Portugal

You don’t have to listen very hard to hear whispers of the old world in Portugal. Moorish castles, sleepy villages and magical port towns all speak of times gone by, with a former charm no longer palpable in Europe. Yet beneath the echoes lies a sleek, sophisticated hotbed of diversity and culture that’s entirely new. Lisbon is Portugal’s most global city, with distinct monuments and architecture dating back to the Romanesque, Gothic and Post Modern periods. It is also the beating heart of iconic cafés, fado clubs and eclectic shops. Flâneurs flock to Porto, where cobblestone streets and crumbling cathedrals will have you wandering for hours. Don`t leave without visiting one of the many port cellars lining the riverside. Remote villages, buzzing university towns and seductive landscapes dot Portugal’s interior. Look for the decorative azulejo tiles covering many of Portugal’s convents, palaces and fountains. Known as Europe’s West Coast, contrasting geographies heighten the already amorous ideal, with rich vegetation and volcanic islands playing grandly off the sparkle of clear blue seas.