Having heard and read so much about how great Portugal holidays in the Algarve region are, I am finally ready to explore it this April bank holiday, as is a pleasant time with warm weather, plenty of plants and trees blooming gracefully. I just want to be there a little earlier than summer as it would be ideal to wander around while avoiding the crowds. Besides, it is easier to find Portugal villas for rent to suit all my needs, at this time of year. I really like visiting a region just before the tourist season starts. People are glad to see you and they welcome is warm and fresh. You can wander around watching the restaurants, bars, hotels and other tourist facilities putting in the last licks of paint and getting things ready. At this time of year, during my Algarve holidays, I know that the ‘mild’ winter would have definitely receded, and the freshness of spring would have started to make the environment cheerful, you would love to walk among the April blossoms.  The weather is also slightly up and down and not typically gorgeously ‘warm’ so that there is a bit of variety each day.

Before heading to my Algarve Portugal beach house, I am planning a few days in Lisbon. As you might have noticed, I do like to mix things up, and a few days in a bustling ancient yet modern city should nicely balance a week or so in the Algarve countryside and beaches. Usually people prefer to just treat the city as a transfer or at most a day long stopover, where one sees the sights and then moves on to Algarve villas or Algarve apartments. However, I enjoy the feel a big old city gives and it also gives a nice transition, since you get the flavour of Portugal in a cosmopolitan setting which allows you to find your feet in this new land. Take Lisbon as a case in point, its not just a big city, it is home to more than a quarter of Portugal’s population. That’s pretty impressive and there’s more. It’s one of the oldest cities in the world and has been ruled by the Romans and the Moors before becoming the crown jewel in the Portuguese empire in the Middle Ages. Today Lisbon is a thriving city, with great architecture, amazing nightlife and great cultural life where one can enjoy the best of Portuguese music, art, dance and theatre.

I am planning a day spent exploring the museums, wandering along the old buildings and monuments and, perhaps, ending up in the evening at the opera house. In my itinerary I would move onwards to the upper quarter or Bairro Alto to some serious exploring of the clubs and bars and maybe even catch some Fado music that Portugal is famous for. It would be nice to wander around enjoying the food, getting a hang of the street life. Next, I would head to one of the older parts of the city like the Alcantara or the Alfama or maybe wander along the seafront. Soak in the cobbled streets, trams moving around, see the Belem Tower and Jeronimos Monastery, visit the castle on the hill at Sintra and eat lots of custard tarts. In a big city it is easy to get around, one can take things at one’s own pace and make new plans to suit your mood. And if you are tired, book villas Sintra, to take good rest and get prepared for the next day’s trip. Tourists can’t really overwhelm a big metropolis, like they can a suddenly fashionable must-visit small place, and so by wandering around one gets a good sense of a new country and culture.