Portugal has a maritime temperate climate that varies according to elevation and proximity to the ocean. The average temperature ranges from 13 to 24 degrees centigrade in the north and from 16 to 28 in the south. Portugal has a good selection of beaches, mostly sand, from north to south with the best known stretches being in the Algarve (average sea temperature is 16 degrees centigrade in winter and 23 in summer).
The Lisbon coast has well sheltered beaches of the Serra de Arribida, great expanse of dunes south of the River Tagus and the popular beaches of Cascais and Estoril favoured by Lisboners. From the Douro towards Spain, on the Costa Verde, there are fine sandy beaches backed by rolling green countryside. Costa Dorada has a more rugged coastline with sandy bays at the bottom of high cliffs (average sea temperature is 13 degrees centigrade in winter and 17 in summer).
Portugal is ideally suited to the touring holiday. The distances are not great and roads winding but in good repair. Very comfortable accommodation in character hotels, historic manor houses and Pousadas is readily available. We also feature the Algarve area, but not the standard hotels or apartments now common in the overcrowded resorts. The holidays presented here, as you will see from the following pages, are rather different. Try one – you will discover a side of Portugal you least expected, and you will not be disappointed.
Our Portuguese programme is designed to be as flexible as we can make it – the itineraries being really little more than suggestions – with accommodation chosen whenever possible as much for its character as its location. Non standard holiday durations, a week in a city or resort and a week’s fly-drive, flying into and out of different airports within Portugal; all are possibilities. It is also possible to combine mainland Portugal with one of her islands (Madeira or one of the nine islands of the Azores). Please see our tailor-made holidays page for our suggested itineraries. If you have a holiday idea that is not priced in the brochure, please call us – we will soon tell you if it is feasible and realisable at an acceptable cost!
As all our holidays are tailor-made, we have adopted a flexible pricing policy based on individual airline net fares which now, as a result of the changing airline industry, fluctuate on a regular basis. Our new computer system enables us to give up to the minute quotes on all properties. The price will reflect the latest flight prices and any offers from hotels.
