If I were alive in the day and age When the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out to sail - in the name of Spain and Christianity - to find the mythical Spice Island, I would  have told him he was crazy to leave Portugal, which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world!

As history has it, Magellan left and never came back, and eventually died in the shores of the Philippines. It does not take an explorer to appreciate the beauty of Portugal, included by the Global Peace Index among the top ten most peaceful countries in the world.

Portugal is located in southwestern Europe and is the westernmost country of mainland Europe bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, with a global empire that included possessions in Africa, Asia and South America, Portugal was one of the world's major economic, political, and cultural powers. Today, it is a developed country and is among the world's 20 highest rated countries in terms of quality of life.

Its culture has been influenced by various civilizations that have crossed the Mediterranean and the European continent, or were introduced when it played an active role during the Age of Discovery.

Portuguese literature, one of the earliest Western literatures, was developed through text and song spread widely by Portuguese troubadours. Portuguese music on the other hand, encompasses a wide variety of genres. The most renowned being fado, a melancholy urban music, usually associated with the Portuguese guitar and saudade, or longing.

If fine dining is what you crave, you can stuff yourself by trying out the diverse Portuguese cuisine. The Portuguese have a cult for good food and throughout the country there are myriads of good restaurants and small typical tascas that can really make your mouth water.

Heavy drinkers and wine lovers will also be pleased to know that Portuguese wines have deserved international recognition since the times of the Roman Empire. Portugal today is known by wine lovers with Port Wine the most widely known wine type in the world and the Douro wine is the oldest in the world.

For sports enthusiasts, football is the most known, loved and played sport in Portugal. The legendary Eusébio is still a major symbol of Portuguese football history and Luís Figo, Fernando Gomes and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the numerous examples of other world-class footballers born in Portugal and noted worldwide. It also offers a different kind of martial known as jogo do pau, in which the fighters use staffs to confront one or several opponents.

Portugal's assets lie in its peaceful atmosphere and in the way they take care of their culture amidst the challenges of coping with modernization. Magellan will surely think twice of leaving if he were alive today!