Best Family Beach Vacation

An independent kingdom since 1143, Portugal established its continental frontiers in 1297 and is one of the oldest nations in Europe. Situated on the west side of the Iberian Peninsula, its geographic location along the Atlantic coast soon determined its vocation to the sea.

Practical Info

Climate: Mild year round. Summers are dry and clear, with warm sunshine extending long into Autumn. Winters are moderately cool and are the rainiest time of year, except in subtropical Madeira, where there is little rain. Mid-Summer temperatures range in the 70 F, while Winter temperatures range from the low to mid-50s.

Time: Continental Portugal and Madeira Island are on the Greenwich time - five hours ahead of Eastern Time & eight ahead of Pacific Time. The Azores Islands are 1 hour behind the Portuguese mainland. Daylight savings time begins the last Sunday in March (clocks are turned one hour ahead) and ends the last Sunday in October (clocks go back one hour).

TRAVELERS TO PORTUGAL WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE LOCAL CULTURE THROUGH YEAR-ROUND FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS!

Calendar of Events for 2006

Jan 1, New Year’s Day
Feb 28, Mardi Gras (Carnival)
Apr 14, Good Friday
Apr 25, Freedom Day
May 1, Labour Day
Jun 10, Portugal Day
Jun 15, Corpus Christi
Aug 15, Assumption
Oct 5, Republic Day
Nov 1, All Saints’ Day
Dec 1, Restoration of Independence Day
Dec 8, Immaculate Conception
Dec 25, Christmas Day

VISA and ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Citizens of the European Union, Switzerland, Andorra, Liechtenstein and Malta require an identity card in order to gain entry into Portugal. Visitors from countries requiring a visa, the maximum length of stay in Portugal is 90 days. American and Canadian nationals may stay without a visa for up to 60 days with a valid passport. When this limit is exceeded, a fine is levied in accordance with the number of days in excess of the limit. The passport must be valid for three months longer than the period of stay except in the case of countries from the European Union and the European Economic Area.

Citizens from the following countries require both a visa and a valid passport: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola (holders of diplomatic and service passports are exempt from visa requirements), Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia (visas are only required by holders of service passports), Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria (visas are not required by holders of diplomatic passports), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands (holders of diplomatic and service passports are exempt from visa requirements), Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (ex-Zaire), Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Fyrom (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco (holders of diplomatic, service and special passports are exempt from visa requirements), Mozambique (holders of diplomatic and service passports are exempt from visa requirements), Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Mariana Islands, North Korea, Oman, Palau, Pakistan, Palestinian National Authority, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Romania (visas are not required by holders of diplomatic passports), Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, São Tomé and Príncipe (holders of diplomatic and service passports are exempt from visa requirements), Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa (holders of diplomatic and service passports are exempt from visa requirements), Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Surinam, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia (holders of diplomatic and service passports are exempt from visa requirements), Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela (visas are only required by holders of Service Passports), Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Madeira
If you look at the size of Madeira, you can hardly imagine that this island has so much to offer! From many historical monuments, squares and streets in the capital of Funchal to enchanting gardens, picturesque villages, amazing landscapes, impressive volcanic caves, rugged coast lines, beautiful natural beaches and, last but not least, breathtaking views, there is so much to see that you will soon realize that one visit to Madeira just isn’t enough!