Portugal has been a self-governing kingdom since 1143, and established its continental frontiers in 1297. Portugal stands out as one of the oldest countries in Europe among its neighbors, and still it is the most conventional and traditional European civilization. Perched on the west side of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal’s geographic location along the Atlantic coast soon determined its vocation to the sea.

Portugal is a beautiful country filled with exclusive resources, rich traditions and history, and is really a land worth visiting. Tourists can view 22,000 year-old Paleolithic art on the rock faces of Vale do Côa, and human employment in this area dates 500,000 years back in time.

The Portuguese started a sail on an epic journey in 1415, that would make them the first to find out the ocean route to India, Brazil, China and Japan, and at the same time found settlements on the east and west coasts of Africa.

A majority of people gradually started speaking in Portuguese dialects. The Portuguese were fortunate as they were being exposed to a large number of different civilizations.

The vast monumental, creative and archaeological tradition of Portugal witnessed not only the 850 years of history of meetings with distant civilizations, but also the existence of other ancient people such as the Celts, Suevians, Visigoths, Romans and Arabs in the territory. The Celts settled here more or less in the 750 B.C. and were followed by Romans, Visigoths, and Greeks among others. The Moors benefited from their infamous profession from the 8th to the 13th Century and left their ethnicity and ornate, whitewashed architecture as an eclectic signature on the Iberian Peninsula

The likely benefits of a sunny country with such varied geographic features have turned Portugal into a preferred destination for holidaymakers. It has also become the ultimate place for practicing water sports and playing golf. It offers contemporary tourism facilities, and attractive and personalized means of lodging, such as privately possessed houses ranging from magnificent farmhouses to manor houses.

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