Horseback Riding Along the Coast

An American company, Equitour, offers treks along the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, the livelihood of many Portuguese. In addition to beach riding, there is also trekking through olive groves, vineyards, pine forests, and lagoons. Seeing this beautiful country from the back of a well-trained Lusitano is a rewarding and unusual travel experience.

Viewing Manueline Architecture

Manuelino, as it's known in Porguguese, marks a dramatic artistic shift from the late gothic style. It mixes Christian motifs with shells, ropes, and strange aquatic shapes and is usually crowned with heraldic or religious symbols. The best example is the grant Monastery of Jeronomos in Belem outside Lisbon, dating from the 16th century. Another towering example is the mysterious and astrologic visions of the famous window of the Convent of Christ in Tomar.

Visiting the Lost Continent of Atlantis

Mythologists believe the remote Portuguese islands in the mid-Atlantic, the Azores, are the only remnants of the lost continent of Atlantis. Even today, they're a verdant but lonely archipelago where the winds of the ocean meet, cyclones call on each other, and urbanites can lose themselves in fog-bound contact with the sea. For hundreds of years, they were considered the end of the earth. No summary can do justice to these fascinating islands.

Call on Berlenga Island

Berlenga is a granite island 7miles west of the Portuguese coastline, first line of defense against invaders from the sea. In 1666, 28 Portuguese tried to withstand 1,500 Spoaniards who bombarded the site from 15 ships. A medieval fortress demolished in the battle was rebuilt and today houses a no-frills hostel. The entire island and the rocky, uninhabited archipelago that surrounds it are a designated nature reserve whose flora and fauna both above and below the surface of the sea are protected from development and destruction. Boat transport departs from the Peniche Peninsula, about 57 miles north of Lisbon.

Venture "Beyond the Mountains"

Tras-os-Montes is a wild, rugged land whose name means "beyond the mountains". Exploring this region provides a glimpse into a Portugal infrequently seen or experienced by outsiders. Most of the population there lives in deep valleys, often in traditional houses built of shale or granite, and they speak a dialect of Galacian similar to that spoken across the border in northwestern Spain. Much of this plateau is arid and rocky, but thermal springs have bubbled out of the earth here since at least Roman times. Drive through this savage landscape to fine ruins of pre-roman fortresses, dolmens, and cromlechs erected by prehistoric Celts.

Backpacking and Hiking in the Algarve

Especially rewarding is trekking through the teritory near Sagres, which ha retained its mystical hold oon journeyers since it was known as "the end of the world". Footpaths around the villages of Silves and Monchique will lead you to river valleys and panoramas that have changed little since Moorish occupation.

Pousada Hopping

After World War II, the Portuguese government transformed dozens of monateries, palaces, and convents into hotels, honoring the historical authenticity of their architectural cores. Today's travelers can experience intimately some ofPortugal's greatest artchitecture and cuisine within the proud walls of a pousada.

Playing Golf by the Sea

Topography loaded with the surprises that golf enthusiasts love has led to the creation of at least 30 major courses in this land of privileged climate. There's never a shortage of terraces on which to enjoy an excellent Portuguese wine and the stimulating view after the game.

Swooning to Fado

After soccer, fado music is the national obsession. A lyrical homage to the bruised or broken heart, fado assumes forms that are as old as the troubadours. Its four-line stanzas of unrhymed verse capture the nation's collective heart and soul. Hearing the lament of the fadistas in clubs is the best way to appreciate the melanchology dignity of Iberia's western edge.

Finding a Solitary Beach

Portugal's most famous southern beaches are well-known for attracting large and glamorous crowds of sun-worshippers, but you can find solitude on the sands if you stop by the lonely expases if any coastal road in northern Portugal.

Fishing in Rich Coastal Waters

Mild weather permits fishing year-round for more tehan 200 species, including varieties not seen anywhere else, including the 6-foot long scabbards. Portugal's rivers and lakes produce three species of trout, black bass, and salmon. The cold Atlantic abounds in sea bass, shark, tope, grouper, skate, and swordfish.

Trek to the End of the World

Adding Sagres and its peninsula to the Portuguese nation cost thousands of lives in battle against the Moors, and getting there required weeks of travel over rocky deserts. Come here to pay your respects to the nagivators who embarked from Sagrres on journeys to death or glory. Be rewarded with vistas unparalleled in the world.

Losing it at a Spa

Portuguese are underaccessorized by Eurpean standard and positively sleepy by frenetic California standards. But central and northern Portugal share about half a dozen spas whose sulfur-rich waters have been considered therapeutic since the days of the ancient Romans. Don't expect the latest in choreographed aerobics and spinning clases. Sink into communion with nature, rid your body of the toxins of urban life, and retire early for romance and recuperative sleep.

Tasting and Touring in Port Wine Country

Across the Rio Douro from the heart of the northern city of Porto lies Vila Nova de Gaia, the headquarters of the port-wine trade since the 1600s. More than 25 companies maintain port-wine lodges here, each offering free guided tours and always a taste of one or two of the house wines. Before you taste, you may enjoy a rive along the Douro to see the vineyards.

Wildlife Watching

Hiking and backpacking in Portugal is great for bird-watchers. The westernmost tip of continental Europe lies along the main migration routes between the warm wetlands of Africa and the cooler breeding grounds of northern Europe. the most rugged terrain of northern Portugal is especially suited for nature watching, particuarly around Peneda-Geres, where wild boar, wild horses, and wolves still roam the hills and forests.