Beach paradise. Close to you. Portugal

Wish to feel this joy, this happiness, just enjoying yourself and this very moment..? Portugal beach paradise is what where you have got to be, that's right 
One of the most impressive and diverse ocean coast landscape in the world

And maybe it's good that not that many people are aware of it
Cause besides several famous spots there are hundreds of true gems, this hidden secret spots
Where you feel this pure bliss, tranquility and on top of the world
And nothing disturbs you
Only albatross accidentally screams too close to you. But it's rather cute!

The Atlantic Ocean coastline is immense and very diverse from region to region here, besides natural beauty and its variety it has all the best to offer for families and little kids, extreme sport lover, gourmands and great wine appreciators. And party goers too )

Get to discover it. Only in Portugal! )

Fascinating Azulejos. Portugal. Lisbon.

For centuries This Art of Portuguese tiles making inspired artists and architects, poets and all travellers around the World. Its complexity, variety and sophisticated technology made this Art one of the trade marks of the country, copied many times and in many variations by others during centuries and centuries.  

These tiles are located in the church "Madre de Deus" of Lisbon. The church was built in the 15th century and later rebuilt after the great earthquake and tsunami. The blue and gold tiles are replicas of 17th century Azulejos covering the walls.

As a whole, Igreja Madre de Deus is one of the most interesting churches of Lisbon. The decorations inside the church reflect the life of Queen Leonor and her husband Joao II. Igreja Madre de Deus' architectural design shows a bit of the country history through the 
combination of Baroque, and later Portuguese architecture.

by atrio 

Pay a visit and let yourself dive into this rich, colourful history and art of Old Lisbon places... 

Design in Portugal. Fazenda Nova - a smash hit Hotel in the eastern Algarve

For years they dreamed of selling up and moving to a place they considered a glorious secret: the eastern Algarve. Hallie and Tim Robinson, from London, viewed it as one of the world's hidden gems – a place of salt pans and sand dunes, vast white beaches, wildlife-filled nature reserves and colourful ferries seemingly taking you back in time to tiny, old-fashioned holiday islands.

Over late-night glasses of wine, they plotted and planned how they would pack up their treasures (the three children – Felix, Milo and Riley) and leave, never to return. But busy jobs, children's schooling and the stress of life got in the way. Hallie worked in fashion PR, while Tim ran a logistics business.
That was until one day early in 2008 when Tim, then 43, suffered a mild heart attack that stopped the family in its tracks. Within six months, the jobs were gone, friends had waved them off and they were in the Algarve, roughing it in the sunshine.

Three years later, they speak Portuguese fluently, their children are in local schools and they have a secluded, 10-bedroom country-house hotel called Fazenda Nova.
Fazenda Nova is 25 minutes by car from Faro airport, and a short drive from Tavira, a town that many Portuguese consider their country's prettiest, dating from the bronze age.

With a magpie eye for flea market knick-knacks and idiosyncratic antique furniture from around the world, the couple have imbued a highly polished modernist interior with their story. Old letterpresses are filled with quirky keyrings and brightly coloured tins wink from the shelves. There are toy robots and glass bottles and old shoes stays, all adding character to the polished concrete and reclaimed wood.
Some of their chairs and consoles were Portuguese pieces exported to Brazil during colonisation, which the couple have shipped back
Upstairs in the library are old copies of The Face, Arena and Smash Hits – British cult magazines founded in the 1980s by Nick Logan – Hallie's dad and business partner. Hallie first came to the Algarve as a child with her parents, and says she feels the place has been in her blood ever since.

The couple created Fazenda Nova by taking what they saw as the best of old and new: combining original features and traditional Algarve style with contemporary architecture. Family friend David Eyre – founder of London's Eagle gastropub and latterly of the Eyre Brothers restaurant in Shoreditch – has given guidance on the menu, and Kate Lewis, a former chef at the Eagle, works there alongside Ricardo Aragao, who brings years of knowledge of Portuguese cuisine.
The seasonal produce that is served in their restaurant, "A Cozinha", is supplemented by the harvest from their 10 hectares of olive groves, carob, fig and pomegranate orchards and a herb garden.
A 200-year-old bread oven has been restored to working order and is now producing loaves under the watchful eye of local women who know how it should be done.

Nine of the rooms have private gardens or terraces. There's a penthouse suite and two apartments with small kitchens. The infinity pool has views of the surrounding countryside and pod-style hammocks swing under the shade of olive trees.
Tim and Hallie have several favourite places just a short drive away, which they pointed out to me on a map: pretty 18th-century cobblestoned towns, bustling fishing ports and a system of barrier islands – the Ria Formosa – that stretches for 60 miles.
Tim directed me to what he considers his secret haven: the tiny island of Armona. As I stepped off the ferry, I could see the appeal. It is a paradise for those seeking peace, with just a few bars and shops, one-storey bungalows and chalets. There are similar islands and beaches all along this stretch, some accessible by ferry or water taxi. There's also a toytown-style train to the beautiful Praia do Barril beach.

Hallie led me to the place at the top of her list: a flea market, held on the first Sunday of every month beside the beach in the town of Fuseta. It's one of the best I've visited. At one stall, she did the haggling for me and for €30 I walked away with a stunning art deco-style crystal chandelier. And of course, she couldn't help buying a few things for herself. Then, turning the corner, we bumped into Hallie's father, bearing a series of vibrant women's magazines from the 1950s. They too were destined for Fazenda Nova.

Célia Pedroso, a Portuguese food writer and friend, took me to the fish and vegetable market in the port town of Olhão where we ogled sardines caught less than an hour previously and stalls of colourful vegetables. We picked the best piri piri peppers, bunches of dried oregano, locally produced honeys and jams, almonds and tinned sardines – all to be stuffed in my suitcase.

On Armona, Célia showed me a trick she learned as a child: digging in the sand with your heels at low tide and collecting dozens of cadelinhas, tiny sweet clams that she later cooked with garlic, coriander and olive oil.
That night, beneath a clear sky, with no light pollution to spoil our view of the endless stars, we sipped at glasses of crisp, slightly gassy vinho verde, and I began plotting my own escape to this secret coast.

by guardian.co.uk; fazendanova.eu  

History. Art. Music. Architecture. Alfama! Portugal.

Medieval Maze, Views, Fado and  Soul..

by lisbonlux.com

This quaint medieval district (once the Moorish and Jewish quarter before it became a fishing community) is like a small village. It stands as a time capsule to the years before Lisbon was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, as it remained standing thanks to its rock-solid foundations.

Put away your map and wander aimlessly through its "becos" (alleys) and "largos" (small squares), allowing your senses to be the guides.

You'll see laundry out to dry from balconies and magnificent views of the river, smell fish being grilled in a corner, hear the sounds of Fado coming out of a restaurant, taste some authentic traditional meals, and touch some dazzling tilework. Set in a visually stunning hill, this is Lisbon at its most picturesque and the very soul of the city.

Life here continues much as it has for centuries, but walk down towards the river and you're once again in modern times: old warehouses have been renovated and turned into some of the city's coolest hotspots, from DeliDelux for brunch to Bica do Sapato for dinner, and Lux for drinks and dancing until sunrise!

Portugal. Amazing.

There are 10000 reasons to visit Portugal of course..) gastronomy is the first one)) but the rest is also just fab
Reasons to visit Portugal