Portugal has a long, fascinating history filled with incredible stories, achievements, and quirky surprises. We’ve gathered 30 of the most unique, funny, and downright fascinating facts about Portugal — some you might know, but most will probably surprise you.
Planning a trip to Portugal? Don’t miss our complete Portugal travel guide to help you plan the perfect adventure!
Our personal favorites are #11 and #21 — enjoy! 😊
Page Contents
Ancient Portugal Facts
1. Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe
King Afonso I declared independence in 1139, and Portugal has had the same defined borders since 1249, almost 800 years ago. The name Portugal first appears in 868, during the Reconquista against the Muslims. A county was formed around the city of Porto (Portus Cale in Latin), from which the name (and the country) “Portugal” is derived.
2. Lisbon is older than Rome
Roughly four centuries older, to be more accurate. The Phoenicians settled it around 1200 BC, the second-oldest European capital after Athens, Greece.
Such an ancient and historic city is obviously a great tourist destination, full of amazing things to see and do!
3. The Romans took 200 years to conquer Portugal
The Romans took around 200 years to conquer Lusitania, from 219 BC to 19 BC. The Romans used a famous old expression: In Iberia, there is a tribe that neither governs itself nor lets itself be governed.
4. Viriathus is the first National Hero of Portugal
According to historians, the Celtic King of Lusitania was the worst nightmare of the Roman Empire Soldiers and one of Rome’s top enemies, making them lose the equivalent of 9 legions during the wars against the Lusitans.
Empire and Exploration Facts about Portugal
5. Portugal once claimed half of the “New World”
In 1494, Portugal and Spain divided the world into two by signing the Treaty of Tordesillas, giving Portugal the eastern half of the “New World,” including Brazil, Africa, and Asia.
The Portuguese Empire was actually the first global empire in history! It was also one of the longest-lived colonial powers, lasting for almost six centuries from when Ceuta was captured in 1415 until Macau was handed over in 1999 to China.
6. Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the World
The Portuguese language is the 6th most spoken language in the world, with 220 to 240 million native speakers around the world. It’s the official language of 9 countries and is spoken on five continents!
7. Portugal was one of the earliest colonizing nations of Europe
The Portuguese Empire would rule, among others, over Brazil, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Mozambique, Goa, Daman, Diu, Kochi, Malacca, and Macau.
The African colonies were granted independence only in 1975 after the collapse of the dictatorship. Macau was the last Portuguese colony handed over to China in 1999.
8. Portugal had a central role in the Slavery trading
Not all interesting facts about Portugal are good!
Portugal played a leading role in the infamous Triangular Atlantic Slave Trade, which involved the mass trade and transportation of slaves from Africa and other parts of the world to the American continent. Also, Lagos’ slave market, built in 1444, was Europe’s first slave market!
9. Though Portugal was also the first colonial power to abolish slavery
Portugal was the first colonial power to abolish slavery, all the way back in 1761. That’s half a century before England, France, Spain, or the United States.
Culture and People Facts
10. Portugal was a pioneer in abolishing the Death Penalty
One of the most important facts about Portugal is that in 1846, Portugal started the process of abolishing the Death Penalty, and the formal abolishment of capital punishment for civil crimes occurred in 1867.
Furthermore, Portugal and Spain are the only EU countries to have also abolished life imprisonment.
11. Portugal once had a dead Queen
When Pedro I was crowned King of Portugal in 1357, he proclaimed his lover, Ines de Castro, Queen even though she had died two years before, in 1355. Legend says he ate her killers’ hearts when he caught them. And that she was exhumed to be coronated. That’s true romance there, Game of Thrones style.
You can read the whole story here.
12. Over half of the world’s cork is produced in Portugal
Portugal has the most extensive cork oak forests (montados) in the world, and its cork oak is protected by law. The various uses of the soft, spongy bark of the cork tree have made Portugal the largest producer of cork products in the world, producing 70% of the world’s cork exports. The leading importers of Portuguese cork are Germany, the U.K., and the U.S.
13. Portugal and England are very old friends
Portugal and England have the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance was signed in 1373 and has been in force to this day! Both countries entered wars to defend each other, including the United Kingdom’s involvement in the Iberian Peninsula War and Portugal’s participation in World War I. Talk about having someone’s back!
14. Lisbon was struck by one of the most powerful earthquakes in European history
In 1755, Lisbon was struck by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, which was followed by a tsunami and fires that destroyed the city!
Furthermore, the earthquake struck on All Saints Day, a major holiday when the churches were filled with burning candles. The quake struck, toppling the candles and causing major fires. Up to 100,000 residents were killed, and 85% of the buildings were destroyed!
15. The Portuguese are fatalists
Fatalism is an essential trait of Portuguese culture. One of the most obvious expressions of it is the traditional music Fado.
This is characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a characteristic sentiment of resignation, fatefulness, and melancholia. UNESCO recognized it as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.
Modern and Fun Facts about Portugal
16. The most significant wave ever surfed was in Portugal
In October 2011, Garrett McNamara caught the biggest wave (+30 m / 90 ft) ever surfed to date at Praia do Norte in Nazaré. Portugal boasts an 800-kilometer coastline, making it one of the world’s top surf spots!
17. Portugal has one of the world’s oldest universities
The University of Coimbra was established in 1290. Although it was first established in Lisbon, it was later transferred (a few times back and forth) to Coimbra. Paço das Escolas is one of the most famous landmarks in Portugal.
18. A Portuguese brought the habit of drinking tea to England
Catharine of Braganca, a Portuguese princess and Queen of England, introduced the habit of drinking tea in England. Though she did not introduce Tea, she made it a fashionable and widely drunk beverage. She was also responsible for the English using forks at dinnertime
19. The Portuguese were the first European people to reach Japan
In 1492, the Portuguese reached the island of Tanegashima, first establishing contact with Japan. So, the Japanese culture was exposed to several new European technologies and cultural practices in the military area (the arquebus, European-style cuirasses, European ships), religion (Christianity), decorative art, and culinary (the Portuguese introduced the tempura and above all the valuable refined sugar).
Even in the Japanese language, many words originate from Portuguese.
20. A Portuguese saved more Jews than Oskar Schindler
Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese consul who used his position early in WWII to save Jewish people. He granted visas to Jews despite having orders from the Portuguese government (at the time, a dictatorship) not to do so.
It’s estimated that he helped save up to 10,000 Jews. However, we need to mention that this number may be an overestimation. Either way, it was a heroic and dangerous decision.
21. Portugal had a massive influence on world cuisine
Portuguese Jesuit missionaries took tempura (a dish of battered, deep-fried vegetables and seafood) to Japan. The Portuguese invented Piri-Piri sauce. Portuguese introduced chili pepper, potatoes, and tomatoes to India and Thailand, without which curry wouldn’t exist!
Not to mention we also brought coffee to Brazil and the ukulele to Hawaii. We created the “pastel de nata” or “pastel de Belém,” the famous and delicious Portuguese custard tart…
22. Europe’s longest bridge is in Portugal
The Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon is 17 kilometers long, making it the longest in Europe at the construction time. Today, it is only the longest one in the EU and the second-longest bridge in Europe, after the Crimean Bridge.
Although this isn’t the only record the bridge brought to Portugal, it holds a more significant distinction: the world record for the largest dining table, set when around 15,000 people were served lunch on the bridge as part of the inauguration celebrations.
23. The Portuguese eat a lot of cod
We have over a thousand recipes for cooking cod, but we must import it from countries like Norway or Iceland. Interestingly (or maybe not). I must be one of the few Portuguese that doesn’t really appreciate Cod!
24. Port wine is one of our most famous exports
Portugal produces the famous Port wine, a sweet fortified wine from the Douro Valley. Port wine grapes are only grown on the steeply terraced hillsides of the Douro Valley near Porto, one of the world’s oldest established wine-producing regions. However, it has been imitated in several countries – notably Australia, South Africa, India, and the United States.
Click here to check other what is Portugal famous for.
25. Bertrand Bookstore is the oldest in the world
The oldest bookstore in the world is in Portugal’s capital, Lisbon. Bertrand Bookshop was established in 1732. The original store was destroyed in an earthquake in 1755 and rebuilt in its current location in 1773.
26. Portugal is 95% water
One of the lesser-known but fascinating facts about Portugal is that it’s mainly water! Considering only surface land, it ranks as the 110th country with only 92.212 Km2 of land.
However, if you include the jurisdiction over the maritime area of around 1.720.560 Km2, Portugal ranks in the world’s top 20 and top 3 in Europe! The ocean area is about 18.7 times the land area, so almost 95% of the country is water.
27. Portugal has 17 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list
Portugal has 17 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list, 16 of these cultural sites and 1 of the natural (on Madeira Island). It’s one of the 20 most visited countries worldwide, with more than 27 million tourists visiting yearly (2019).
28. A Portuguese invented the pirate code
Bartholomew Portugues created the first Pirate code in the 17th century, which English pirates later adopted.
29. The Portuguese love football – and are pretty good at it
The most popular sport in Portugal is football. We are the current European Champions, and our national team finished 3rd in the 1966 World Cup, 2nd in Euro 2004, and 4th in the 2006 World Cup.
FC Porto and SL Benfica have also been European Champions several times.
30. People from Porto are called ‘tripeiros ‘ or ‘tripe eaters’
Back in the 15th century, to help out the military, Porto gave all the meat they had – except for the stomachs. Well, afterward, they got creative with their cooking, and it became one of the city’s most famous culinary features over time.
Furthermore, it became the nickname of the citizens of Porto, the ‘tripeiros,’ or the trippers.
Bonus weird Portugal facts and records
- In December 2010, the world’s largest Santa Claus parade took place in Porto. 14,963 people donned Santa outfits, surpassing the previous year’s record for the same parade.
- In 2012, the largest firework rocket ever produced was used at the 12th International Symposium on Fireworks in Oporto and Gaia on 13th October 2010. It weighed 13.40 kg.
- The world’s most enormous omelet was made in Portugal, in Santarém, on 11 August 2012. It took 55 people, six hours, and 145,000 eggs to make a 6,466 kg omelet.
- And, of course, the above-referred largest dining table in the World!
- Finally, the largest number of dishes washed with one liter of detergent… can you guess when? Obviously, after the meal at the longest dining table in the world during the inauguration of the longest bridge in Europe! 🙂
After all these interesting facts about Portugal, you can only be inspired to come and visit Portugal!
Quick Facts About Portugal
🇵🇹 Official Name: Portuguese Republic
👥 Population: 10.3 million
💶 Currency: Euro
🏙 Capital: Lisbon
🕐 Time Zone: WET (Azores UTC-1)
After reading all these fascinating facts about Portugal, you’ll probably want to see it for yourself. Start planning your trip here → Everything you need to know about Portugal
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