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Travel and Tourism in Portugal
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Portugal.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Time Difference
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Portugal has two time zones, including the Azores (UTC-1)
- Currency
- euro (EUR)
- Climate
- Mainland Portugal experiences two distinct seasons. From late October to mid-May rain is frequent and sometimes heavy. Temperatures may drop into the low 30s at night during the coldest months, with daytime highs in the 50s and 60s. Annual variations in rainfall can be considerable, with years of flooding followed by years of drought. The remainder of the year is normally sunny with minimal rainfall. Days are pleasant, with temperatures seldom exceeding 95° F, except in the southern interior of the country. Afternoons and evenings are breezy, with nighttime temperatures in the 60s and low 70s. Spells of intense heat are infrequent and last only a few days. The Tagus River, flowing west into the Atlantic at Lisbon divides mainland Portugal into two distinct climatic regions. The northern part is relatively cool and rainy. In the south the climate is drier and warmer, particularly in the interior. The Azores climate tends to be moist and moderate throughout the year.
- Language(s) Spoken
- Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official, but locally used)
- Ethnic Groups
- Portuguese 95%; citizens from Portugal’s former colonies in Africa, Asia (Han Chinese), and South America (Brazilian) and other foreign born 5%
- National Holiday
- Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal), 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis DE CAMOES (1524-80) died
- Geographic Coordinates
- 39 30 N, 8 00 W
- Location
- Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
- Airports
- 66
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Regions and Cities
Portugal rewards exploration at every scale, from the grand capitals to the smallest stone-walled villages. Its official territorial division into regions provides one framework, but for the traveler, thinking about the country in terms of its great geographic and cultural zones makes more intuitive sense. What follows is a tour through the country's essential places.
Lisbon Lisbon, known in Portuguese as Lisboa, is one of Europe's most beautiful and atmospheric capital cities, and it has been undergoing a cultural renaissance for the past two decades that has only deepened its appeal. It is built on seven hills above the Tagus estuary, an unusual topography that means the city is experienced as a series of distinct neighborhoods perched at different elevations, connected by winding streets, long staircases, and the famous funiculars and elevadors.
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Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Good medical care is available, but facilities may be limited outside urban areas. Public hospitals offer services at costs lower than private hospitals, but sometimes do not maintain the same comforts as hospitals in the United States. You should obtain insurance that covers medical services from a private Portuguese hospital or clinic. Private hospitals will ask for a credit card or other form of payment upon admission.
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