13 of the best things to do in Portugal

It may be small but Portugal boasts diverse cultures, a rich and varied cuisine and incredible landscapes that range from the rugged coast in the west to a mountainous inland. Ancient Roman, Celtic and Islamic influences have shaped the customs and language of this land, which has officially been a country for more than 870 years (it's one of the oldest nations in the world).

Portugal is a destination that delights foodies, outdoors adventure seekers, culture and history buffs, plus travelers who want to hop from one must-visit spot to the next. Let us help shape your travel plans with this list of the best things to do in Portugal.

1. Listen to a live fado performance in Lisbon

Fado, a musical genre started in Portugal that's on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, envelops listeners in melancholic, sorrowful and heartfelt music. Slow, lingering songs are sung to the sound of guitarra Portuguesa (Portuguese guitar) and other string instruments.

To experience it for yourself, head to a casa de fado – a traditional restaurant where fadistas (fado singers) perform between courses at dinner – in Lisbon. Popular options include Parreirinha de Alfama or A Baiuca in Alfama, and Adega Machado or Café Luso in Bairro Alto.

Planning tip: For more range and diversity, visit Lisbon in late September to attend Caixa Alfama, the two-day music festival dedicated entirely to fado.

2. Admire Portugal's famous hand-painted tiles 

Housed in a sublime 16th-century convent, Lisbon's Museu Nacional do Azulejo covers the entire azulejo (hand-painted tile) spectrum. Star exhibits feature a 36m-long panel depicting pre-earthquake Lisbon, a Manueline cloister with web-like vaulting and exquisite blue-and-white azulejos, and a gold-smothered baroque chapel.

On Rua de Santa Catarina in Porto stands the strikingly ornate, azulejo-clad Capela das Almas. Magnificent blue-and-white panels here depict scenes from the lives of various saints. The captivating tile-covered church of Igreja do Carmo is one of Porto’s best examples of rococo architecture.  

Igreja de São Lourenço de Matos, near Almancil in the Algarve, is smothered in azulejos – even the ceiling – depicting the life and death of Saint Lawrence. In the 1755 earthquake, only five tiles fell from the roof.

3. See prehistoric rock art at Vale do Côa

A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998, the prehistoric rock art site in Vale do Côa, together with nearby Siega Verde in Spain, is the most noteworthy Paleolithic art site in the Iberian Peninsula. Be sure to head to the Museu do Côa before joining a guided tour of the archaeological site and open-air rock art gallery. There are more than 1000 rock engravings from the Paleolithic and Iron Age periods scattered around 80 identified sites here.

4. Party at Santos Populares, local saints' festivals

Traditional or popular saints' festivities (Santos Populares) happen all over Portugal in June, but Santo Antonio's (St Anthony's) in Lisbon (on June 13) and São João's (St John's) in Porto (on June 24) are the best-known. In these cities' historic neighborhoods, locals hang colorful ribbons across the narrow cobblestoned streets and set up charcoal grills to cook sardines and pork steaks, preferably washed down with a cold local beer or house wine. These festivals started as a way to honor the communities' patron saints, but nowadays, they're the perfect excuse to meet local residents, share a meal and dance the night away.

5. Indulge in conventual sweets

Egg yolks, sugar and occasionally almonds are the core ingredients of typical Portuguese pastries known as conventual sweets. Cloistered nuns and monks (hence the name "conventual") created these concoctions, making use of extra egg yolks (the whites were exported and used in winemaking) and newly imported sugar from Brazil in the 15th century. Initially these treats were for the residents but in the 19th century, when religious orders were all to be dissolved, these sweet creations became their only source of income as convents and monasteries were forced to stop taking in novices.

Each region of Portugal has its traditional conventual sweet, with some local or seasonal ingredients thrown in the mix, such as beans in the pastel de feijão in Torres Vedras or the paper-thin, wafer-encased ovos moles in Aveiro. Pastel de nata custard tarts are Lisbon's most famous conventual sweet and also the one that's seen the most variations, including vegan alternatives.

6. Stay in a traditional schist village

Once located at the crossroads of important commercial routes, the mountain villages between Coimbra and Castelo Branco were practically deserted in the mid-20th century as locals migrated elsewhere in Europe. The dark schist stones used to build the houses were not only unique to the center of Portugal but also became one of the region's calling cards.

To revive this piece of the country's cultural and heritage legacy, the Aldeias do Xisto project was born, transforming 27 villages into rural tourism areas surrounded by rugged mountains, lakes and riverine beaches. The black-stone houses' traditional design was kept to honor and maintain the region's cultural identity.

Planning tip: From nature hikes and wellness retreats to traditional cuisine tastings, book your local experiences at these villages in advance.

7. Celebrate Carnaval all over Portugal

For three days before Ash Wednesday, in February or early March, kids and grownups dress up in costumes and participate in Carnaval parades and celebrations happening all over Portugal. The first celebrations can be traced back to the 13th century when some of ancient Rome's pagan festivities were appropriated by the Catholic Church. Nearly every town around Portugal hosts a Carnaval parade on Fat Tuesday (the last day of Carnaval), but some are more iconic than others. Torres Vedras, Ovar and Loulé are home to the best Carnaval celebrations, and they mix local traditions with Brazilian-inspired samba parades.

Local tip: Can't make it to Portugal for Fat Tuesday? There is an alternative. In Podence, a small village in Portugal's northwest, Carnaval is celebrated differently from the rest of the country. Here, it's a unique end-of-winter celebration that inherited the pagan traditions of former Celtic settlers and is part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Villagers take part in the Caretos (masked men) parade, and they cover their faces with handmade tin or leather masks depicting a demon-like figure and wear cowbells around their waists.

8. Watch surfers ride the giant waves in Nazaré

The giant Atlantic waves that roll in during Nazaré's rough winters were no secret to local surfers and fishers, but when North American surfer Garrett McNamara established a new World Record by riding a 24m wave in 2011, the former fishing village on Portugal's west coast jumped to international fame. Giant wave surfing has become one of Nazaré's calling cards, and the view from the lighthouse of São Miguel Arcanjo Fort is one of the most photographed in town.

9. Stargaze at Great Lake Alqueva

With cloudless skies most of the year and little light pollution, the artificial Great Lake Alqueva in the Alentejo is one of Portugal's most perfect spots for stargazing. These extraordinary conditions made the lake the first official starlight tourism destination in the world, as certified by Spanish-based Fundación Starlight. Several local companies offer stargazing and nighttime tours of the lake, and budding astronomers can also visit the observatory.

Planning tip: Scheduled starry observations are held during the day and night. Prebooking is required. Admission is free for kids under eight.

10. Taste Portuguese wine

Portugal is home to the well-known wine regions of the Alentejo, producing bold and hearty reds, and the Douro, the home of port, but you can find wineries and vineyards practically all over the country, including on the Azores and Madeira archipelagoes. The region of Vinho Verde (meaning "young wine") in the Minho produces unique wine from indigenous grape varietals, making it the most authentically Portuguese wine of all.

11. Road trip across the country on Estrada Nacional 2

Connecting Chaves in the north to Faro in the south, the picturesque Estrada Nacional 2 is a 740km stretch of road that shows road-trippers the kind of Portugal they'd miss if they stuck to highways and freeways. Dubbed the "Portuguese Route 66," the secondary N2 road is seeing a touristic revival as people are rediscovering Portugal's longest road.

Witness the change of scenery as you drive, from the twists and turns of the road as it cuts through the mountains in Portugal's north and center to the almost-treeless plains of Alentejo and the golden sand beaches of the Algarve. Take time to visit landmarks along the way or stay for a little longer in each town, experiencing community life and local cuisine. Be adventurous and see where the road takes you, or follow one of two pre-designed routes: one dedicated to castles and the other to museums.

12. Marvel at monastery architecture

Portugal is home to historic monasteries and convents, many with notable architecture. Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça utterly dominates the town of Alcobaça. Founded in the 12th century, the monastery estate became one of the richest and most powerful in the country. In the 18th century, the monks were known for their growing decadence, but the party ended in 1834 with the dissolution of the religious orders. See the combination of Gothic ambition and Cistercian austerity in the church, with intricately carved 14th-century tombs.

In Batalha, gaze upon the glorious limestone exterior of Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória, bristling with pinnacles and parapets, flying buttresses and balustrades, and late-Gothic carved windows. Manueline exuberance in the Claustro Real (Royal Cloister) steals the show, thanks to additions made in the 15th and 16th centuries. 

Lisbon's UNESCO-listed Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is Belém’s undisputed heart-stealer and the stuff of pure fantasy. Don't miss the honey-stone Manueline cloisters, dripping with organic detail in their delicately scalloped arches, twisting auger-shell turrets and columns intertwined with leaves, vines and knots. 

13. Explore Portugal's well-perserved Roman sites 

Set in the lush countryside southwest of Coimbra, Conímbriga Roman Ruins is Portugal’s largest and most impressive Roman site. Ancient Conímbriga was an important city in the Roman province of Lusitania. Highlights include villas paved with elaborate floor mosaics – in particular the Casa dos Repuxos (House of Fountains) – and a 3rd-century defensive wall.

Right in the center of Évora is the Templo Romano, among the best-preserved Roman monuments in Portugal, and probably on the Iberian Peninsula. It has 14 Corinthian columns, capped with Estremoz marble, that have managed to survive in such good shape for around 2000 years.