10 things we like about Portugal

Port

Enough said. Oh, not quite: ask for white port, rarely tasted on this side of the world.

Prices

Read our list: Portugal is still one of the cheapest places to visit in Europe.

Pastries

The national DNA must include a sweet tooth. Don't fight it, indulge - preferably sublime pasteis de nata (light, flaky custard tarts) baked to a recipe from the monks at Jeronimos monastery and served, hot from the oven, at the Antiga Confeitaria de Belem. You'll go to Belem for some of Lisbon's leading attractions so why not eat one of them?

Tiles

Or azulejo, the usually blue and white tiles that cover the inside and outside of homes, churches, railway stations throughout the country, often telling local or national legends.

Fado

Anguished, haunting, bluesy, heard at its best in smoky, seedy, crowded bars on hot nights - you've got to love folk music that makes Leonard Cohen sound perky.

Football

Wonderful players such as Luis Figo, many imported from the former colony of Brazil; Benfica and Porto clubs; and an elegant national side that punches far above its weight in Euro and World Cups.

Leather

Shoes, boots, bags ... bargains.

Linen

Portugal's trading-post past means that the nation's shops (and presumably bedrooms) are tucked up in some of the world's finest - and cheapest - er, um, manchester.

Trams

From century-old rattletraps that clank up Lisbon's avenues and alleyways, scattering locals out of the way, to sleek light-rail: your choice of postcard romantic or efficient inner-city transport.

Bacalhau

No way could you call the national dish of pungent, salty, dried cod, served any one of 1000 ways, a delicacy. But you have to admire the Portuguese for prizing a food that looks like sawdust-covered planks while the rest of the world splutters.