AUTUMN


With similar comfortable temperatures to spring, in autumn, the now-mature Portuguese landscape basks in a hazy glow. The bustle of high season is over, and it’s time to bring the harvest in. And who wouldn’t want to be there when it’s time for the wine harvest? As well as getting the chance to sample some of Europe’s finest vintages, visiting Portugal’s wine regions in September allows tourists to get a glimpse into wine-making, with some wineries even allowing clients to kick off their shoes and tread the grapes, as wine- makers have done for countless generations. The most famous wine regions are the Douro – where whites, reds


and the country’s most famous tipple, port, are produced – and Madeira, home to its namesake drink. But this is just the start, with vineyards the length and breadth of the country. In the north, visitors can find producers of vinho verde, the light, refreshing ‘green’ wine that often comes with a slight effervescence. In Centro de Portugal, there are the Dão and Bairrada routes, noted for reds and sparkling wines respectively, muscatel made on the Setubal peninsula outside Lisbon, and a range of wines produced in the agricultural Alentejo. The Alentejo is also home to much of Portugal’s olive production, and visitors in October and November can see the harvest here.


But the summer rays haven’t just been tanning tourists’ torsos


The summer rays haven't just been tanning tourists – they've been heating up the waters around Portugal too, and autumn is a great season for surfing


– they’ve been heating up the waters around Portugal too, and autumn is a great season for surfing. Hotspots include Ericeira, a fishing village in the Lisbon region that is one of only nine world surf reserves and the only in Europe. Plus there's Nazaré in Centro de Portugal, where a Hawaiian pro broke the record for the biggest wave ever surfed; and Supertubos in the same region, famous for its tubes.


Portugal offers rich pickings for birdwatchers year-round, but in autumn, migratory species stop off on their way to Africa. The Douro Valley is home to the Egyptian vulture and Bonelli’s eagle; estuaries near Lisbon are packed with flamingos and spoonbills; and in the Algarve, you’ll find water birds thriving in the wetlands. Madeira is the only place to see Zino’s petrel and the Madeira laurel pigeon, and the Azores has a bullfinch found nowhere else on earth. Autumn’s climate lends itself to cultural exploration too, and there


are options everywhere, from the great cities of Lisbon and Porto to lesser-known regions with similarly rich heritage, from the Alentejo’s walled towns of Évora, Elvas, Monsaraz and Marvão, to Centro de Portugal’s medieval university town Coimbra and Aveiro, where the canals are filled with colourful moliceiro boats and art nouveau design abounds.


Wellness in autumn


Choosing a wellness activity in the great outdoors is popular in the shoulder seasons, and makes an excellent excuse to persuade regular clients to book an extra short break before the year is out. Centro de Portugal has a wealth of options on offer, from soaking in salt ponds in Aveiro to stand-up paddleboarding on the region’s rivers and lagoons. Yoga retreats and dedicated wellness breaks prove popular at this time of year, and the rural beauty of the Alentejo makes a particularly peaceful backdrop for a break that realigns body and soul.


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