Thousands of Portuguese are on vacation or in decreasing counting for the deserved rest days. And this year there is a city that is taking place. It is not in the Algarve, although the region remains well represented, but in the Madeira archipelago. Funchal leads the list of Portuguese cities most sought after by national tourists for this July, surpassing Albufeira, Porto Santo and even the capital.
According to data from the Jetcost search engine, which specializes in comparing flight and hotel prices, surveys for housing for July increased 8% over the same period last year, which had already recorded record numbers. The analysis focuses on the demands held between July 1 and 31, taking into account only the interest of Portuguese tourists.
Sun, beach and islands at the top of preferences
According to Jetcost, the overwhelming majority of national travelers (74%) are looking for sun and sea destinations, while only 26% prefers more interior options. This preference helps to explain the dominant presence of coastal and island destinations at the top of the table.
Funchal, the capital of Madeira, thus occupies the first position, followed by Albufeira, in the middle of Algarve, and the neighboring island Porto Santo. Completing the top five appear Figueira da Foz, in the Center, and Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, Azores.
Algarve remains firm in preferences
Despite not leading the table, the Algarve remains one of the most popular regions among the Portuguese. In addition to Albufeira, names such as Portimão (6th), Quarteira (12th), Vila Real de Santo António (13th), Faro (14th), Vilamoura (17th) and Tavira (29th). Interestingly, Jetcost also includes Santarém in the Algarve, although this city belongs to the Ribatejo region.
According to the same source, Lisbon and its surroundings also record great influx, especially Sesimbra (10th), the capital itself (8th), Setúbal (15th), Trojan (16), Cascais (20th), Sintra (22º) and Oeiras (28).
Centro and North also are present
Center cities show relevant performance. In addition to Figueira da Foz, they are part of the top 35 with Nazareth (7th), Aveiro (9th), Caldas da Rainha (18th), Peniche (19th), Fatima (21st), Coimbra (26) and Idanha-A-Nova (30th).
More to the north, the Porto (11th), Braga (23), Póvoa de Varzim (25th), Guimarães (32), Vila Nova de Gaia (34th) and Viana do Castelo (35th), confirming the continuous interest in cities with strong historical and cultural identity.
Featured archipelagos
The presence of the islands is one of the most relevant data of this survey. In addition to Funchal and Porto Santo, also Ponta Delgada (5th), Porto Moniz (27th) and Angra do Heroismo (33) are among the most desired destinations. This indicates, according to the price comparison site, a growing Portuguese trend in exploring national archipelagos during summer holidays.
Alentejo also enters the Holiday Map
Finally, the Alentejo region also marks a position with the city of Sines emerging in the 31st position of the ranking of. Although with less expressiveness compared to other areas, it continues to capture the interest of those seeking tranquility, sea and authenticity away from the crowds.
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