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Tourism in Portugal: Things to Do During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the previous article, we were describing how to visit Portugal in 2020 and what categories of travelers are eligible for entering the country today. As there are not many destinations that are open to tourists at the moment, hotels in Lisbon, Porto, and other popular cities do not have many competitors. This article gives a more detailed insight into traveling after arrival.

Once you arrive at an airport in Portugal, don’t forget to fill a special form issued by the Portuguese Health Authority. In this form, tourists need to indicate where they plan to stay in the country. The authorities need to be able to trace all guests in case of the COVID-19 spread on board. By the way, it is not possible to reach Portugal by sea unless you are a citizen or resident of this country. Everyone else is prohibited from disembarking.

Having reached Portugal safely, tourists naturally want to have fun, visit local sights, and enjoy delicious local food. Good news: restaurants and cafes are open, and visitors only need to follow certain hygiene and social distance rules. Cafes and bars in Lisbon are currently obliged to close until 8 pm. In the rest of the country, cafes and bars can work longer, until 1 am. Restaurants in Lisbon also need to close at 1 am or earlier.

Museums, zoos, parks, monuments, and other tourist attractions are open. Visitors need to wear face masks and comply with the social distancing rules. Shops, supermarkets, and libraries are also open but they let only several people enter at a time. Of course, everyone is obliged to wear face masks. Most hotels are open and work as usual – consider checking the newest offers of Lisbon hotels and get a nice discount.

Beach recreation is an important part of holidays in Portugal. This country is famous for its exceptional beaches – 360 beaches in Portugal are awarded the European Blue Flag, and 208 beaches have the “Accessible Beach” label. Luckily, all beaches in this country reopened on June 6. Local beaches are supervised in order to maintain social distancing and limited occupation. To help people to find the most suitable beach, there is an information system that displays beach occupancy. The green sign means low occupancy, the yellow sign tells about high occupancy, and the red sign signifies that the beach is full. Use the Info Praia application to see real-time information.

12.09.2020

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