Fly & Drive "Follow the sun" | Portugal

About the destination: The Algarve’s capital and largest city, Faro is the starting point for many northern Europeans’ holidays in the sun. Yet tourists have not overrun Faro, it’s a large city, and its marvellous beach, floating on an islet outside the town, help the jaded forget their lot. Despite being just the arrival point for many holidaymakers, with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, it's an enticing city-break destination in its own right. Faro's Old Town is a little gem. It's small, quiet and wonderfully atmospheric. The Cidade Vella is crammed with tourists and locals visiting the handicraft markets or just wandering around looking at the old buildings, many of which show signs of the city’s Moorish ancestry. Leading into Faro’s Old Town stands the Arco da Vila, a gate originally constructed as an arched gateway with a bell tower atop and a statue of the city’s patron saint, St Thomas Aquina. In the centre there is a beautiful square, Largo da Sé that used to be the Roman Forum. It's lined with orange trees and it is flanked by Faro’s Cathedral, the Bishops Palace and a 16th Century convent that is now the Faro Museum of Archaeology. Se Catedral, Faro’s Cathedral, dominates the Old Town. The original Gothic church was built in the 13th century, but was severely damaged during an earthquake. Only the tower and a doorway remains from that era and the temple presents today elements of different styles like Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. From the tower you can enjoy panoramic views of Faro and the coastline. Faro has a beautiful marina which lies just to the north of the Old Town and is probably the busiest part of the city. The city of Faro is a busy cosmopolitan centre, offering plenty of things to do, whether it's a wander around the shops, relaxing at one of the many pavement cafés, or visiting some of the historic places of interest, this city has much to tempt you off the beach.

About the destination:

Albufeira is een oud vissersdorp dat is uitgegroeid tot één van de meest toeristische bestemmingen van Portugal. Het is een drukke en gezellige badplaats met een heerlijk strand en een leuk centrum met vele winkeltjes, leuke bars, clubs en discotheken. Voor een complete vakantie zit je zonder twijfel goed in Albufeira!

Direct verbonden met Albufeira zijn diverse andere gezellige badplaatsen waar Sunweb leuke hotels en appartementen contracteerde. Praia da Oura is eigenlijk het nieuwe centrum van Albufeira; hier, aan de Strip, bevinden zich naast vele winkeltjes ook de gezellige bars en goede discotheken waar deze bestemming zo bekend om staat. Deze Strip loopt van Praia da Oura door tot in Montechoro. Aan de andere kant van het centrum van Albufeira liggen de wat rustigere plaatsjes Praia São Rafael en Praja del Gale.

About the destination: The medieval university town of Evora rises proudly from an endless plain punctuated by tough cork and olive trees. Coveted by a succession of empires, its labyrinthine streets shelter everything from Roman temple to a Renaissance palace. But above all, Evora stands as Portugal’s foremost medieval showpiece, with beautifully preserved, colourful tile facades on ancient whitewashed walls. All tucked away in a tangle of winding streets and topped off by balconies hung with potted plants and caged canaries. You won’t need long to understand why Evora is dubbed “the museum city”. From Praça do Giraldo walk down through the charming tiled houses, to the colossal 12th century Sé, the cathedral. Inside the entrance to the right are beautiful cloisters. From here you can climb the ramparts for an excellent view of the city. Next door is the Museu d’Evora, housed in an old bishop’s palace. Across the museum is Evora’s most famous monument, the 2nd century Roman Temple of Diana. Facing the temple is the church of São João Evangelista, the town’s best concealed treasure. One of Portugal’s most beautifully preserved medieval towns, Evora is an enchanting place to delve into the past. If you have time to visit only a few places in Portugal, make Evora one of them.

About the destination: Mora (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈmɔɾɐ]) is a municipality in Évora District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 4,978, in an area of 443.95 km². The present Mayor is Luis Simão Duarte de Matos, elected by the Unitarian Democratic Coalition in 2013. The municipal holiday is Easter Monday.

About the destination: Peniche, a coastal city in the central region of Portugal, is full of culture, traditions and natural resources. The town is partly surrounded by the wall of the sixteenth century. On the south side by the sea, you can see the fortress called Fort Peniche Square (Praça-forte Peniche) of the sixteenth century, used as a prison during the regime of Salazar. It became famous for the escape of the communist leader Alvaro Cunhal. Peniche is home to magnificent beaches, the most beautiful are Baleal Beach, and Playa Playa Medão Gambôa. Peniche is known internationally for the exceptional conditions are given for water sports like surfing, body boarding and snorkeling. Supertubos Beach hosts numerous international events related to these modalities. Peniche has a lot to offer, interesting places to visit, activities to do during almost all year, and it is also a nice place to enjoy a few deserved days off.

About the destination: Lisbon is known as the city of seven hills due to its location, the city spreads across steep hillsides that overlook the Rio Tajo. Romantic and cosmopolitan, the city presents its typical red roofs to the visitors that want to get to know its every inch. Lisbon surprises with its natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere. The Portuguese capital offers lots of museums, libraries, a huge port, churches and palaces and stunning views of the Rio Tajo Lisbon was considered a poor and chaotic city. Currently it has experienced a resurgence in the style of the XIV and XV centuries, when it was part of that vast empire stretching from Brazil to India. The reason for this was the World Expo held in 1998, a new bridge over the Tagus was built and the network of underground of the city was remodeled. The resurgence of the city then continued to host several matches during Euro in 2004, also held there the Delivery Music Awards (MTV) in 2005. Many of its most beautiful buildings date from the XIV and XV centuries, especially the ones located in the Belem district. There are also many buildings from the XVIII century, which are located mostly in the Baixa area of central Lisbon and were reconstructed almost completely after a devastating earthquake that hit the town in 1755. The historic center of the city, standing on Las Siete Colinas, presents steep streets and picturesque alleys. On the west side of the city, there is Monsanto Forest Park, Lisbon’s lung, with an area of 10 km and one of the largest in Europe. The capital’s majestic port has 3 docks commonly used for several cruises and it is, currently, the busiest port in the European Atlantic coast. Lisbon is a city with centuries of history and with an ambitious attitude, marrying the historic with the modern, the traditional with the cutting edge. Strolling through the old quarters one can hear the traditional Fado sung and played in small restaurants in town. In the hilltop district of Bairro Alto, dozens of restaurants and bars line the narrow streets, with jazz, reggae, electronica filling the air and revelers partying until dawn. Nightclubs scattered all over town make fine use of old spaces, whether on riverside docks or tucked away in 18th-century mansions. Lisbon presents itself to the world as a cosmopolitan and lively city, with alternative for every taste, especially in the summer months when its many bars, terraces and restaurants are crammed with people.

About the destination: Lagos is a city at the mouth of Bensafrim River and along the Atlantic Ocean, in the Barlavento region of the Algarve, and is one of the most visited cities in Algarve and Portugal. Lagos has always had a seafaring connection, originally visited by Phoenicians and Carthaginians. The famous Avenida dos Descobrimentos finish in the very modern Lagos Marina. There is a footbridge over the Bensafrim where you get a lovely view of the town. In other hand, Lagos is full of beaches, as Meia Praia is one of the largest open bays in Europe, and nice bars and restaurants.

About the destination: The Algarve’s capital and largest city, Faro is the starting point for many northern Europeans’ holidays in the sun. Yet tourists have not overrun Faro, it’s a large city, and its marvellous beach, floating on an islet outside the town, help the jaded forget their lot. Despite being just the arrival point for many holidaymakers, with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, it's an enticing city-break destination in its own right. Faro's Old Town is a little gem. It's small, quiet and wonderfully atmospheric. The Cidade Vella is crammed with tourists and locals visiting the handicraft markets or just wandering around looking at the old buildings, many of which show signs of the city’s Moorish ancestry. Leading into Faro’s Old Town stands the Arco da Vila, a gate originally constructed as an arched gateway with a bell tower atop and a statue of the city’s patron saint, St Thomas Aquina. In the centre there is a beautiful square, Largo da Sé that used to be the Roman Forum. It's lined with orange trees and it is flanked by Faro’s Cathedral, the Bishops Palace and a 16th Century convent that is now the Faro Museum of Archaeology. Se Catedral, Faro’s Cathedral, dominates the Old Town. The original Gothic church was built in the 13th century, but was severely damaged during an earthquake. Only the tower and a doorway remains from that era and the temple presents today elements of different styles like Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. From the tower you can enjoy panoramic views of Faro and the coastline. Faro has a beautiful marina which lies just to the north of the Old Town and is probably the busiest part of the city. The city of Faro is a busy cosmopolitan centre, offering plenty of things to do, whether it's a wander around the shops, relaxing at one of the many pavement cafés, or visiting some of the historic places of interest, this city has much to tempt you off the beach.