Portugal is the country lying along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in south Western Europe. It is bordered on the East and North by Spain, and on the West and South by the Atlantic Ocean. Occupying about 16 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal has a total area of 35 672 square miles, occupied by ten million people. Despite its small size, the country displays a great diversity of geographic features, creating a contrast between plain areas and extremely mountainous zones. Until the 1970s, Portuguese overseas territories included the Cape Verde Islands, Sao Tome and Principe, Portuguese Guinea, Angola and Mozambique (all in Africa), Macau (in Asia) and Timor (in Oceania). Of these, by the late 20th century, only Macau remained a Portuguese dependency, now under China's dependence. As a member of the European Community and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Portugal plays a greater role in both European and world affairs than its size would suggest.

As its name suggests, you can expect to find all shades of green in the rolling hills, mountains and fertile valleys, where agriculture thrives due to heavy rainfall that makes this the greenest zone in Portugal.

A coastline of unpolluted beaches welcomes the Atlantic Ocean, while visitors can also enjoy the countryside, with its small farms, estates with splendid mansions that have been handed down within families for centuries, vineyards and forests of pines or oaks. The food is considered to be one of the country's best. From the most varied forms of cooking cod to apparently odd dishes, like tripas a moda do Porto (stewed tripes with beans) or rojoes (where cumin is used to spice pork cooked in wine and garlic), not to speak of the magnificent wines and desserts.

The main cities are Braga (with its baroque churches, parks and the extraordinary flight of stairs of Bom Jesus), Guimaraes (celebrated, with its ancient castle, as the birthplace of the nation), Viana do Castelo (with opulent mansions built in Renaissance and Baroque styles and breath-taking views), and, of course, Porto, the second largest Portuguese city, with its 19th century architectural atmosphere and the boast of giving its name to the Port Wine. Still in this area, don't miss the National Park of Peneda-Geres, with its wild, dramatic scenery and a rich variety of flora and fauna and the magnificent beaches and resorts in range.

At just 18 kilometers south of Porto, Espinho is a lively beach resort where you have a choice of activities. You can laze on the beach, surf the Atlantic breakers, play a round of golf at Portugal's oldest course or gamble the night away at the casino.

It is hugely popular in the summer and draws Portuguese in from all over north and central Portugal particularly in July and August when the sea is at its warmest. Then the sands fill with sizzling bodies taking a break from cosmopolitan city life.

Vila do Conde is both seaside resort and important shipbuilding town that hasn't lost all its local charm giving it a calm and peaceful atmosphere. It is within easy reach of Porto (27 kilometres) particularly since the new Metro stops at Vila do Conde along Line B (the red line). The beach is 3 kilometers of white sand with the fantastic Atlantic Ocean crashing on its shore.

It's a popular breach for surfers and sun-worshippers alike. Praia da Forno and Praia de Nossa Senhora da Guia have calm seas suitable for children while the swells near the castelo are favored by surfers.

Povoa de Vazim is four kilometers north of Vila do Conde and only 39 kilometers from Porto, linked by the Metro. Povoa de Vazim is another lively Porto getaway geared up for fun and frolics on its enormous sandy beach and the nearby casino.

Povoa is a lively, touristy, developed resort aimed at the sun-worshipping, out-for-a-good-time masses. As such it has the usual accoutrements such as the 8 kilometre long beach, a casino and stacks of hotels, restaurants and bars offering good value for money. Surfing and water sports are also popular and there are several compos desportivos in Povoa de Vazim.

Twenty kilometers north of Povoa de Varzim is Esposende, a more chilled out resort than both Povoa or Viana do Castelo to the north. It sits on the Rio Cavado estuary and is essentially an old fishing village with modern sprawl around the town's outskirts.

Esposende is a friendly, low key resort with kilometers of sandy beach lined by sand dunes. The water here is clean and reputedly healthy being full of iodine. All the way up the coast you'll find deserted little beaches amongst the busier main beaches. Surfing and water sports are popular in this region as the Atlantic continues to pound the coast.

North of Viana do Castelo is the city of Ancora. Ancora is located at the end of the River Ancora, in the valley sheltered from the winds by the Serra d'Arga hills in the north the Monte de Santa Luzia in the south. It has long been an area of settlements dating from the Paleolithic era.

The beach of Vila Praia da Ancora is great for surfing. It tends to be better for bathers on the beach joining the Avenida Marginal coast road, where the waters are calmer and access is easier. If you want to get away from everyone, the southern area surrounded by the protected sand dunes, is accessible to walkers only over a wooden walkway and is almost always deserted.

Caminha is the first town on the River Minho as you head inland from the Costa Verde. These days it is a small, quiet market town but was once an important strategic point in Portugal's defences against the various invaders over the centuries.

From Caminha you are well placed to explore the rural North Minho area and the pretty towns of Ponte da Barca and Ponte de Lima. There are several beaches in and around the town including Moledo, Ancora, Afife and of course Viana do Castelo are within easy reach. Ancora and Vila Praia da Ancora, south of Caminha, have some important historic origins. Beaches here are great for surfing, bathing and getting away from the crows and enjoying the protected sand dunes of the Parque Natural do Litoral Norte.

In the extreme north-eastern part of the country, serviced by modern roads, stone is the soul of the region: the granite of the temples and manors, the rocky mountainsides and the endurance of a people that has kept its dances and singing (with a strong Celtic influence), its festivities and processions which combined the pagan heritage with Christian rituals centuries ago.

Further south, one finds the green fields of the Douro, the continuation of the central mountain range (mention must be made to Serra da Estrela, highest point of continental Portugal -1992m-, a resort for practising winter sports and the place where the delicious 'queijo' -cheese- da Serra is made) and the amazing historic villages, where time seems to have stopped, such as Almeida, Sortelha, Monsanto, Belmonte, Piodao, and Idanha-a-Velha. The IP3 crosses the entire region from north to south, and the IP5, going from east to west, connects the coast with the hinterland, passing through the beautiful towns of Viseu and Guarda, Douro River.

An unspoilt natural paradise, with average temperatures of 14"C,/57"F, Montanhas are the ideal place for mountaineering, canoeing or resting in a thermal spa, such as Monfortinho, São Pedro do Sul, Caldas de Felqueira, Carvalhelhos, Pedras Salgadas, and Vidago, with its magnificent park, swimming pools and golf course.