Wolfgang Busch

The Oceans Festival returns to Portugal this year with celebrations of the sea and all manner of maritime affairs. Lisbon’s strong connection with the sea is immediately noticeable to all who visit as surfboards top almost every car along the journey to the beach. Escaping the sweltering heat brought by the clear blue skies is the main aim, which makes dipping into the cool Atlantic all the more satisfying.

Currently underway but running until the 10th of August by Tagus riverside, the festival brings its onlookers and participants ocean-themed concerts with performances from huge international stars like Joss Stone plus other Portugeuse stars like X-wife band and singer Sara Tavares. This year’s themes are entertainment and the environment. Visitors will be also be treated to multimedia projections of dazzling colour and light. Expect positive messages about Lisbon’s reliance on the sea and its future.

Later on in the evening, you can sit out by the river with a cocktail and enjoy the wild pyrotechnics shows that the festival has become famed for.

Of course, a delicious array of sea-food will be on offer. The classic garlicy ameijoas are a must, and are complimented by an ice-cold glass of beer.

The thriving city of Lisbon attracts visitors for a myriad of other reasons which you can also enjoy. Remember to visit the sun-drenched beaches of Cascais and Estoril, only 20 minutes drive from the city centre. Lisbon is a colorful city. And its highlights rival with Porto's attractions. But in the end it's all a matter of taste.

The cosmopolitan hub offers theatre, Classical concerts, and vast, impressive historical sites such as Geronimo’s tower: a monastery from the 1500’s that is listed as a world heritage site.

Visitors eagerly flock to Portugal throughout the year to bask in the glorious sunshine and relax on its award-winning beaches. Many opt over and over again for the magical city of Porto or for the colorful Lisbon. But whether you’re planning your first holiday in Portugal or returning for another great getaway, Jet2holidays has ways that you can make your trip even more special. 

Jet2holidays has hand selected a range of five-star hotels in Portugal’s the Algarve and on the Portuguese island of Madeira for its ‘Indulgent Escapes’ collection, where you’ll find only hotels with unforgettable settings, excellent facilities and fine dining options, so that you’ll enjoy a Portugal holiday that’s a cut above the rest.

Famous for having no less than 69 Blue Flag-winning beaches, it’s easy to be lured in by the Algarve but very difficult to leave, especially if you spend your stay at the Tivoli Marina in Vilamoura. Situated in the marina, you’ll also have direct access to the nearby Puro beach and be in close proximity to numerous golf courses, and the choice to relax and enjoy a treatment at the on-site Angsana Spa by Banyan Tree or just lounge by the pool. This way, you are sure to enjoy your Algarve Portugal holidays to the max.

The Hilton Vilamoura Hotel will draw you in too, situated in five acres of manicured gardens and offering all the quality that you’d expect from a Hilton and Jet2holidays.com's Indulgent Escapes. The unique Moorish architecture of the Hilton Vilamoura looks particularly striking against the greenery of the surrounding golf courses, but if golf isn’t your game you can spend your time instead in the spa, gym, one of the five large pools or on the hotels’ private Falesia beach.

Winston Churchill’s favourite haunt, which he described as a ‘floating garden’, is every inch as stunningly spectacular as that definition would suggest. To experience the Portuguese island of Madeira at its best, take your pick of one of Jet2holidays’ Indulgent Escapes properties in the Old Town of Funchal.

Perched atop a natural premontory, the Cliff Bay hotel offers views of the Atlantic Ocean as far as the eye can see, as well as being enclosed by palm trees and benefiting from a lavish spa and world-class cuisine. The Reids Palace Hotel has an enviable location too, on a cliff-top and set among sub-tropical gardens, with weekly gourmet dining events taking place in the hotel and champagne served with afternoon tea, and direct access to the sea and a private sunbathing platform exclusively for guests’ use. 

The Pestana Carlton Madeira Ocean Resort Hotel, selected for the Indulgent Escapes collection for its dramatic views of the mountains and the ocean, has also been recently refurbished and offers guests the delights of show cooking, a spacious garden sun terrace, Turkish bath and even a diving school. For a holiday in Portugal that you’ll remember for years to come, it has to be an Indulgent Escape from Jet2holidays.com.


About the Author: This article is brought to you by Jet2holidays.com. They offer a wide and exciting range of great value package holidays to over 40 beach and city destinations. Visit Jet2holidays.com and choose from over 1,600 hotels and apartments to suit all budgets.

Image 1 via Flickr Creative Commons, by AiresAlmeida