SPRING


Long before Britain’s bluebell season limps into view, Portugal’s balmy spring has sprung. Plenty of bright sunshine, but without the pressing heat of summer, makes many types of holiday appealing, from hiking and biking to city breaks. Spring is the very best time of year to appreciate Portugal’s


beautiful parks and gardens: from Porto, the city of camellias, which turns red, pink and white with the blooms; to Madeira, the island sometimes called the Floating Garden of the Atlantic, so packed is it with orchids, magnolias and azaleas. Those who prefer a wilder beauty will be bewitched by the spring reawakening of Portugal’s natural parks and reserves. A highlight is Peneda Gerês National Park, in the north, an area of lowland lakes and mountain ridges where it is still possible to find wolves, wild boars, ibex and salamanders. Those staying in the capital Lisbon can escape the city to nearby Sintra- Cascais Natural Park, where the mountains extend to a wild coast, and visitors can discover castles in dramatic locations and even continental Europe’s westernmost point.


Active travellers will find spring a good time to explore one of


the country’s long-distance walking routes, including the Rota Vincentina, a 250-mile network of trails of varying degrees of difficulty spreading across the Algarve and Alentejo. Certified as one of the best-quality trails in Europe by the European Ramblers Association, it allows walkers to experience rural culture inland and along the surprisingly wild coastline. In the north, the Portuguese St James Way is a trek that has been followed by pilgrims since the ninth century. There are many variations, mostly starting from Porto and either following the coast or heading inland via Barcelos, Ponte de Lima and Valença.


Wellness in spring


With more than 40 spas in the Algarve, holidaymakers are spoilt for choice when it comes to picking somewhere for a treatment. In spring, Algarve Spa Week offers significant discounts on all sorts of treatments in a range of luxury spa hotels, giving clients the chance to try as many as their hearts desire. Therapies range from traditionally Portuguese techniques including thalassotherapy and thermal waters, to cutting-edge medical procedures and programmes designed to help guests lose weight, manage stress and detox.


Spring is the best time to appreciate Portugal's beautiful parks and gardens, from Porto's red, pink and white camellias to Madeira's orchids, magnolias and azaleas


In Centro de Portugal, dramatic mountain scenery makes


thrilling biking territory, with more than 60 miles of trails passing through the historic Schist Villages. On Madeira, the trails laid along its levadas – ancient irrigation channels – bring cyclists and walkers flocking. Smaller trails and routes are on offer for those who prefer just a taste of the action, including many of the Azores trails, the Paiva river walkways near Aveiro and the Dão Eco-Path, which follows the path of a former railway line past vineyards and villages. Spring sees the coming of Easter, a significant celebration all


over the country. Holy Week is observed with particular solemnity in Braga, with recreations of Jesus’s life in Obidos, and with Jewish traditions in Castelo de Vide. In Constância, colourful boats gather in procession for the festival of Our Good Lady of the Voyage.


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