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Of course, there’s Lisbon and Porto, but there are other places worth visiting too.

Making the case for escaping the crowds sailing Europe’s Danube and Rhine rivers and heading to Portugal’s UNESCO-protected Douro Valley instead.

Don’t expect any humdrum, large hotel chains here: instead, ecofriendly surf lodges, historic forts-turned-inns, and stone-walled vacation homes await.

This remote archipelago is the closest part of Europe to the U.S.—and an ideal destination for food, nature, and adventure lovers.

An Interview with CEO Quentin Desurmont

The castles, palaces, and monastaries scattered across the Portuguese countryside are more than just relics of a time gone by.

The sights, sounds, and smells of Portugal are all the more vivid when you’re walking, as AFAR Ambassador Flash Parker recently discovered.

The Pestana Hotel Group has a knack for turning historical properties into luxe hotels; the Pousada de Lisboa is no exception. Situated on Lisbon’s grandest square, the Praça do Comércio, the 90-room property inhabits the elegant former home of the Ministry of Internal Administration. Furnishings combine clean, modern lines with ornate wall moulding and a neutral color scheme dominated by pale greens and whites. Choose one of the mezzanine rooms for views of São Jorge Castle; the high-ceilinged Suite Praça do Comércio offers sweeping vistas of the square and River Tagus from two large windows. The hotel’s RIB Beef & Wine restaurant caters to the expense account crowd, specializing in premium cuts of meat aged for 14, 28, or 60 days and served with a regional touch: Lodosa piquillo peppers. There’s also an indoor pool lined with loungers, and a spa offering a full range of treatments, including a body scrub inspired by the scents of Madeira and the Algarve.

This little hidden gem is probably one of Macau’s best kept secrets - a city full of glitzy casino hotels, this 20 rooms colonial era hotel built in the 1930s is staffed with hotel management students and offers respite from the crazy bling of the new Macau. Not quite like the Hong Kong equivalent of ICON hotel staffed with hotel management trainees, but a slower paced friendly environment that showcases the slower, charming side of Macau.

Pousada de Coloane is set just back from Cheoc Van Beach on the south of Coloane Island—which is fused to Taipa Island and attached to the Macau Peninsula proper by bridge. In other words, it’s the perfect place to stay for anyone who wants to explore Macau but doesn’t want to be stuck in the thick of the city. Rooms at the hotel are large, if a little run down (and with scary-looking air jets in the bathtub), and all have a small balcony with superb views over the curving beach and forested hills. If that’s not enough, the hotel has an outdoor patio with an even better view over the bay, perfect for sipping on a Macau Beer or grabbing a bite from the restaurant, which serves up Portuguese specialties. The pork spare ribs and the traditional chicken stew are both good, and if the service is a little slow, who’s in a hurry? Breakfast is included—a serviceable cooked buffet which will be cold unless you arrive right at the start—and the staff at the hotel are friendly and accommodating. Best of all is the location. It’s just a 15-minute walk (on the road) to the pretty Coloane village, or you can hop a bus from right outside the hotel. Most of them continue on from the village to the Cotai Strip and then to the Macau Peninsula itself, so although you feel isolated (in a good way), you aren’t.

As we arrived in Arraiolos, in the Alentejo area of Portugal, we saw the 14th century castle and the 16th century church resting majestically up on the hill overlooking the town. Arraiolos is known worldwide for its gorgeous woolen carpets which are made in Moorish cross stitch designs. This industry has flourished in the town since the 17th century. We wandered through town as happy tourists investigating this historic site. We watched as the women wove their beautiful carpet designs and chatted with each other. We sat in the town square and sipped a cool drink and observed residents come and go. The restaurants were on every corner so dinner was no problem. This tiny town was a delight with its carpet factories, many shops, restaurants, churches and museums. We investigated each attraction. The buildings were painted white stucco with bright blue trim and Arraiolos resembled a picture book village. Our stay at the Pousada da Nossa Senhora Assuncao was a memorable experience. This stunning 16th century pousada was formerly a convent. It afforded all of the modern conveniences while retaining the serenity and beauty of 16th century Portuguese architecture. Our trip to Arraiolos was another fulfilling travel experience. There was so much to see and to learn about Portuguese history and architecture in this little gem of a town.

The Pantanal is one of the best wildlife-spotting destinations on the planet. Cox & Kings offers a five-day trip to the remote Jaguar Research Center, where guests may also encounter hyacinth macaws, anacondas, and giant river otters. Brazil’s cowboys, known as pantaneiros, live throughout the Pantanal. Visitors can get a taste of farm life with a stay at one of the area’s many ranches, or fazendas, such as the family-run Pousada Aguape. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue.

The beach may be the magnet that draws crowds to Trancoso but its the Quadrado that is the heart of the town. The town square sits atop a hilltop offering stunning views of the mangrove forest and sea below. The 1,050-feet-long green park is anchored by the town’s iconic white church and bordered by 50 or so Crayola-colored old fisherman houses. During the day most of the homes stay shuttered due to the heat. But by 5pm, particularly during the peak summer season, they open their doors to reveal chic boutiques and art galleries, restaurants, and pousadas like Uxua and El Gordo. At sunset wild horses graze in the square sometimes interrupt the local kids’ soccer game. The square is filled with crowds after sunset, and artists and artisans come out to sells their goods while musicians come to play music and capoiera dancers come entertain passersby.