Alfama, Castelo & Graça
Fado (traditional Portuguese melancholic song) was born in Alfama. Immerse yourself in its bittersweet symphonies at Museu do Fado. This engaging museum…
Must-see attractions in Portugal
Alfama, Castelo & Graça
Set in a petite 17th-century palace, this museum creaks under the weight of treasures including blingy French silverware, priceless Qing vases and Indo…
Miragaia
With its cobblestones polished smooth by centuries of shoe leather, and pretty tiled houses with little wrought-iron balconies and window boxes brimming…
The Algarve
On these fascinating behind-the-scenes cork factory tours, you'll learn about the tree's life cycle, harvesting and the manufacturing process, from drying…
Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado
Setúbal
This natural reserve protects the Sado Estuary, a biologically rich area of wetlands extending east and south of Setúbal. With more than 250 avian species…
Centro de Cultura Contemporânea de Castelo Branco
The Beiras
Castelo Branco's modernist cultural centre has quickly established itself as town landmark since it was inaugurated in 2013. The cutting-edge building,…
Évora
Around 27km west of Èvora, the Escoural Caves contain several cave paintings and rock carvings that date back more than 13,000 years. One-hour guided…
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
The inconspicuous, graffitied white facade of this 17th-century fort-like convent contrasts with the rich blue-and-white tiles and gilded carvings of the…
Funchal
Housed in the Adegas de São Francisco, the former Franciscan monastery, Blandy's brings together the British-Madeiran wine companies that were given…
Madeira
Perching precariously on a ledge under high cliffs, pretty Paúl do Mar is the surfing capital of the Atlantic and has even hosted a leg of the World…
Miragaia
Porto is reduced to postcard format at this viewpoint, perched high and mighty above a mosaic of terracotta rooftops that tumble down to the Douro. It's a…
Óbidos
The main gate of Óbidos' historic centre bears the King João IV-ordered inscription, 'A Virgem Nossa Senhora foi concebida sem pecado original' ('The…
Madeira
You can drive to the top of Pico do Arieiro, Madeira's third highest mountain. At the top you'll find a cafe, a Portuguese Air Force radar station and…
Cascais
This museum showcases the disturbing, highly evocative paintings of Portugal’s finest postwar artists. Biannually changing exhibits span Rego’s career,…
Albufeira
Fiesa is the world's biggest sand-sculpture contest. Artists are given 45,000 tonnes of sand to sculpt, and their truly amazing creations (up to 12m high…
Mosteiro de Santa Maria das Júnias
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
Built on the site of a 9th-century pre-Romanesque hermitage, this lovely 12th-century Benedictine monastery in a remote river valley fell under the sway…
Albufeira
One of the Algarve's most impressive beaches is this 6km-long strip of sand backed by stunning cliffs in several shades of ochre. Starting 8.5km east of…
Cascais
Atlantic waves pummel the craggy 'Mouth of Hell', 2km west of Cascais. It's about a 20-minute walk along the coast, or you can catch the BusCas (427) from…
Lisbon
This group of old warehouses have been converted into a lovely patch of restaurants and bars, all with stupendous views over the marina and Ponte 25 de…
The Algarve
Situated 900m west of Estói, these Roman villa ruins are so large and grand they were originally thought to have been a town. The villa, inhabited from…
The Minho
Valença's fortaleza is in fact two fortresses, bristling with bastions, watchtowers, massive gateways and defensive bulwarks, connected by a single bridge…
Lisbon
Experiência Pilar 7 affords the opportunity to get up close and personal with the iconic Ponte 25 de Abril from 80m above ground. The €5.3-million…
Sagres
Europe’s southwesternmost point is a barren headland 6km northwest of Sagres' town centre that was the last piece of home that Portuguese sailors once saw…
Sagres
Blank, hulking and forbidding, Sagres’ fortress offers breathtaking views over the sheer cliffs, and all along the coast to Cabo de São Vicente. Legend…
Fundação José Saramago – Casa dos Bicos
Alfama, Castelo & Graça
The pincushion facade of Casa dos Bicos, the eccentric 16th-century abode of Afonso de Albuquerque, former viceroy to India, grabs your attention with…
Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Immerse yourself in the life and work of Portuguese modernist founder and author Fernando Pessoa as you wander through his old apartment, browse through…
Centro Português de Fotografia
Miragaia
This stately yet muscular building (1767) once served as a prison and now houses a photography museum. You actually walk through the thick iron gates and…
Porto
This was Porto’s first public cemetery when it was inaugurated in 1839. It is considered an important landmark for its neo-Gothic architecture and…
Porto
The Igreja da Lapa Catholic church holds particular significance in Porto as the place where Portugal’s former king and first emperor of Brazil’s heart is…
The Minho
One of the most evocative archaeological sites in Portugal, Citânia de Briteiros, 15km north of Guimarães, is the largest of a liberal scattering of…
Museu de Lisboa Palácio Pimenta
Lisbon
Set in an 18th-century palace, this museum shows the city's history and diverse cultural influences from prehistoric times to the early 20th century…
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
Set in the same street where Júlio Pomar lives and works, this museum, with two spaces housing temporary exhibitions, feels like an art gallery showcasing…
Évora
The former Convento dos Lóios, to the right of Igreja de São João, has elegant Gothic cloisters topped by a Renaissance gallery. A national monument, the…
Aliados & Bolhão
At the southern end of Rua de Santa Catarina is the lovely, eclectic Praça da Batalha, framed by Nasoni’s gracefully baroque Igreja de Santo Ildefonso…
Convento de São Pedro de Alcântara
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
This convent is small in size but grand in baroque decor. The inconspicuous box-like facade hides a chapel (1690s), and a church (1681) that survived the…
Faro
On the Ilha de Faro, 9km west of the centre, the town's beach has sweeping sand, windsurfing and kitesurfing operators, and a handful of cafes. It's…
Lisbon
Most visitors come to this cemetery, the largest in Lisbon, for the view of the Rio Tejo right next to the artists' plot. But the elaborate baroque family…
Aliados & Bolhão
This street is absurdly stylish and romantic, with trim boutiques, striped stone footpaths and animated crowds. It's home to Porto's most ornate tearoom,…
The Algarve
Castro Marim's huge castle has an intriguing borderland history. Much of the area was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, but the ruins of the main fort are…
Parque Natural do Tejo Internacional
The Beiras
Still one of Portugal’s wildest landscapes, this 264-sq-km natural park shadows the Rio Tejo and the watersheds of three of its tributaries. While not…
