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Portugal Popular Places to Visit

Top 14 Places To Visit In Lisbon

Lisbon is Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city. From the imposing São Jorge Castle, the view encompasses the old city’s pastel-colored buildings, Tagus Estuary, and Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge. Nearby, the National Azulejo Museum displays 5 centuries of decorative ceramic tiles. You can explore the narrow streets of the old quarter, stroll the riverbank promenade, or wander through verdant parks

Parque Nacional Da Peneda-gerês

Portugal's only national park, the magnificent Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês is one of the country's greatest natural wonders. Occupying more than 700 square kilometers in Portugal's northeast Minho region, near the border with Spain, the rocky terrain encompasses dramatic mountain scenery; lush, yawning valleys; tumbling waterfalls; and deep, crystal-clear lakes.  Traditional villages, hamlets cut from granite and even an old spa

Elvas

The heavy, star-shaped walls that make up the military fortifications surrounding Elvas are among the best-preserved examples of military architecture in Europe. In fact this frontier town, set on a hilltop in the Alentejo, 15 kilometers from the border with Spain, is so remarkable for its mid-17th-century defences that UNESCO has declared Elvas a World Heritage Site. It's a long drive

Parque Natural Da Serra Da Estrela

The highest peaks on mainland Portugal, the Serra da Estrela, are called the "star mountains." Rising to 1,993 meters above sea level at its highest point, the range, or more precisely the plateau, is a dramatic natural feature of central Portugal. It is often snowcapped in winter, when opportunistic skiers take advantage of what is probably the shortest ski season

Coimbra

The historic hilltop university in Coimbra is just one reason to visit this venerated Portuguese city. But the wealth of additional visitor attractions, much of them clustered around the Velha Universidade, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, merits a full day's sightseeing. The undoubted highlight of a tour of the old university campus is the stunning Biblioteca Joanina, a

Tavira

Cited by many a guidebook as the most captivating town in the Algarve, Tavira does indeed tick all the scenic boxes. The Rio Gilão cuts a smile through this pleasantly laid-back town, with a Roman footbridge connecting one side with the other. The waterfront makes for a wonderful walk, before or after you've uncovered the rest of Tavira's historic treasures. The

Parque Natural Da Ria Formosa

The Algarve is justly famous for its pristine coastline, and one of its natural wonders is the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa. This protected marine habitat constitutes a 60-kilometer stretch of marshland, saltpans, shallow water lagoons, and sand dune islands that run from Quinta do Lago east past Faro all the way to Cacela Velha. A haven for an abundance of

Óbidos

Óbidos is an artist's dream. An assortment of whitewashed cottages, cafés, and handicraft stores lining a series of narrow, cobbled streets are completely enclosed by sturdy medieval walls. There's also the Igreja De Santa Maria, which features a wonderful interior of blue and white 17th-century azulejos (tiles). A museum on the town's attractive square includes rare works of art by

Oporto

With its robust granite architecture and commercial disposition, Oporto, Portugal's second city, rewards visitors with a very different experience to that of the capital. Sited at the mouth of the River Douro and blessed with a waterfront - the Ribeira - acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Oporto is a destination endowed with Baroque churches and Neoclassical buildings

Jeronimos Monastery

The Jerónimos Monastery is the most accomplished example of the very Portuguese Manueline style and the decorative use of the symbols of the great Portuguese expeditions of the 15th and 16th centuries. The style represents a late Gothic expression, showing influences of the then modern Renaissance movement. It also reflects the manifold influences from other overseas cultures with which the