Portugal

It is at the tip of Europe, between Spain and the Atlantic Ocean, and has a bit of everything that’s good: beaches, mountains, lively cities like Porto and Lisbon, quiet villages full of history and ancient traditions—are you ready to tackle the best things to do in Portugal? With a coast that stretches 943 kilometres and almost the equivalent of that in beaches, this rectangle of land is a world waiting to be discovered. It has a little over 10 million inhabitants, spread between the continent and the two beautiful archipelagos located in the middle of the ocean: the nine island paradise called Azores, and the almost tropical Madeira (with its sidekick Porto Santo, a small island that practically has a single season all year round—the summer—and where Christopher Columbus lived and got married). Land of good food and good wine, we give you 22 reasons to discover Portugal. Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere. Find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world.  

If there’s one thing Portugal isn’t short on, it’s beaches. With 1,700 kilometres of coastline, there’s no end of swimming, sunbathing and general lounging options in this historically seafaring country – whether you’re after calm bays, surfing havens, out-of-the-way coves or vast expanses of sand that appear to stretch to infinity. Armed with the expert knowledge of our editors in Lisbon and Porto, we’ve rounded up the very best beaches in Portugal, ordered from furthest north to furthest south, to help you plan the ultimate beach trip. So what are you waiting for? Vamos para a praia! RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Portugal