Portugal Map Tourist Attractions

TOURIST SERVICES AND MONEY

TOURIST OFFICES. The official tourism website is www.portugalinsite.pt. When in Portugal, stop by municipal and provincial tourist offices for maps and advice.

PHONE CODES

Country code: 351. International dialing prefix: 00. From outside Portugal, dial int’l dialing prefix (see inside back cover) + 351 + local number.

TELEPHONES. Pay phones are either coin-operated or require a phone card. The basic unit for all calls is ‚0.10. Telecom phone cards are most common in Lisbon and Porto. Credifone cards are sold at drugstores, post offices, and locations posted on phone booths, and are most useful outside these two big cities. City codes all begin with a 2, and local calls do not require dialing the city code. Calling cards probably remain the best method of making international calls. For info on using a cell phone in Portugal, see 30.

MAIL. Air mail (via aerea) can take from one to two weeks (or longer) to reach the US or Canada. It is slightly quicker for destinations in Europe and longer for Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Surface mail (superficie), for packages only, takes up to two months. Registered or blue mail takes five to eight business days but is roughly three times the price of air mail. EMS or Express Mail will probably get there in three to four days for more than double the blue mail price.

INTERNET ACCESS. Cybercafes are common in cities and most smaller towns. When in doubt, try the library, where there is often at least one computer with Internet access.

Dishes are seasoned with olive oil, garlic, herbs, and sea salt, but few spices. The fish selection includes chocos grelhados (grilled cuttlefish), linguado grelhado (grilled sole), and peixe espada (swordfish). Portugal’s renowned queijos (cheeses) are made from the milk of cows, goats, and ewes. For dessert, try pudim, or flan (caramel custard). The hearty almogo (lunch) is eaten between noon and 2pm and jantar (dinner) is served between 9pm and midnight. Meia dose (half-portions) are often adequate; full portions may satisfy two. The prato do dia (special of the day) or ementa (menu) of appetizer, bread, entree, and dessert is filling. Vinho do porto (port) is a dessert in itself. Madeira wines have a unique cooked flavor. Coffees include bica (black espresso), galao (with milk, served in a glass), and cafe com leite (with milk, in a cup).

HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS

Holidays; New Year’s Day (Jan. 1); Good Friday (Apr. 9); Easter (Apr. 11); Liberation Day (Apr. 25); Labor Day (May 1); Feast of the Assumption (Aug. 15); Republic Day (Oct. 5); All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1); Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8); Christmas (Dec. 25).

Festivals: All of Portugal celebrates Carnival (Mar. 4) and Holy Week (Apr. 4-11). Coimbra holds the Burning of the Ribbons festival in early May, and Lisbon hosts the Feira Internacional de Lisboa in June. Coimbra’s Feira Popular takes place the 2nd week of July. For more information on Portuguese festivals, see www.portugal.org.

Portugal Map Tourist Attractions

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