The 800km of mainland coastline is adorned with golden beaches, world class surf breaks and rolling green hills, but equally stunning and more remote areas can be found on the numerous Atlantic islands. The Azores, with their emerald calderas and deep blue seas are havens for hikers and whale watchers; Madeira is famed for its namesake wine, pleasant year-round climate and lively port towns; while Cape Verde, also volcanic, lies 500km west of Senegal and is known for its Creole Portuguese-African culture and sublime shorelines.

A land of multiple of island groups, ferries to Portugal span across the Atlantic Ocean. The Azores are interlinked by a series of routes with varying journey times, owing to the sporadic locations of the eight, lush islands. Ferries to Madeira connect Porto Santo with the namesake island, and with numerous sailings every week, it’s a great way of hopping between two of Portugal’s warmest spots. Ferries in Cape Verde primarily depart from the travel hub of Praia, on the southern coast of Santiago Island, offering a network of routes to and from the outlying islets.