By Ann Abel

There’s no doubt that Portugal is having a major moment. Each article that calls the country a “best-kept secret” is more amusing than the last. Word is out: Following a local renaissance and an international realization that the country is a tremendous value, visitors are flocking to the warmest, sunniest, most affordable part of Western Europe. As well they should—a friend in Lisbon recently likened the creative scene in this “new capital of cool” to Berlin in the 1990s.

But so many visitors plan trips that combine Lisbon and Porto and simply fly or ride between them. That’s a shame, because … continue reading

Ann Abel has been a travel writer and editor for 14 years, including several as a senior editor at ForbesLife. She writes for Forbes, Departures, Conde Nast Traveller, Robb Report, Afar, National Geographic Traveler, Islands, Hemispheres, Brides, Modern Bride, , Well + Good NYC, and other print and online publications.”In the name of lifestyle journalism, I’ve gotten a tattoo in Bora Bora, been bitten by a massage therapist, and flown small aircraft above three continents.”