You’re going to Portugal this summer. Of course you are. When I went last month, they had already started arriving: the throngs of Portugal fans who keep the country on travel’s perpetual “it” list.
Safety in travel is, obviously, hugely important. Sure, a place might be naturally spectacular and culturally fascinating, but if it’s unsafe, dirty and ridden with crime? Well, loads of people simply won’t bother.
But which countries are the absolute safest? A new study from travel insurance comparison site Forbes Advisor reckons it has worked out which European nations are your best bet for a safe trip in 2022. By analysing things like crime rates, healthcare quality, pollution levels and even the standard of natural bathing sites, Forbes Advisor gave countries a ‘safe score’ out of 100.
According to a study by Forbes Advisor; Portugal is the 3rd safest destination in Europe to visit this summer.
Safety can be a deciding factor when people think about where they are going to spend their holidays, and these figures show that there are considerable differences across Europe when measuring factors such as bathing water quality or crime levels.”
In this ranking, Portugal obtained a classification of 82.1 points out of a possible 100, being one of the countries classified in seventh place with regard to the quality of bathing water, while in terms of atmospheric pollution the country was in fourth place, with one of the lowest pollution rates among the countries analysed. The quality of health care was the parameter that had the lowest classification, ranking 10th.
Portugal is safe mainly because the political climate in the country has been stable for years, and crime rates in Portugal are some of the lowest in Europe. In the Global Peace Index, which is published every year, Portugal rose to fourth place amongst the safest countries in the world in 2022.
Portugal is a country that shares with Spain the Iberian Peninsula at the south-western tip of Europe.
This country boasts a unique culture, picturesque cities that stay in your memory for years to come and fantastic countryside.
Back in the day, Portugal was one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, due to dictatorship that ruled the country before 1974, but with its end, and the start of Democracy which ultimately leads to its incorporation into the European Union in 1986, it has blossomed into a country people can’t wait to experience and its prosperity increased immensely.
Today, it is probably one of the most desired tourist destinations in Europe.
The reason for this is Portugal’s incredible diversity when it comes to landscapes and holiday opportunities.
You can see vast green mountains in the North and explore its trees and species for days, then move on to rocky mountains, with breath-taking slopes and falls in the Centre, and continue the trip in the near-desert Alentejo region and end it at the beach holiday destination Algarve.
