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It’s all about the weather – a brief introduction to the Azores climate
Life on most small islands is governed greatly by the weather. Farmers and fishermen live and work according to the seasons, while the cultural aspects of island life (such as festivals and...
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Madeira Walking Holidays: the island’s best walks
For many years Madeira has been considered one of Europe’s most rewarding destinations for a walking holiday. The island is small enough to explore thoroughly in a week, yet diverse to the extent that...
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Marvao – a marvellous hilltop fortress
Take a drive through the Alentejo region of Portugal and it’s hard to imagine the area as a war zone. Storks’ nests hang precariously on telegraph poles, goats stand idly under cork tree, making the...
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5 Ideas for Spa Breaks in Portugal
A holiday to Portugal can involve a lot of energy-busting activity, with long-distance walks and bike trails helping to build up visitors’ appetites – even a day of sightseeing up and down the steep...
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Farmers’ Market in Funchal, Madeira
Wherever we travel, one of the best places to get a glimpse of local life is in a market. With a daily rhythm of buying and selling, shouting and cajoling, along with the colourful produce on sale and...
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The Azores and their long connection with cheese
Few visitors who plan a holiday in the Azores do so because of the islands’ culinary reputation, but the islands are well known around Portugal for the quality of their cheese. While cheeses in...
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Pastel de Nata – more than just a dessert
It’s a remarkably simple snack, yet its roots and its influence have spread far and wide, and to a surprising extent mirror that of Portugal, the country in which it was created. The pastel de nata,...
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Culinary delights of the Alentejo region of Portugal
The Alentejo is widely known as the breadbasket of Portugal. My impression of the region is coloured by endless fields, dotted with cork trees casting small shadows under their broad canopies in the...
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Volcano Walks in the Azores
The Azores have for many years been a popular destination for walking holidays, but the islands’ network of hiking trails boast one feature which few other places can match. Many of the walks on...
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Highlights of Aveiro – the Venice of Portugal
Portugal certainly isn’t one of Europe’s biggest countries by size, and most visitors spend their time either on the beaches of the Algarve or in the lively streets of the historic capital, Lisbon....
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Algarve beyond the beach resorts
While hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers flock to the Algarve every year, there’s a lot more to this region of southern Portugal than simply the great beaches for which it’s so well known. The...
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Teatime in the Azores, in Europe’s only tea factory
Sitting as they do in the mid-Atlantic, the climate of the Azores is quite distinct from that of continental Europe. It should come as no surprise therefore that some things which can’t grow on the...
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The Michelin Star of the North
The 48 members of Pride of Britain Hotels represent the very best in the country’s boutique hotels, but not all have a Michelin Star, have featured on BBC’s Masterchef Professional and have held the...
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Mertola and the Mina de Sao Domingos
One of the many joys of exploring the Alentejo region of Portugal is the unsung discoveries which you can so easily stumble across. On the two occasions I’ve hired a car in the Alentejo I’ve found...
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5 top tips for whale watching in the Azores
Surrounded by the mild waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores get more than their fair share of whale traffic passing close to the islands’ shores. Sperm whales, Pilot Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins...
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The Alternative, Real Algarve
So how does a tour operator create a new programme and transform the image of a destination? Well, it takes a long time, needs a lot of passion and a Tourism Promotion Board which fervently believes in...
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The Queen’s 90th Birthday: A Royal Visit
As the Queen turns 90, we look back on the Sunvil destinations which she has visited during her 63 year reign. The Queen is not only our longest reigning sovereign but she must also be one of the...
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Sagres – the end of the world
If you stand at Capo de Sao Vicente, the most southwestern point of mainland Europe and a breezy 3- mile walk from the town of Sagres, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were at the end of the world....
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Notes from the field – Northern Portugal
In the third edition of ‘Notes from the field’, we highlight the region of Northern Portugal. This stunning destination has been popular with the Sunvil team for over three decades but recently it has...
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EU referendum: What effect will the result have on your 2016 summer holiday?
On 24 June 2016 the results of the referendum were announced, and the British people have chosen to leave the European Union. Post ‘Brexit (British Exit), life in the holiday business will continue...
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