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 The best guide to Portugal
This is edition number 12 in the Rough Guide to Portugal series. Believe me, Rough Guide has this country down to the square inch.
First, the country. Portugal was the most powerful country in the world in the 15th century, only to be eclipsed by Spain in the 16th, but that's not the point. The point is that after about a century of tremendous opulence, Portugal's fortune began to sink with its weak, superstitious monarchy. The Lisbon earthquake in the 18th century was the nail in the coffin, and by the 19th century, Portugal had become a European fringe state - a long forgotten backwater. So much the better for its truly remarkable preservation! Since Portugal essentially stopped in the 18th century, what you see today is essentially what was in place at that time. It's an absolute time warp. So many of Portugal's cities and towns are preserved in such pristine condition, it's impossible to list them all. UNESCO has recognized this fact by naming over 10 sites within the country to the ultimately prestigious World Heritage List. Want to see Renaissance Europe? Forget about expensive and absolutely overrun Italy. Portugal is the place. It has everything, culturally and geographically.
Now, the book. The typical Rough Guide format works well with Portugal. Rough Guides concentrate resources around historical and cultural contexts, arranged geographically by region and city. Listings are selective, not comprehensive. Rough Guide authors seek out the hotels and restaurants that they believe offer something unique to the location. In this way, this edition really shines. Few glossy photographs are here, but there are words aplenty. It's like carrying the national history museum in your hand.
Maps are simple and accurate. Contexts are concise enough to be practical, but comprehensive enough to be interesting. The literature section is especially good.
 Almost Perfect!
Rough Guides never let me down. This one from Portugal is very detailed, has many accomodation reviews, good for sightseeing scheduling, and alternative sites for tourism. The only thing I miss is a way to help me to organize trips between the different cities (from "somewhere" to "other where" is best by plane or by train, and so on).
In depth information
This guide includes inexpensive to
moderate accommodation recommendations,
excellent maps, comments on public transportation,
and knowledgeable advice.
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