Organized between July 30th and August 13th, the Lisbon Ocean Festival 2015 welcomes visitors from all walks of life, from all corners of the world, to one of the greatest displays of the Portuguese spirit in the calendar. Designed as a cultural event that pays tribute to the ocean life, for every edition there is a specific theme.

As one of the greatest summer events in Lisbon and in the entire Portugal, this festival virtually “contaminates” with music and joy the entire city. The Lisbon city center, Belem and Parque das Nacoes are the main locations of the event.

Basically, there are conferences, expositions, live performances and theater, concerts and public events meant to bring together locals and foreigners, in hopes of promoting the Portuguese culture and the Portuguese spirit. The first edition of the Lisbon Ocean Festival was organized in 1999, after Lisbon housed the great EXPO’98.

Many free events and activities are meant to lure as many people as possible to the festival. It seems that August is the month when Lisbon is somewhat neglected – perhaps because so many people flood the shores of the Algarve – so the Municipality wishes to enhance tourism during this month. There are city breaks to consider for the dates, but be careful to be quite thorough when it comes to the organizational aspects of your trip.

Since the Portuguese capital city is a busy hub, transportation can be quite tricky. Getting a Lisbon airport transfer or a Lisbon tour can help you get around easy and stresslessly, so it is worth booking in advance, along with plane tickets and lodgings.

Far from writing a book, we are merely going to give you a quick, efficient description of the wine history and industry in Portugal. The Portuguese tradition of winemaking goes back thousands of years, to the times of the Phoenicians and the Greeks. But it was during the golden age of the Roman Empire that the region imposed itself as a producer and exporter of the best wines.

In modern times, 1758 is a year to remember, as it was then that the wine producing Region of Douro was created by the Marquis of Pombal. It would acquire international acclaim, while Port wine is popular all over the world. This particular kind of wine needs a special vinification process and the grapes must grow in schist rich soil. All variations of the beloved Port wine are tasty, rich and sweet: the White, the Ruby, Tawny as well as the Late Bottled Vintage.

Here is also a short list of the regions where wine is produced in Portugal:

Vinho Verde wine is the most exported Portuguese wine after the Port. It has a relatively high amount of alcohol (11.5 to 13 per cent) and does not need an aging process because it is made of grapes with little sugar.

Wine in the Dao region is produced with influences from the mountainous climate.

Bairrada wines are made out of mature grapes and count sparkling natural wines, table wines, but also the white and red varieties.

And since you were most probably thinking of planning a Lisbon tour, take the opportunity to visit the hills between Roca Cape and Sintra, near Lisbon, where the sandy soils are the origin of the most expensive, but also special Portuguese wines.