Dream Beaches and Coves for an Unforgettable Summer Spending summer in Spain or Portugal means enjoying great weather, and where better place to soak up the sun than the beach?…

Portugal’s often forgotten cuisine is every bit as delicious as Italian and Spanish cooking and has incorporated many Asian, American and African flavours from its former colonies, above all in the form of spices such as paprika, cinnamon and piri piri. Moroccan influences can also be tasted in Portuguese dishes. There’s a whole world of flavours to be discovered in the top restaurants in Portugal and Lisbon!

If you’re planning a trip to Lisbon and have time you explore the surrounding area, keep reading. There are lots of places nearby well worth a visit. Here is our selection!

There’s a million reasons to love Lisbon: it’s an inexpensive city that you can visit on a shoestring, it’s colourful architecture makes it stand out from other major European cities, it has great food and atmosphere… In Lisbon you’ll find old cafes with marble bars alongside cutting-edge art galleries. And there’s lots to do in Lisbon!

As a lover of good cooking, I’m a great fan of Portuguese cuisine. They have great wine, fish and seafood. And spectacular desserts. The recipes for Portuguese sweets and pastries are some of the country’s best-kept secrets.

Alfama is one of the most famous neighbourhoods in Lisbon and is considered to be the birthplace of fado. Located at the foot of Castelo de São Jorge with stunning views over the River Tagus and the city, what was once a fishing district is now one of the city’s tourist hotspots.

On Saturday the 24th of May Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid football clubs will take to the pitch at the Estadio do Luz to decide who will be the 2014 European Football Champions. This will be a game of firsts, the first time both teams have met in the final of a European championship, if Atlético de Madrid win it will be their first Champions League trophy, if los Blancos win they will be the first club to take home the trophy ten times

The cuisine of which city consists of mouthwatering pasteries, homely yet delicious soups and more seafood dishes than you can possibly eat in a year. If you guessed Lisbon then you’d be correct but there is a lot more to eating out in Lisbon than these delicious treats. Let’s have a look at some other different yet equally delicious food in Lisbon.

A great way to delve into a city and discover the culture is to visit the local markets. Obviously the highlight of any trip to a local market is to see and buy all kinds of exotic and not so exotic foods and products. The markets in Lisbon are a great place to go and do some shopping and people watching. So without futher ado,Let’s go shopping!

In a short time Optimus Alive has become one of Portugal’s major festivals attracting some of the biggest names in the music industry. This trend looks set to continue with this year’s monster line up sure to keep the crowds pumped and enjoying the Lisbon Summer nights. Optimus Alive 2013 happens in Lisbon from the 12th, 13th and 14th of July.