Portugal
Portugal is the most western country in Europe, bordered to the east and north by Spain, and the rest of the country having an Atlantic Ocean coastline. The total population of the country (including the island groups of the Azores and Madeira) is just over 10.5 million with about 2.8 million living in the metropolitan area of Lisbon, the capital city. Portugal is a very popular country with tourists, with the capital alone seeing over 1.7 million visitors a year. Add to that the many wonderful beach resorts of the Algarve, other fantastic cities such as Porto and the previously mentioned Portuguese islands; you can see the country has much to offer.
Mainland Portugal has a Mediterranean climate becoming hotter the further south you are. Average temperatures in the Algarve area on the south coast are about 18°C for the year, 5°C higher than the mountainous north. As well as the sunny and sandy south, there is great geographical diversity in Portugal, with the Serra da Estrela mountain range in the mid-north providing breath-taking views. Serviced apartments in Portugal are available all year round and all over the country to take advantage of the beautiful scenery, interesting cities and intriguing culture of Portugal.
