Frommer's Portugal 18Th Edition
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Portugal 18th Edition by Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s: “Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete.” —Booklist “Detailed, accurate, and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.” —Glamour Magazine “Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.” —Des Moines Sunday Register “Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.” —Knight Ridder Newspapers About the Authors Veteran travel writers Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince have written numerous bestselling Frommer’s guides, notable to Germany, France, Italy, England, and Spain. Porter, who was bureau chief for the Miami Herald when he was 21, wrote the first Frommer’s guide to Germany; Prince, who began writing with Porter in 1982, worked for the Paris bureau of the New York Times. Published by: Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 Copyright © 2004 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval sys- tem or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo- copying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978/750-8400, fax 978/646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for per- mission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317/572-3447, fax 317/572-4447, E-Mail: [email protected]. Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Frommer’s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN 0-7645-4282-6 Editor: Billy Fox Production Editor: M. Faunette Johnston Cartographer: John Decamillis Photo Editor: Richard Fox Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800/762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317/572-3993 or fax 317/572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. Manufactured in the United States of America 54321 Contents List of Maps vii What’s New in Portugal 1 1 The Best of Portugal 4 1 The Best Travel Experiences . .4 8 The Best Palaces & Castles . .13 2 The Best Towns to Visit . .7 9 The Best Museums . .14 3 The Best Beaches . .8 10 The Best Churches & Abbeys . .14 4 The Best Hotels . .9 11 The Best Wines . .15 5 The Best Pousadas . .10 12 The Best Offbeat Trips . .16 6 The Best Restaurants . .11 13 The Best Shopping . .17 7 The Best Romantic Getaways . .12 2 Planning Your Trip to Portugal 19 1 Regions in Brief . .19 8 Specialized Travel . .34 Destination Portugal: 9 Planning Your Trip Online . .38 Red Alert Checklist . .22 Frommers.com: The Complete 2 Visitor Information . .22 Travel Resource . .39 3 Entry Requirements 10 The 21st-Century Traveler . .39 & Customs . .23 11 Getting There . .41 4 Money . .24 12 Packages for the Independent The U.S. Dollar, the British Traveler . .48 Pound, the Canadian Dollar 13 Special-Interest Trips . .50 & the Euro . .25 14 The Active Vacation Planner . .52 What Things Cost in Lisbon . .28 15 Getting Around Portugal . .53 5 When to Go . .28 16 Tips on Accommodations . .56 Portugal Calendar of Events . .29 17 Suggested Itineraries . .59 6 Travel Insurance . .31 18 Recommended Reading . .59 7 Health & Safety . .32 Fast Facts: Portugal . .61 3 Settling into Lisbon 65 1 Essentials . .68 Fast Facts: Lisbon . .74 Neighborhoods in Brief . .70 3 Where to Stay . .76 2 Getting Around . .71 4 Where to Dine . .89 iv CONTENTS 4 Exploring Lisbon 106 Suggested Itineraries . .106 5 Organized Tours . .126 1 The Top Attractions: The Alfama, 6 Outdoor & Recreational Belém & Museums . .107 Activities . .127 Secrets of Lisbon . .114 7 Spectator Sports . .128 2 More Attractions . .115 8 Lisbon Shopping: From 3 Especially for Kids . .120 Antiques to Wine . .129 4 City Strolls . .121 9 Lisbon After Dark . .136 Walking Tour 1: The Alfama . .121 Fado: The Music of Longing . .136 Walking Tour 2: Baixa, the Center & the Chiado . .123 5 Estoril, Cascais & Sintra 144 1 Estoril: Playground Exploring the Palace . .163 of Royalty . .146 5 Sintra: Byron’s “Glorious 2 Cascais . .151 Eden” . .164 3 Guincho . .159 6 Ericeira . .174 4 Queluz . .162 6 South of the Tagus 177 1 Azeitão . .177 Exploring the Mountains . .183 2 Sesimbra . .180 4 Setúbal . .184 The Best Beaches: Where Peninsula de Tróia . .185 the Locals Sun . .182 5 Palmela . .188 3 Portinho da Arrábida . .183 7 Estremadura 190 1 Óbidos . .190 Off the Beaten Path: The Beaches of Estremadura . .194 Nature in the Raw . .198 A Side Trip to Caldas 3 Nazaré . .200 da Rainha . .196 4 Batalha . .203 2 Alcobaça . .196 5 Fátima . .204 8 The Algarve 208 1 Sagres: “The End of 5 Albufeira . .229 the World” . .210 6 Quarteira . .236 2 Lagos . .212 7 Almancil . .241 3 Portimão . .218 8 Faro . .245 4 Silves . .228 9 Vila Real de Santo António . .251 CONTENTS v 9 Alentejo & Ribatejo 255 1 Tomar . .256 3 Elvas . .265 Travel Secrets of the 4 Évora . .267 Portuguese Plains . .260 5 Beja . .272 2 Estremoz . .262 6 Vila Nova de Milfontes . .275 10 Coimbra & the Beiras 277 1 Leiria . .277 4 Buçaco . .294 2 Figueira da Foz . .281 5 Luso . .295 3 Coimbra . .283 6 Cúria . .297 An Excursion to the Roman 7 Aveiro . .298 Town of Conimbriga . .292 8 Caramulo . .302 Serra de Estrêla National 9 Viseu . .303 Park . .293 11 Porto & Environs 307 1 Porto . .307 2 Espinho . .335 Fast Facts: Porto . .311 3 Vila do Conde . .338 ”Porting” & Dining . .316 4 Ofir & Fão . .340 Walking Tour: The Heart of Porto . .317 12 The Minho Region & Trás-os-Montes 342 1 Guimarães . .344 A Village off the 2 Braga . .348 Beaten Path . .360 3 Barcelos . .353 6 Vila Real . .363 4 Esposende . .355 7 Bragança . .366 5 Viana do Castelo . .357 13 Madeira & Porto Santo 370 1 Madeira Essentials . .371 5 Exploring Madeira . .389 Frommer’s Favorite Madeira 6 Sports & Outdoor Activities Experiences . .372 on Madeira . .396 2 Getting Around Madeira . .375 7 Shopping in Madeira . .397 Fast Facts: Madeira . .376 8 Madeira After Dark . .399 3 Where to Stay in Funchal . .378 9 Porto Santo . .400 4 Where to Dine in Funchal . .386 10 Porto Santo After Dark . .404 vi CONTENTS Appendix: Portugal in Depth 405 1 Portugal Today . .405 The Lady in the 2 A Look at the Past . .406 Tutti-Frutti Hat . .412 Dateline . .406 4 Portuguese Cuisine: Teeming with Seafood . .413 3 Manuelino: Portugal’s Unique Architectural Style . .411 Index 416 General Index . .416 Restaurant Index . .430 Accommodations Index . .427 List of Maps Portugal 5 Estremadura 191 Regions of Portugal 21 The Algarve 209 Portuguese Rail System 47 Portimão 219 Lisbon 67 Alentejo & Ribatejo 257 Lisbon Accommodations 77 Coimbra & the Beiras 279 Lisbon Dining 91 Coimbra 285 Belém Attractions 111 Porto 309 The Bairro Alto 117 Walking Tour: Porto 319 Walking Tour: The Alfama 122 The Porto Region 337 Walking Tour: Baixa, the The Minho Region 343 Center & the Chiado 125 Madeira 373 Estoril & Environs 145 Funchal 379 Sintra 165 South of the Tagus 179 An Invitation to the Reader In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to: Frommer’s Portugal, 18th Edition Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 An Additional Note Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirma- tion when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets. Other Great Guides for Your Trip: Frommer’s Europe Frommer’s Spain Frommer’s Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (rec- ommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see). In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists. Throughout