By Ann Abel

Honestly, it’s difficult to write cheerfully about travel these days. But a few weeks ago, I found some intriguing news in the midst of my pre-dawn doomscrolling. India’s government had thrown down a challenge for dedicated travelers to visit 15 of the country’s highlights before the end of 2022. If they hit them all, the government will pick up the tab.

It sounded good to me. And it got me thinking. What if something like it happened in my adopted country of Portugal, a place that is tiny but wildly dense with different cultures, cuisines, landscapes and experiences? What would an essential, insider’s tour of Portugal—hitting all the highlights but also the best secret spots and most off-the-beaten-path corners of the continental territory—look like … read more

Ann Abel is a travel writer and editor and was 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, ” she says, ” I’ve gotten a tattoo in Bora Bora, been bitten by a massage therapist, and flown small aircraft above three continents.” She lives in Lisbon.