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Portugal, [ e ] officially the Portuguese Republic, [ f ] is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe, whose territory also includes the Macaronesian archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira.
- Lisbon
- Douro Valley
- Óbidos
- Sintra
- Setúbal Peninsula
- Évora
- Porto
- The Minho
- Coimbra
- Parque Natural Da Serra Da Estrela
Best for nightlife Seven iconic hills overlook Lisbon's postcard-perfect panorama of cobbled alleyways, white-domed cathedrals and grand civic squares – a captivating scene crafted over centuries. The Portuguese capital is packed with things to do, from browsing galleries (including the Museu Nacional do Azulejo with its trove of ceramic tiles) and...
Best place to drink wine One of Portugal’s most beautiful areas lies just east of Porto. Here, the meandering Rio Douro flows past towering hillsides covered by the steeply terraced vineyards that make up Europe’s oldest demarcated wine region. Whether you come by boat, train or car to the Douro Valley, you’ll be rewarded with astonishing views at ...
Best hilltop village Wandering the tangle of ancient streets in the historic town of Óbidos is enchanting at any time of year, but come during one of its festivals and you're in for a special treat. Whether you fancy the idea of a mock-up jousting match at a medieval fair or delving into the written word at Folio– Portugal's biggest international l...
Best for a fantastical escape Less than an hour by train from the capital Lisbon, Sintra feels like another world. It's a great day trip away from the city hubbub. Like a setting from a fairy tale, this historic hillside township is sprinkled with stone-walled taverns and lorded over by a multicolored palace. Forested hillsides form the backdrop to...
Best for wild, cliff-backed beaches South of Lisbon, the Setúbal Peninsula has long been the weekend playground of Lisboetas(Lisbon residents). A ferry ride, followed by a short bus or bicycle ride, takes you to the Costa da Caparica, a seemingly endless beachfront that gets wilder and less crowded the further south you go. If you want a surf lesso...
Best for historical architecture The heart of the Alentejo region, Évorais one of Portugal’s most beautifully preserved medieval towns, and it's an enchanting place to spend a couple of days. Inside the 14th-century walls, narrow, winding lanes lead to striking monuments, including an elaborate medieval cathedral, Roman ruins and a picturesque town...
Best for urban exploring It would be hard to dream up a more romantic city than Porto. Portugal’s second-largest urban center is laced with narrow pedestrian lanes, baroque churches and cafe-dotted plazas, leading the eye down to the Douro River and its landmark bridges. Needless to say, there's no shortage of great experiences here. Start in the R...
Best for traditional villages and wilderness trails The Portuguese have a special fondness for the Minho, a verdant region of vineyard-covered valleys, mountainous wilds, isolated beaches and picturesque river towns that seem little changed by time. The gateway to the region is Braga, a city with Roman ruins, a fabled medieval cathedral, and tranqu...
Best for a student vibe Portugal’s most atmospheric college town, Coimbra, rises steeply from the Rio Mondego, and its handsome medieval quarter houses one of Europe’s oldest universities. Students roam the narrow streets clad in black capes, while the sound of fado (Portugal’s soulful traditional style of music) drifts through the Moorish town gat...
Best for hiking and alpine activities in winter The Serra da Estrela – Portugal’s highest mountain range – is the place to come for rugged scenery, outdoor adventures, and glimpses of a vanishing traditional way of life. Hikerscan choose from an expansive network of high-country trails with stupendous vistas, and the region's fascinating mountain v...
Portugal. Portugal’s Mediterranean charm is most prominent on the golden beaches of the Algarve; in the wilderness of the Azores islands; among the vineyards of Douro Valley; and on the cobbled streets of Lisbon and Porto, where old-world culture meets cosmopolitan bars and restaurants. Read more.
Set a few days aside to rest and pamper yourself, enjoying the best that nature has to offer during autumn. Discover Portugal through the eyes of its writers, where literature meets travel. Get ready for a fascinating journey, where authenticity can be found on every corner and history comes alive in every monument.
2 days ago · Portugal, country lying along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. Once continental Europe’s greatest power, Portugal shares commonalities—geographic and cultural—with the countries of both northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Its cold, rocky northern coast and mountainous interior are sparsely settled ...
Oct 11, 2024 · In Portugal, the top things to do include Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve beaches, wine tasting in the Douro Valley, visiting Madeira and the Azores, touring the palaces and castles in Sintra, and visiting smaller towns such as Óbidos, Monsanto, Nazaré, Braga, and Guimarães.
One of Iberia's great monasteries utterly dominates the town of Alcobaça. Hiding behind the imposing baroque facade lies a high, austere, monkish church …. Wrapped in splendour and mystery, the Knights Templar held enormous power in Portugal from the 12th to 16th centuries, and largely bankrolled the Age of….
