Hi all, <BR> <BR>My husband & I are thinking about going to Portgual for one week the end of August for a little r&r. We know little to nothing about this country. Where is a good place to stay so we may enjoy their beaches, culture & perhaps, catch in a little sight-seeing. I have heard that Lisbon is beautiful but I do not know where it is located in terms of the beach. Any and all information/advice is appreciated!!!! <BR> <BR>Mary

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I wouldn't stay in Lisbon too long. Like most capital cities, its good for a day or so. I'd head south to the coast line. Lagos is good for a few days holiday - beautiful beautiful beaches. Lacking in culture unfortunately. Maybe split a week between the two? <BR>

Mary, <BR>My boyfriend and I just returned from a trip to Portugal. We stayed in Lagos for a while and then went up to Lisbon. Lagos was nice and many of the other towns on the Algarve seemed nice too (although I don't know what Rick Steves sees in Salema and Sagres). I had more fun in Lisbon though. I thought it was an incredibly beautiful city, we were very surprised by its charm and beauty. In fact it has now become one of our favorite spots in Europe. <BR>If you do go to Lisbon there are two towns with nice yet built up beaches about 20 minutes or a half hour on a cheap commuter rail: Cascais and Estoril. We also visited the castle in Sintra which was incredible, just as impressive as Neuschwanstein.

We just returned from a tour of europe on Saturday and spent the last five days in Praia da Rocha. It was great!!!! <BR>This is a small resort area, just east of Lagos, which has several all inclusive resorts and many independent hotels. The area has one main street which is closed to autos every evening. 50 feet from the mainstreet(Ave. Tomas Cabreira) are the 60th sandstone cliffs that drop off to huge beautiful beaches. <BR> <BR> <BR>We stayed at an inexpensive clean hotel on the main street. We got the room for only 7,000 escudos and had a full bath and continental breakfast. <BR> <BR> <BR>Residencial Sol <BR>Av. Tomas Cabreira 10 <BR>Praia da Rocha <BR>8500 Portimao <BR> <BR> Fax: 351-82-42-40-71 <BR> Tel: 351-82-41-71-99 <BR> <BR>Other nice but more expensive hotels are the Bella Vista, Jupiter and Algarve Casino! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Praia da Rocha looked great. I am glad to hear positive things about it. My boyfriend and I drooled over it out the bus window on our way to Lisbon. We were really sorry that we wasted time in Sages and Salema instead of hitting Praia da rocha, which the guidebooks ignore.

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We spent two weeks in Portugal in March. Travelled from Lisbon by car up north to a town called Guimaraes and really enjoyed the castles and the town especially the pastelarias and great wine. You should check on the pousadas, which are state run accommodcations in regions or sites of historical interest. Book car before you go, seems cheaper. Watch for pickpockets on the tram to Tower of Belem in Lisbon - they are PROs. Be aware that the nicer restaurants set out appetizers on your arrival and you will pay for them. The Algarve is nice - we stayed a week in Albufeira. Try your local library for a guidebook and or video - we took a book along and it was great!