Spain and Portugal are both firm favourites among UK travellers looking for a bit of summer sun, and for very good reason – they are home to some of Europe’s finest stretches of sand. These Iberian Peninsula countries have so much more to offer than just beach breaks though, and so we are going to pit them against each other and pick out the best of each country’s culture, scenery, food and more to help decide once and for all which of these European holiday hotspots comes out on top: Spain or Portugal?
Culture
Between them, Spain and Portugal are home to some of our favourite European cities: Barcelona, Seville, Porto and Lisbon (to name just a few) – all of which are jam-packed full of history and culture. If we’re going purely off stats, then Spain has a whopping 43 cultural UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Alhambra in Granada and the works on Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona (the colourful Park Guell being our favourite); while Portugal has, by comparison, a mere 16 cultural UNESCO World Heritage sites, although there are some pretty big hitters in that list, such as the Douro Wine Region and the historic centre of the museum-city of Évora. For us, the Moorish influence in parts of southern Spain give it the edge here, as this unique combination of cultures is unlike anywhere else in Europe. Highlights for us include the Alhambra in Granada and the Mosque of Cordoba, both incredible examples of Islamic architecture.
One nil to Spain.
Scenery
This is a fiercely competitive category. Spain is a worthy contender, offering up the wonderful Andalucian coast and countryside (one of our favourite spots for a riding holiday), some seriously beautiful beaches, and fantastic mountain trails that criss cross the Balearic Islands and the Basque Country’s wine region of Rioja. However, in our humble opinion, despite being around five times smaller than its competitor, Portugal just about comes out on top here. There’s the beautiful landscapes of the Douro Valley; the family-friendly beaches of the Algarve; the dramatic and expansive scenery of the Azores and the subtropical climate of the ‘Island of Eternal Spring’, Madeira. And that’s all before mentioning the wonderful wildlife in Faia Brava National Park, home to over 180 plant species, 25 mammal species and 100 species of birds, including golden eagles and griffon vultures. The somewhat over-used phrase ‘it has it all’ springs to mind here…
A point for Portugal here makes it one all.
Food & Drink
One of the best parts of visiting a different country (in our expert opinion) is sampling the local food and drink, and Spain and Portugal both have a lot to offer on that front. In Spain, you could happily live off tapas for your entire trip (some of our favourites include patatas bravas, Padron peppers, and ham and cheese croquetas), but there’s also fantastic seafood and of course paella, which originates from Valencia. As well as sampling some of the local Rioja wine, there’s also Sangria: the drink that bridges the gap between the two nations, as it originates from both countries. In Portugal, our favourite local delights are the famous pasteis de nata custard tarts (head to Belem in Lisbon where they originate from to sample the very best), but our other highlights are of the liquid variety: Port and Madeira.
For us, tapas tips the scales in favour of Spain on this one. 2-1 to Spain.
Unique Experiences
To make your trip to Spain truly unmissable, immerse yourself in one of the most iconic aspects of the culture by learning flamenco. We can arrange an expert guide to take you around some of the best flamenco bars before leaving you to learn the moves yourself with help from the professionals. Over in Portugal, enjoy some of the best diving in Europe in the Azores, where you can see sharks and shoals of pelagic fish below the water and spot dolphins and whales (sperm whales in summer and blue whales in spring) above the surface.
As lovers of the underwater world, we’d have to give Portugal the point here, making it two all.
So which country comes out on top in this Spain vs Portugal battle? We couldn’t possibly choose between these two European gems, so we’ll leave it up to you to visit both and then decide…