I may be a bit biased considering my family comes from Portugal, but the country has always held a special place in my heart. If you’ve never been, there are several underrated reasons why you should consider visiting in the future — and are exactly why I look forward to each visit.

1. Cafes

Portugal has an abundance of small family-owned cafes along with chain restaurants, and they present a cozy vibe that is rarely found nowadays. It isn’t rare to find people frequenting these shops for hours on end while ordering their caffeine fix and exchanging pleasant conversation. You can’t drive down a street without finding one, and cafes like these don’t carry the same quality where I come from.

2. Beaches

The beaches in Portugal are my favorite. As someone who dislikes tall waves when I head out to the shore, I have found that the ocean in Portugal can be calmer depending on where you visit. On the other hand, several surfing competitions are held in the country, so if you’re a fan of tall waves, they aren’t difficult to find.

3. Caves (Grutas)

If there is somewhere my parents always bring me whenever I visit, this is it. The caves in Portugal are spectacular, and after taking a geoscience course this semester, I’m eagerly anticipating witnessing these again sometime soon.

4. Castles

There are several old architectural structures open for the public to view across the country. Each site you visit has its own unique quality, and there is something calming about crossing the stones to catch a glimpse of the beautiful view the country has to offer.

5. Festivals

During the summer, numerous cities in Portugal hold festivals for their specific town and having been to a few myself, I can say that none of them are identical. But they all promise great food, thrilling music, and interesting activities to keep you captivated throughout the evening, and they’re one of the aspects to Portugal that I look forward to the most whenever I visit.

6. Weather

While warm weather isn’t hard to find, Portugal isn’t overwhelming in terms of its weather patterns. The average temperature in the daytime lies in the seventies, but when the evening settles, there is often a refreshing breeze to counter the heat. You can start wearing a shirt with shorts, but later, you could wear a sweatshirt or a windbreaker.

7. Quality Food

frango (chicken) when I arrive. Trust me, it tastes much better on the other side of the ocean.