walking
7 nights,
single centre
Level: 2
Moderate
Printed route
directions
Self-guided walking
7 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 1+
Leisurely plus
Printed route
directions
Self-guided walking
8 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 2+
Moderate plus
Headwater
Navigation App
Guided group walking
7 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 2
Moderate
Printed route
directions
Filter and sort
Holiday type
Self-guided walking, Private guided walking, Guided group walking
Destination
All
Departure month
All
Activty level
All
Accommodation type
All
Best for
All
Sorted by
Where appropriate, we grade our holidays based on distance, terrain, elevation gain, remoteness, etc and categorise them into 4 relative groups. This is ultimately subjective and may vary slightly day to day; for more advice, please see the specific trip page or call one of our friendly team.