Marinas in Portugal

Portugal is a republic in south-western Europe situated in the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula, bordered on the north and east by Spain and on the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean.  The capital of Portugal isLisbon, other important cities include Porto the second-largest city and seaport; Coimbra an industrial centre; and Vila Nova de Gaia.
 

Portugal is a diverse and beautiful country  but it is not what you would call a cruising paradise and most yachts use the countries marinas as stop over’s on journeys north or south. The exception to this is the southern Portuguese coast, the Algarve, which has good modern marinas and more are being built or planned. Winds in the morning tend to be light picking up in the afternoon before dying again in the evening and are predominantly from the north. Many marinas on the coast are small and are also home to the fishing fleet so can be very crowded especially during the peak season so calling ahead is advisable, check our marina guide for contact details

International flights to Europe can be found from Portela (Lisbon), Pedras Rubras, Faro (Algarve), Santa Maria and Lages (Azores), and Funchal.  Major seaports include Lisbon, Leixões, Setúbal, and Funchal (Madeira). The national airline Transportes Aereos Portugueses (TAP) provides domestic and international routes.

Roads in the country are well maintained. Buses are cheap clean and efficient. Taxis are reasonably priced. Car hire is readily available; a national or international driver’s license is required. Remember traffic drives on the right hand side of the road. There is also an extensive railway network which connects with Spain

Portugal uses UT (GMT) with daylight saving (+1 Hour) from late March until late September. Across the border in Spain it is UT+1 with daylight saving (+1Hour) from late March until late September. The currency is the Euro.

National Holidays
1st January  New Years Day
25th April  National or Portuguese Day
1st May    (Labour Day)
Early/mid June   Corpus Christi
10  June  Camoes Day
15th August   Feast of the assumption
8th October  Republic Day
1st November  All Saints Day
1st December  Restoration of Independance day
8th December  Immaculate Conception
25th December   (Christmas Day)