Portugal is located on the western part of the Iberian Peninsula. It is considered the first global empire.
Up until the 12th century the area has been concurred by various entities such as Rome and the Mors, and in the 13th century Portugal finally got their independence.
From the 12th century till the 15th century Portugal were building up their country and politics, while at first they had to be worried about the Spanish, so they signed a treaty with England(which lasts till today (the longest lasting military treaty today).
During the 15th and 16th century was the age of discoveries. After living on the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean for centuries and wondering what is on the other side of it, the time has come to find out. It all started with Prince Henry the navigator of whom the myth states had a school for sailing on the south end of the country. People in Portugal would learn by him how to sail, and with the new sailing technology allowing the ships to sail against the wind, they set sail to discover areas in America, Africa, Southeast Asia , and even reached Japan. These discoveries made Portugal very rich especially after they found gold in the Middle of the 17th century in Brazil, this made Lisbon a global center of trade.
in 1755 tragedy struck with a very large earthquake near Lisbon. Some believe this is the largest documented earthquake in the world, reaching 9 in the Richter scale. Lisbon was destroyed, with many dead and homeless. Luckily for Portugal, after all their discoveries and trades they were able to rebuild the city and economy within 30 years. However, this earthquake raddled Europe (not literally), and forced the governments to change their strategies since they understood that a natural disaster can ruin their entire economy.
The 18th century was very good for the British and at that point the French felt that they are getting to be too powerful. In 1807 Napoleon demanded from Portugal to be part of a continental siege on Britain, The Portuguese did not agree to this and Napoleon invaded Portugal. After taking over the country the royal family had to escape to Brazil. With help from the British, in 1812 the last French Soldier left Portugal’s soil.
The French invasion brought upon a motion which was burning in many of the people the Portuguese ‘Liberal Revolution’. This motion started in 1820 in Porto. They demanded John V of Portugal to return from Brazil after he escaped due to the French occupation. They demanded him to set up a constitutional monarchy in the country. These demands were accepted in 1822. However, Miguel of Portugal took the throne in 1828 and rejected the constitution in order for him to become an absolutist monarch. This started a civil war which lasted for two years. After that ended the liberal constitution was reinstated.
A revolution took place in 1910 which changed the country from a monarchy to a parliamentary republic. But due to a lack of stability in the system for 16 years, in 1926 the army preformed an uprising and started a Military dictatorship, this lasted till 1974. In 1974 a few army officers changed everything with the nonviolent Carnation Revolution that brought to a democratic elections in 1975 starting a way of life that exists till this day.
How to get to Portugal
In Portugal there are three international airports. There is one in the capital- Lisbon, another in the beautiful Porto and the third in the southern city Faro in the Algavre region. Portugal is part of the EU therefore the rules of travel which apply in the EU apply also in Portugal. This is the fastest and probrebly most comfortable way to go.
By Car
You can drive from Spain to Portugal, however there are a few things you must know when driving in Portugal. Some of them we wrote here:
1) most of the national highways (called Autostradas) have been converted into toll roads. Therefore, the highways are nice looking highways with barely any cars on them. These toll roads are very expensive if you don’t sort out what card you need in your car in order to pay a smaller toll. We suggest that you take care of this before you rent the car.
2) Speed limits should be maintained at all times; however, you will find in Portugal that the locals might thing that is isn’t mandatory. We suggest taking a deep breath and be prepared for formula one racers coming to you all the time.
3) Street signs are very hard to find in many places, so instead of making mistake after mistake when driving, we suggest you bring a GPS.
4) Keeping a safe distance from the car in front of you isn’t something normally done in Portugal. Be prepared for cars to come millimeters from your car.
By Ship
You can take various types of boats to Portugal. There is a cruise ship, or a yacht.
Main Ports
Lisbon- http://www.portodelisboa.pt/
Porto- http://www.apdl.pt/
By Train
There is always a great train option to consider when going to Portugal. It’s comfortable, quite fast and very scenic. For more information of routes and times please check this site- https://rail.cc/search-train-route
By Bus
You can take a bus for different locations in Europe to Portugal. It is a longer ride; however, you get to see the beautiful views on the way and enjoy a cheaper price than other forms of transport. For more information visit- https://global.flixbus.com/
Israeli embassy details in Portugal
Address- RUA ANTONIO ENES NO.16, Lisbon
Phone- 015-351-21-0455500
Fax- 015-351-21-0455555
Hours of operation- Monday- Friday 09:00-12:00, not open on Israeli and Portugal holidays.
Website- HTTP://LISBON.MFA.GOV.IL
Traditional food
The food in Portugal is really good. You have great wines while the Port Wine needs to be mentioned separately. Of course, the sea food is extraordinary, with great fish and others. Meat is a big deal as well when pork and ham are in the spotlight. Just don’t forget to finish a great meal in Portugal with a terrific dessert.
Caldo Verde
This famous Portuguese soup is made with dark green cabbage which gives it a green color. It is commonly eaten in the winter but can also be found during the other seasons. The taste is a great combination of flavors with potato puree, chorizo sausage, and local olive oil.
Bacalhau or Portuguese Cod Fish
This delicacy is one of the most famous dishes in Portugal, and a trip cannot be complete without tasting it since the whole nation is obsessed with this dish. There are so many ways of making it and the flavors are terrific. We recommend trying it in a few different places because it is made differently.
Sardines
When walking the streets of Portugal in June, you will smell it. Grilled sardines everywhere. It is a fantastic national dish. There are even a few days of celebration of the grilled sardines at Santo António Festival. In Portugal an average person will eat 12 pounds of sardines a year. Wow! That is a lot. They are normally eaten of a charcoal grill and marinated with local olive oil, served with salads, potatoes, and rice. Delicious.
Bifanas
These pork sandwiches are so popular among Portugal’s people that you will find them everywhere. The bread in this sandwich should be crunchy on the outside and soft inside, with the marinaded pork in paprika’ garlic and white wine. If you eat it as a mean, it should be eaten with a bowl of soup and chips, but if you’re having it a night snack, eat it with beer.
Francesinha Sandwich
This is a delicacy from the city Porto. It’s a ham and steak sandwich baked with cheese and it is terrific. What makes it unique for every restaurant is the sauce recipe that every restaurant has their own. You’re suppose to dip the sandwich into the sauce before eating, and the sauce is a thick tomato and beer sauce. The meaning of the name is “Little French Girl”. Legend has it that a traveler from France brought the recipe to Porto.
Chicken Piri-Piri
in the 15th-16th century there was what is called the ‘age of discoveries’ when many adventurists traveled the sea and found new and exotic places. Some of them traveled to Africa and brought back spices. One of the spices is called Piri-piri, which is translated to ‘African Devil’. That is where the Peri-peri chicken comes from and it is very tasty. The chicken is eaten using our hands, after it was cut up into pieces easy enough to pick up.
Polvo à la Lagareiro
There are so many great things about Portuguese food, the sea food is definitely part of that. We already stated the Cod and Sardines, now we would like to tell you about the octopus. Normally the octopus is made with potatoes, they are baked and roasted together with a lot of olive oil which gives the octopus a tender texture and a very flavorful taste.
Porco Preto
‘Jamon Iberico de Bellota’ is a cured ham commonly known from Spain. This is one of the most expensive types. What a surprise? you can find it also in Portugal. These pigs get to go freely in the fields eating a specific diet, which makes them produce terrific tastes when making the cured ham. The flavours are amazing and it just melts in your mouth.
Pastel de Nata
This amazing dessert can be found all over Portugal, it is the national dessert. Everyone will say that they make the best ones.
They are made of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon. The crust is crunch due to a large amount of butter, and the crust is filled with an egg custard and then cooked in the oven. Make sure you eat them warm!
Useful information
Time zone- winter- 0 GMT summer- +1 GMT
Currency- Euro
Electricity- 230 V the adapter should be type C or type F.
Emergency numbers-
112- this is the only emergency number in Portugal.
Phone dial code- +351
Weather in Portugal
The weather in Portugal is divided to regions. In the north it is a bit cooler in temperature and rainier in the winter season. As you go south, the sun shines more, and the temperatures rise. Once you get to the Algarve the sun is usually shining and the climate is warm to hot.
In the summer it’s usually sunny and warm all around, however, in the north sometimes it can cool down.
During the winter season and sometimes in spring and autumn, you can see rain, especially in the north.
Winter- December-February. Average temperature along the coast is around 11 C. inland it gets much colder and sometimes ever snowy.
Summer- June-Mid September. In the north part of the shore the average high temperature is 25 C, in the mid coast the highs will reach 28 C, and in the south coast is the same. Inland in the south east part of the country it can get extremely hot.
Spring and Autumn- often there is rain. In the north it’s quite cold and in the south it can be mild tempertures.