Tag: Portugal

April in Portugal

Springtime is a good moment to be in Portugal, and what better reason to travel there than the Estoril Open, one of those special world tennis events that combine tournaments counting towards the official classification of both the ATP and the WTA. The two competitions comprise a single event held at the prestigious Jamor Tennis…

Cork Forests in Portugal

The Alentejo region of Portugal (east of Lisbon) is home to the largest cork forests n the world, where many species of plants and animals (including the rare Iberian lynx) are protected. Cork is a totally natural product and its environmentally friendly, renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. Portugal has enough cork forests to last more than…

18th C Palace Reopens Hotel in Sintra

The Palacio de Seteais reopens its doors in March 2009 after complete renovation and updating of its installations while closed in 2008. This fascinating example of Neoclassic residential architecture from the 18thC and all of its furniture from the same era have been completely restored thanks to the work of the Fundacion Ricardo Espirito Santo…

Port of Lisbon Cruises

In 2008, the Port of Lisbon achieved an all-time high number of cruise calls (308) and passengers, establishing new national records. In 2008, more than 407,000 passengers arrived by cruise ship, a growth of 34%. The port received the first port call of 20 vessels, 7 new, having left the shipyards shortly before. This demonstrates…

Orient-Express Hotels Sells Lapa Palace Hotel, Lisbon

Orient-Express: Owners and managers of 51 luxury hotels, restaurants, tourist trains and river cruise properties operating in 25 countries, sold Lisbon’s Lapa Palace hotel to a private Portuguese investor for 41.8 million USD. Orient-Express Hotels‘ President and Chief Executive Officer, Paul White said, “We have previously stated our intention to dispose of non-core assets. Lapa…