Portugal isn't Spain: 8 small cultural differences visitors notice

Portugal and Spain are neighbours. We share a peninsula, a border, a long history and many cultural influences.

To someone looking at a map, the differences can seem small.

They aren't.

I've spent many years showing visitors around Portugal, and one thing I notice regularly is that people arrive with the idea that Portugal will feel like a smaller, quieter version of Spain.

It doesn't.

The differences aren't always dramatic. Sometimes they are things you notice immediately. Other times, you only start noticing them after spending a few days here.

Here are eight of them.

1. We are Portuguese, not Spanish

This sounds obvious.

It isn't always obvious to everyone.

Portugal has its own history, identity, traditions and language, and Portuguese people are very conscious of that distinction.

We don't think of ourselves as a variation of Spain.

Portugal has been an independent country for centuries, and that independence is deeply embedded in our national identity.

So if you come to Portugal, you don't need to know the entire history of the Iberian Peninsula.

Just understand one simple thing:

Portugal is Portugal. Spain is Spain.

We like our neighbours.

We just aren't our neighbours.

2. We know when you're speaking Spanish

I've seen it happen countless times.

Someone has been speaking English with me for two minutes. Everything is going perfectly. Then the conversation ends and they say: "Gracias." That's Spanish. Not Portuguese.

This genuinely bothers many Portuguese people.

Yes, sometimes a Portuguese person will react rather badly to it. I've even seen Portuguese people answer rather rudely. I understand the reaction — although I wouldn't recommend being rude to anyone who makes an innocent mistake.

If you want to say thank you in Portuguese, say "Obrigado" if you're a man, or "Obrigada" if you're a woman. And if you're not sure how to pronounce something, don't worry. Even a simple "Bom dia" or "Obrigado" is usually appreciated.

One more thing: Portuguese people generally know the difference between Portuguese and Spanish very well.

You might not hear it. We definitely do.

3. Portuguese identity is surprisingly regional

Portugal is a small country.

But don't mistake small for uniform.

Ask a Portuguese person where they are from and you may get a much more specific answer than simply "Portugal."

Porto.

Minho.

Alentejo.

Algarve.

Madeira.

The Azores.

Even within relatively small distances, accents, food, traditions and attitudes can change.

And Portuguese people have opinions about these differences.

A person from Porto may have very strong opinions about Lisbon.

Someone from the Alentejo will happily tell you about the Alentejo.

Someone from the Algarve may have a completely different relationship with the region than the tourist who visits it for a week in August.

This regional identity is one of the things that makes travelling around Portugal so interesting.

You're not simply travelling through one culture.

You're seeing different versions of Portugal.

4. The Atlantic is part of who we are

Portugal's relationship with the Atlantic is difficult to explain until you spend some time here.

We are a relatively small country facing a very large ocean.

The sea shaped Portuguese history, exploration, fishing, food, trade and migration.

You see it everywhere.

In our cities.

In our food.

In our monuments.

In our stories.

In the way Portuguese people talk about places along the coast.

And, of course, in our relationship with cod.

Bacalhau isn't simply a dish tourists are told to try.

It is part of Portuguese culture.

The same goes for sardines, seafood, fishing traditions and the countless connections between Portuguese life and the Atlantic.

Spain has an enormous coastline too, of course.

But Portugal's relationship with the Atlantic has a particular place in our national identity.

5. Our history is everywhere

Portugal doesn't have to explain its history to you with a museum ticket.

Sometimes you simply walk down the street and there it is.

Castles.

Churches.

Azulejos.

Manueline architecture.

Old neighbourhoods.

Monuments connected to the Age of Discoveries.

Roman remains.

Medieval streets.

The earthquake of 1755.

The rebuilding of Lisbon.

Centuries of history sitting alongside modern life.

And this is one reason I always tell visitors not to rush through Portugal looking only for the famous sights.

The history isn't confined to the attractions.

It is part of the landscape.

You can see it simply by walking.

6. We can be reserved — and that doesn't mean unfriendly

This is one of those things visitors sometimes misunderstand.

Portuguese people can be reserved.

We don't always approach strangers with the same openness or volume that visitors may be accustomed to elsewhere.

But reserved doesn't mean unfriendly.

Give it a little time.

Once you get past that first layer, Portuguese hospitality can be extremely warm and personal.

I see this with visitors all the time.

Someone arrives and initially thinks, "People here are quite quiet."

A few days later, they're telling me how friendly everyone has been.

Both impressions can be true.

We're not necessarily going to greet you like an old friend five seconds after meeting you.

But that doesn't mean we don't want you here.

7. We have a particular relationship with saudade

There are Portuguese words that are difficult to translate properly.

Saudade is probably the most famous.

It is often translated as longing, nostalgia or missing someone or something.

But none of those words quite captures it.

Saudade is part of Portuguese culture in a way that visitors often notice through music, poetry and especially Fado.

It can be about missing someone.

It can be about remembering a place.

It can be about something that is gone but still feels present.

And I think it says something about the Portuguese character.

We can be quite sentimental about the past.

We remember places, people and moments.

We don't necessarily need to be cheerful all the time.

There is a certain beauty in melancholy here.

Listen to Fado in a small Lisbon neighbourhood and you'll understand more about saudade than any dictionary definition could explain.

I'm not saying Portuguese people are sad.

We're not.

But we have a particular cultural appreciation for that feeling of longing — and it is something visitors often notice once they spend enough time here.

8. Portugal isn't a smaller, quieter Spain

This is probably the biggest difference of all.

Portugal is sometimes described as Spain's quieter neighbour.

I understand where the idea comes from.

We're next to each other.

We're both on the Iberian Peninsula.

Our languages have similarities.

We share some ingredients, some history and some cultural influences.

But if you arrive in Portugal expecting Spain, you'll miss Portugal.

You'll miss the differences in language.

The regional identities.

The Atlantic influence.

The architecture.

The history.

The quieter social character.

The traditions.

And all the little things that you don't notice until you've spent enough time here.

After years of showing visitors around Portugal, I've learned that the best way to understand this country isn't by constantly comparing it with somewhere else.

Come here and let Portugal be Portugal.

You'll probably notice the differences yourself.

And once you do, you'll understand why we don't really need to explain that Portugal isn't Spain.

We know.