Get to know the perfect european holiday destination all year round - Castelo Branco

Baixa is the most central and renowned neighborhood in Lisbon. It was completely rebuilt by the Marquês de Pombal after the 1st November 1755, one of the world’s strongest recorded earthquakes devastated the district and, along with the massive tsunami, killed thousands. Baixa is packed with stores and restaurants and is always busy during the day.This neighborhood houses the capital’s most emblematic squares and streets. The district starts in Restauradores Square (Praça dos Restauradores), continues up Avenida da Liberdade, through Praça Marquês de Pombal (Marquis of Pombal Square) and from this point forward is considered “Modern Lisbon”. Here you will discover some of Lisbon’s major attractions such as Terreiro do Paço square (or Terreiro do Paço), Rossio along with a variety of popular bars and restaurants. Top things to do near Baixa.

The most notable attraction in Avenida da Liberdade is Avenida da Liberdade itself. This boulevard, built in the 19th century in the style of the Champs-Elysees in Paris, is the main avenue of the city. It runs north for a 1.6 km, from Restauradores Square to Marquês de Pombal Square, and is more than 90m wide. An elegant avenue with fountains, café tables shaded by trees, as well as a cobblestone pavement decorated with unique patterns. A few of the original mansions have been preserved, and many are outstanding from an architectural standpoint. In this avenue, there is also a monument to homage the Heroes of the Great War, a tribute to the 50 000 Portuguese soldiers who fought in World War I. This is also the site of the city's grander hotels and designer shops, including names like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Tods, Burberry, Hugo Boss, Miu Miu, among others. Top things to do in Avenida da Liberdade

Portugal's Silver Coast, or "Costa de Prata" is a spectacular stretch of coastal ancient towns, breathtaking beaches, and rugged coastline, hugging the Atlantic Ocean, on Portugal's western side. By many expats, this is one of the most desirable places to live in Portugal, together with Lisbon and Algarve. The region remains largely unknown and therefore untouched by tourism, which means that visitors can bask in the extraordinary sand of "silver." Clean beaches, water sports activities and world-class golf courses make this a popular destination to be explored by holidaymakers.The silver coast is wilder and untouched, with far less development than the crowded southern Algarve. It is also a popular destination for surfers, and beaches such as Peniche and Nazaré are always busy with tourists from northern Europe.Living by the beach is good and even better in São Martinho do Porto. Just one hour north of Lisbon and close by some of Portugal’s best waves, beaches and golf courses, Bay Shore is the luxury oceanfront development that is capturing the attention of those who seek a nice place to live by the sea, those who dream of a second home at the beach and also investors looking forward to a great opportunity!

Oeiras is a municipality in the western part of the Lisbon metropolitan area, a sub-region of Greater Lisbon in continental Portugal. Oeiras is part of the urban agglomeration and it is also 16km from the capital.  This region is an important economic hub, being one of the most highly developed municipalities in both Portugal and Europe!

Located on the coast, about 36 kilometres west of Faro, Albufeira is synonymous with tourism and features some of southern Portugal's best beaches. The region was once a fishing village, and it still holds something of its classic character. A labyrinth of steep, narrow streets lined with whitewashed houses and fishermen's cottages leading down to the astonishing beaches is what the town of Albufeira looks like. The city's original Arabic name, Al-Buhera means "castle on the sea" and there are some beautiful Moorish arches in the towers. Modern Albufeira is, nonetheless, the Algarve's tourism capital, a thriving centre with hotels, restaurants and stores.

Considered the westernmost point of Europe, the Azores is an archipelago of 9 volcanic islands in the blue immensity of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is worldwide recognized for its scenery of natural beauty, blessed with stunning landscapes of lakes, green meadows, volcanos, geysers and hot thermal waters. It is also funnily known for having a massive herd of cows, being commonly said by locals that the Azores have more cows than people. The Azores is also characterized for its picturesque towns, full of colourful character and cobbled squares that bring the Renaissance and Discoveries period back in time. The world’s recognition of the immeasurable value of the Azores dates back decades ago. In 1983, UNESCO named the Historical Centre of Angra do Heroismo, in the island of Terceira, as World Heritage, and, in 2004, the Landscape of Pico Island Vineyard Culture, in the island of Pico. The first references to the island’s settlement date back to the 14th century. Under the command of Prince Henry, the Navigator, the Azores were discovered by the Portuguese, that claimed their rights over it. The active settlement only started later and was shared between the Portuguese and the Flemish over two centuries. It is even said that the particular Azorean accent has its roots in the French language. Fun Fact: the Azores is the only place in Europe that grows green tea!

Santos is an elegant neighbourhood located in the Estrela parish. In the 18th century, it was home to mansions of the upper-classes, just as the Lapa neighbourhood. In this period, the nobility and the bourgeoisie chose these areas to settle in. Nowadays, many of the palaces are hotels, embassies or museums. Rua das Janelas Verdes is the street that mostly lives up to this heritage. It is home to one of Portugal's most important national museums - the National Museum of Ancient Art (MNAA) - located in a magnificent palace. Santos has also been assuming itself as the design district of Lisbon, hosting well-known décor stores, such as Paris-Sete, AR interiores, Re-Use, Roche Bobois, galleries, museums and artists' cooperatives. The district was officially branded as the Design District of Lisbon in 2005. Besides its artistic role, Santos also takes part in the political life of the country. It is home to the parliament of Portugal, hosting the emblematic Assembly of the Republic building. 

Few people know this, but Alcácer do Sal is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It was founded over a thousand years B.C. Laid out over the right bank of the Sado river, it is a historic area in Portugal, best known for its rice fields. Alcácer do Sal is the second-largest municipality in the country, located in the northern part of Alentejo, very close to the Atlantic. For a long time, salt was the main reason for the settlement of peoples in this region. From the Phoenicians' times, through the Roman empire, until the 18th century, salt was transported by galleons from dozens of salt flats. Eventually, salt flats were converted into rice paddies, which started using a network of channels supplied by the Pego do Altar and Santa Susana dams. Today there is still one salt flat operating, the “Salina da Batalha”, which is open for guided tours. Over the Sado valley, on the hilltop, a Moorish castle was built in the 12th century. It was later conquered by King Afonso II, passing into the Portuguese domain. Álcacer is also home to one the most beautiful “Pousadas de Portugal”, has beautiful beaches just a few kilometres away and offers the best wild boar steak in the country, as well as delicious seafood from the Sado river.