Portugal is now the world’s 14th most popular tourist destination and by 2020 it expects to be in the top 10. While that’s good news for the country’s economy, it may sound like bad news for you as a tourist. But before you imagine your Portugal visit to be rubbing shoulders with crowds of old folks rushing out of tour buses, be assured that most of the country is actually still tourist free. Despite the increased number of visitors, Portugal remains an undiscovered country because most tourists don’t leave their resorts in Algarve or the luxury hotels of Madeira. Even Lisbon is really only overrun with tourists in August and Easter weekend when most of Spain seems to have crossed the border.

Most of Portugal’s tourists are also mostly coming from only a handful of countries, mainly from Spain, UK, Germany, and France. The main reasons to visit the country as reported by tourists is the geographical proximity and culture, good weather, and low prices. That means you just may have many of the country’s most charming towns all for yourself, especially if you go off the beaten path.

While Sintra, Obidos, and Evora are top choices after Algarve and Lisbon, you should not overlook the north, especially Portugal’s second city, Porto (or Oporto in English). From there it is easy to reach some of the most elegantly-preserved old cities in the country such as Braga, Guimarães, and Viana do Castelo, or visit the World Heritage Douro Valley.

As you must have already seen, GoLisbon is not just a guide to the Portuguese capital, but also a complete guide to Portugal, and you should visit the Portugal section for information about all that the country has waiting for you — still without the crowds.

Just when you thought we couldn’t possibly tell you about another film festival coming to Lisbon (GoLisbon has told you about the Digital Film Festival, the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and the Horror Film Festival), here comes another one celebrating French cinema! It starts tomorrow, October 2nd, and will screen the best of the latest French films until the 12th in Lisbon, and until the 2nd of November in other Portuguese cities (in Coimbra from the 13th to 18th of October, Porto from the 21st to the 26th, and Faro from the 29th of October to the 2nd of November).

This is a non-competitive showing of films produced (or co-produced in France), and will include 25 premieres in the 45 features screened. They’re shown in French with Portuguese subtitles at São Jorge Cinema in Avenida da Liberdade and at Cinemateca, the city’s film museum not too far away.
A number of France’s film stars will come to Lisbon for the event, which for nine years has drawn thousands to see the original stories created in the land of Méliès.

GoLisbon.com has established itself as the most complete online source for information about Lisbon. And now we’re going to do the same with Portugal’s second city, Porto (or Oporto in the English world).These two cities have as much in common as they have in unique differences and should be the two main stops in the country for those looking to experience the culture and soul of Portugal (the beaches of Algarve can be saved for the end of the trip…)

Porto is growing as a favorite tourist destination (especially for short city breaks among Europeans), and while it’s cleaned up to better welcome this larger number of guests, it still maintains an Old World atmosphere that unquestionably makes it one of Europe’s most charismatic cities.

Overlooking the centuries-old boats that carry its world-famous port wine down the Douro River are magnificent turn-of-the-century bridges and monuments surrounded my colourful medieval houses… In between it all are new world-class cultural attractions by Pritzker Award-winning architects –- the Serralves Museum and Casa da Musica.

If you haven’t yet heard much about Porto or its attractions, we invite you to look at the new (and still partially under construction) GoOporto.com website. You’ll have plenty of ideas on what to see before or after a visit to Lisbon…

Click here:
Porto (Oporto), Portugal — Tourist Sites and Hotels Guide