Portugal is sufficiently small to drive finish to finish in a day, but it packs in additional selection than nations 3 times its measurement. The most effective locations to go to in Portugal run from a wine valley carved into terraces to a capital constructed on seven hills, a surf coast with the largest waves on earth and two volcanic archipelagos out within the Atlantic. Above all, it’s nonetheless good worth, pleasant and simple.
This information ranks the 20 most unimaginable locations to go to in Portugal, grouped by area so you may string a number of collectively on one journey. For each you will see why it earns its place, the one factor to not miss, the place to remain and the way to get there and not using a headache. Then, on the finish, there are 4 routes that put all of it collectively.
In case you are beginning with the capital, learn our Lisbon bucket checklist and fast information to Lisbon first. Afterwards, come again right here for every part past it.
Fast picks: one of the best locations to go to in Portugal to your type of journey
Brief on time? Then select by what you need from the journey. Every decide hyperlinks right down to its full entry.
How the areas match collectively. The north (locations 1 to five) is Porto, the Douro and the inexperienced hills behind them, and it really works as a five-day loop. Lisbon and the centre (6 to 11) are the place most first journeys begin, with Sintra, Cascais and Comporta all inside an hour of the capital. The Alentejo and the Algarve (12 to 16) are the new, gradual south. Lastly, the islands (17 to twenty) are a separate journey, and they’re the place you will see the fewest vacationers.
The most effective locations to go to in Portugal: Porto and the north
Northern Portugal is greener, older and extra conventional than the south. Porto is the anchor, the Douro Valley is an hour inland, and past that the nation rises into granite hills and nationwide park. Briefly, that is the Portugal the Portuguese themselves love most.
1. Porto, Northern Portugal
Porto is Lisbon’s smaller, grittier rival, and many individuals find yourself preferring it. The outdated city tumbles down a gorge to the Douro river in a jumble of tiled facades and washing strains, the port lodges line the far financial institution and the bridges are artworks in themselves. It is usually compact, so three days covers it on foot.
Don’t miss: the view from the highest of the Dom Luís I bridge, a port tasting throughout the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, the Livraria Lello bookshop early within the morning and a francesinha sandwich, which is as heavy because it sounds.
Keep: The Yeatman, up among the many port lodges in Gaia, has one of the best view of the town and a two-star restaurant. Torel Avantgarde, within the centre, is the design selection.
Getting there: Porto airport is half-hour from the centre by metro. By practice, Lisbon is about 3 hours on the Alfa Pendular.
2. The Douro Valley, Northern Portugal
The Douro is the oldest demarcated wine area on this planet, and it is usually one of the vital stunning. Vineyards climb the valley partitions in hand-built terraces, the river winds between them and the quintas, the wine estates, sit on the finish of lengthy cypress drives. Are available September for the harvest, or in spring, when the slopes are inexperienced.
Don’t miss: the point of view at São Leonardo de Galafura, a tasting and lunch at Quinta do Crasto or Quinta Nova, and the practice from Porto to Pinhão, which runs beside the river for the ultimate hour.
Keep: Six Senses Douro Valley, in a Nineteenth-century manor above the river, is one of the best lodge within the area. Quinta da Pacheca, close to Peso da Régua, enables you to sleep in a large wine barrel.
Getting there: 1 hour 30 by automotive from Porto, or 2 hours 30 by practice to Pinhão. Rent a automotive, as a result of the quintas are unfold alongside 100 kilometres of valley.
3. Guimarães, Northern Portugal
Guimarães is the place Portugal started. The nation’s first king was born right here in 1110, and the citadel he was born in nonetheless stands above a medieval outdated city of granite squares and painted balconies. It’s a UNESCO web site, but it’s small and calm sufficient to see in a day from Porto.
Don’t miss: the citadel and the Dukes of Braganza palace, the Largo da Oliveira sq., and the cable automotive as much as Penha hill for the view over the entire city.
Keep: Pousada Mosteiro de Guimarães, a transformed Twelfth-century monastery on the hill above city, is among the finest pousadas in Portugal. Alternatively, Resort da Oliveira sits on the principle sq..
Getting there: 1 hour 10 by practice from Porto São Bento, or 50 minutes by automotive. Braga, with its well-known Bom Jesus staircase, is 25 minutes additional.
4. Peneda-Gerês Nationwide Park, Northern Portugal
Peneda-Gerês is Portugal’s solely nationwide park, and it’s a shock: granite peaks, oak forests, wild horses and waterfalls, all pressed towards the Spanish border. Stone villages with communal granaries sit within the valleys, and the lagoons are swimmable in summer season. Most guests by no means hear of it, which is strictly the enchantment.
Don’t miss: the Arado waterfall, the village of Soajo and its stone granaries, the Pedra Bela viewpoint and a swim within the Cávado reservoir.
Keep: Pousada Mosteiro de Amares, a Cistercian monastery on the sting of the park, is the atmospheric base. Contained in the park, Casa do Mezio in Arcos de Valdevez is a small rural retreat.
Getting there: 1 hour 30 by automotive from Porto. A automotive is crucial, as a result of the park has no helpful public transport.
5. Coimbra, Central Portugal
Coimbra is Portugal’s Oxford, a hill city constructed round one of many oldest universities in Europe. College students in black capes nonetheless stroll its lanes, and the baroque library, with its painted ceilings and resident bats, is among the most stunning rooms on this planet. It is usually the midway level between Porto and Lisbon, so it breaks the journey completely.
Don’t miss: the Joanina Library, which have to be booked by timed slot, the view from the college bell tower and a late-night fado efficiency, which in Coimbra is sung solely by males.
Keep: Quinta das Lágrimas, a palace lodge within the gardens the place Portugal’s most well-known love story ended, is the romantic selection. Sapientia Boutique Resort, beside the college, is the trendy one.
Getting there: 1 hour by practice from Porto or 1 hour 40 from Lisbon on the Alfa Pendular. The outdated city is a steep stroll uphill from Coimbra-A station.
The most effective locations to go to in Portugal: Lisbon and the centre
Lisbon is the hub of any first journey, and the coast round it holds among the finest locations to go to in Portugal inside an hour of the town. Give the capital three nights, then transfer: Sintra and Cascais are day journeys, whereas Comporta and Nazaré every deserve an evening or two.
6. Óbidos, Central Portugal
Óbidos is a walled medieval village of whitewashed homes trimmed in blue and yellow, with bougainvillea on each wall and a citadel on the prime. Portuguese kings gave it to their queens as a marriage current for 600 years. It is usually small, so come early or keep the evening, as a result of the day-trip crowds arrive by 11am.
Don’t miss: strolling the total circuit of the partitions, a shot of ginja, the native cherry liqueur, served in a chocolate cup, and the bookshop contained in the outdated church of Santiago.
Keep: Pousada Castelo de Óbidos, contained in the citadel itself, is the one to e-book. The Literary Man, a lodge lined with 60,000 books, is the quirky different.
Getting there: 1 hour by automotive or specific bus from Lisbon. Mix it with Nazaré, 40 minutes additional north.
7. Nazaré, Central Portugal
Nazaré is a fishing city with a large sandy seaside, a cliff-top outdated quarter reached by funicular and, in winter, the largest surfable waves on the planet. An underwater canyon funnels Atlantic swells into partitions of water over 25 metres excessive, and the world’s finest big-wave surfers come to experience them. In summer season, in the meantime, it’s a cheerful seaside resort.
Don’t miss: the lighthouse fort at Praia do Norte between October and March, when the large waves run, the view from the Sítio clifftop and grilled sardines on the seafront.
Keep: Resort Magic Artwork, on the beachfront, is the snug selection on the town. For one thing particular, Areias do Seixo, 40 minutes south, is among the finest seaside resorts in Portugal.
Getting there: 1 hour 30 by automotive or specific bus from Lisbon. There is no such thing as a practice, so drive or take the bus from Lisbon’s Sete Rios terminal.
8. Lisbon
Lisbon is a capital constructed on seven hills above a river huge sufficient to seem like the ocean, with yellow trams, tiled facades and viewpoints on the prime of each climb. It has the sunshine of a southern metropolis and the value tag of a smaller one. Three nights is the minimal, as a result of the neighbourhoods every take a day.
Don’t miss: the Alfama at daybreak, earlier than the tour teams, the Jerónimos Monastery and pastéis de nata in Belém, and sundown on the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. Our information to the Alfama and Lisbon bucket checklist cowl the remainder.
Keep: 4 Seasons Resort Ritz Lisbon, above the Eduardo VII park, is the grand tackle. Bairro Alto Resort, on the sq. between Chiado and Bairro Alto, has one of the best rooftop within the metropolis.
Getting there: Lisbon airport is 20 minutes from the centre by metro or taxi. By practice, Porto is about 3 hours and Madrid is finest reached by air.
9. Sintra, Lisbon coast
Sintra is a wooded mountain 40 minutes from Lisbon, scattered with palaces that look as in the event that they had been drawn by youngsters. The Pena Palace is painted crimson and yellow and sits on the best peak, the Quinta da Regaleira has a spiral nicely that descends 9 storeys and the Moorish citadel partitions run alongside the ridge. It’s, no doubt, one of the best day journey in Portugal.
Don’t miss: the Pena Palace at opening time, with a ticket booked on-line, the Initiation Effectively at Regaleira and the Monserrate gardens, which just about no one visits. Our information to Sintra and Cascais has the total route.
Keep: Tivoli Palácio de Seteais, an 18th-century palace with views to the Pena Palace, is the romantic selection. Penha Longa Resort, between Sintra and Cascais, has the golf and the spa.
Getting there: 40 minutes by practice from Lisbon Rossio station. Depart the automotive behind, as a result of parking in Sintra is near unattainable.
10. Cascais, Lisbon coast
Cascais is the place Lisbon goes to the seaside: a former fishing village turned elegant resort, with a marina, a string of sandy coves and a seafront promenade to Estoril. Past the city, the coast turns wild on the Boca do Inferno cliffs and the surf seaside of Guincho. It is usually the best seaside day from the capital.
Don’t miss: the stroll alongside the cliffs to the Boca do Inferno, a swim at Praia da Rainha, sundown at Guincho seaside and the Paula Rego museum, among the finest small galleries in Portugal.
Keep: The Albatroz Resort, in a Nineteenth-century mansion on the rocks above the seaside, is the basic. Farol Resort, by the lighthouse, is the design different with a sea-water pool.
Getting there: 40 minutes by practice from Lisbon Cais do Sodré, with the road operating alongside the coast the entire method. From Sintra, it’s half-hour by automotive.
11. Comporta, Alentejo coast
Comporta is an hour south of Lisbon, and it’s the most trendy stretch of coast in Portugal: 60 kilometres of empty white sand backed by rice paddies, pine forest and a handful of thatched-roof villages. There are not any large resorts, as a result of the land was owned by one household for a century. Consequently, it feels just like the Hamptons earlier than anybody observed.
Don’t miss: the seaside at Praia do Carvalhal, lunch at Sal on the sand, a drive by the rice fields at sundown and the dolphins within the Sado estuary, which you’ll be able to see by boat from Setúbal.
Keep: Chic Comporta, set amongst cork oaks with personal pool villas, is the lodge that made the world well-known. Quinta da Comporta, by the rice fields, is the wellness different.
Getting there: 1 hour 15 by automotive from Lisbon throughout the Vasco da Gama bridge. There is no such thing as a public transport value utilizing, so rent a automotive.
The most effective locations to go to in Portugal: the Alentejo and the Algarve
The south is sizzling, gradual and sun-bleached. The Alentejo is cork forests, marble cities and vineyards, whereas the Algarve is the golden-cliff shoreline that almost all of Europe comes for. Go in Could, June or September, as a result of August is each crowded and sizzling.
12. Évora, Alentejo
Évora is the capital of the Alentejo, a whitewashed walled metropolis with a Roman temple at its centre and a pair of,000 years of historical past layered beneath it. It’s a UNESCO web site, a college city and one of the best place to eat the Alentejo’s slow-cooked pork and black-pig dishes. It is usually solely 90 minutes from Lisbon, so it really works as a day journey or an in a single day.
Don’t miss: the Roman temple, the Chapel of Bones, which is lined with the skeletons of 5,000 monks, and a wine tasting at Cartuxa or Herdade do Esporão exterior city.
Keep: Convento do Espinheiro, a Fifteenth-century convent simply exterior the partitions with a spa and a vaulted wine cellar. On the town, Pousada Convento de Évora sits beside the temple.
Getting there: 1 hour 30 by automotive or practice from Lisbon. The outdated city is a 15-minute stroll from the station.
13. Marvão, Alentejo
Marvão is a walled village on a granite crag 860 metres above the Spanish border, and from its citadel you may see half of Portugal. Fewer than 100 individuals dwell contained in the partitions. It is among the most dramatic villages in Europe, but it’s nearly empty, as a result of it’s two and a half hours from anyplace.
Don’t miss: the citadel partitions at dawn, when the valleys under are stuffed with mist, the Roman ruins at Ammaia and the chestnut pageant in November.
Keep: Pousada de Marvão, contained in the partitions, is the one actual selection and a very good one. In any other case, Casa do Terreiro do Poço, in close by Borba, is a captivating manor home.
Getting there: 2 hours 30 by automotive from Lisbon. There is no such thing as a public transport, so mix it with Évora on an Alentejo highway journey.
14. Lagos, Algarve
Lagos is one of the best base within the Algarve, as a result of it has a walkable outdated city, a working harbour and, 5 minutes away, the Ponta da Piedade, the place golden cliffs and sea arches shelter probably the most photographed coves in Portugal. Not like the resorts additional east, it nonetheless appears like a Portuguese city.
Don’t miss: a kayak or small-boat journey by the arches at Ponta da Piedade, a swim at Praia do Camilo, and the stroll alongside the cliffs to Praia Dona Ana. Our south coast highway journey covers the seashores past.
Keep: Cascade Wellness Resort, on the cliffs west of city, is the resort choice. Within the outdated city, Casa Mãe is a small and classy lodge with a backyard.
Getting there: 1 hour by automotive from Faro airport, or 1 hour 40 by practice. The outdated city is a 20-minute stroll from the station.
15. Benagil and Carvoeiro, Algarve
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The central Algarve coast between Carvoeiro and Armação de Pêra is probably the most spectacular within the area: ochre cliffs, sea stacks and, at Benagil, a cave with a gap in its roof that lets daylight pour onto the seaside inside. The entire stretch is walkable alongside the Seven Hanging Valleys path. Briefly, that is the Algarve of the postcards.
Don’t miss: the Benagil cave by kayak or stand-up paddleboard at 8am, earlier than the tour boats, the Seven Hanging Valleys stroll to Praia da Marinha and the Algar Seco rock swimming pools at Carvoeiro.
Keep: Vila Vita Parc, close to Armação de Pêra, is one of the best resort within the Algarve, and we reviewed it in Vila Vita Parc: is it value it?. Tivoli Carvoeiro sits on the cliffs above the village.
Getting there: 45 minutes by automotive from Faro airport. A automotive is the one smart choice on this a part of the coast.
16. Tavira, Algarve
Tavira is the Algarve because it was earlier than the resorts arrived: a riverside city of Moorish rooftops, 37 church buildings and a Roman bridge, with the sandbar islands of the Ria Formosa lagoon offshore. The seashores are reached by ferry, so that they by no means get crowded. It is usually the gateway to the jap Algarve and the salt pans round it.
Don’t miss: the ferry to Ilha de Tavira and its 11 kilometres of empty seaside, the view from the citadel backyard, and dinner on the riverside within the Praça da República. See our information to the Algarve for extra.
Keep: Pousada Convento Tavira, in a Sixteenth-century convent on the hill, is the one to e-book. Fazenda Nova, a rustic home within the hills behind the city, is the quieter different.
Getting there: 35 minutes by automotive or practice from Faro. Spain is one other half-hour east, so it additionally hyperlinks to an Andalusia journey.
The most effective locations to go to in Portugal: Madeira and the Azores
Portugal’s islands are two very completely different locations. Madeira, off Morocco, is a subtropical backyard with mountains and a gentle winter. The Azores, 1,500 kilometres out within the Atlantic, are 9 inexperienced volcanic islands with crater lakes, sizzling springs and whales offshore. Each are a flight from Lisbon, and each deserve per week.
17. Madeira
Madeira is a volcanic island that rises nearly vertically out of the Atlantic, with mountains over 1,800 metres, a capital stuffed with gardens and a local weather that stays spring-like all 12 months. It’s best identified for its levada walks, the irrigation channels that double as strolling paths by laurel forest and alongside cliff edges. In reality, it’s the finest winter strolling vacation spot in Europe.
Don’t miss: the dawn stroll from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo above the clouds, the Levada das 25 Fontes, the cable automotive to the Monte Palace gardens and a poncha, the native rum cocktail, in Funchal’s outdated city.
Keep: Reid’s Palace, a Belmond lodge, has stood on its cliff above Funchal since 1891 and continues to be the island’s grand tackle. Savoy Palace, within the metropolis, is the trendy different with a rooftop infinity pool.
Getting there: 1 hour 45 by air from Lisbon, with direct flights from most of Europe. The airport is 20 minutes from Funchal.
18. São Miguel, Azores
São Miguel is the most important of the Azores and one of the best introduction to them: twin crater lakes in blue and inexperienced, sizzling springs in a valley that steams, tea plantations and hydrangea hedges alongside each highway. The island is 65 kilometres lengthy, so per week is just not too lengthy. It additionally has whales offshore from April to October.
Don’t miss: the Sete Cidades lakes from the Vista do Rei viewpoint, a soak within the iron-red swimming pools of Terra Nostra backyard in Furnas, a cozido stew cooked underground by volcanic warmth and a whale-watching journey from Ponta Delgada.
Keep: Terra Nostra Backyard Resort in Furnas, with the thermal pool on its doorstep, is the basic. Santa Bárbara Eco-Seashore Resort, on the north coast, is the design selection with surf exterior.
Getting there: 2 hours 20 by air from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada, with direct flights from a number of European cities in summer season. Rent a automotive, as a result of the buses are rare.
19. Pico, Azores
Pico is a volcano with an island hooked up. The mountain is the best in Portugal at 2,351 metres, and the vineyards at its toes are planted inside a maze of black lava partitions that may be a UNESCO web site. The wine is not like the rest, the whale watching is one of the best within the Azores and the island continues to be delightfully quiet.
Don’t miss: the climb to the summit of Pico with a information, which takes seven hours and begins earlier than daybreak, the winery partitions at Criação Velha and a sperm-whale journey from Lajes do Pico.
Keep: Lava Houses, a cluster of recent stone homes on the north coast with the mountain behind them, is one of the best place on the island. Aldeia da Fonte, among the many lava on the south coast, is the country different.
Getting there: 40 minutes by air from Ponta Delgada, or half-hour by ferry from Horta on Faial. Faial, Pico and São Jorge are shut sufficient to mix in a single journey.
20. Flores, Azores
Flores is the westernmost level of Europe, a tiny island of waterfalls, crater lakes and hydrangeas, 2,000 kilometres from the mainland. There are 3,500 residents, no site visitors lights and a handful of guesthouses. It’s the wildest place in Portugal, and after the drive out from Lisbon it appears like the top of the world.
Don’t miss: the Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro, the place a dozen waterfalls drop into one lagoon, the seven crater lakes within the centre of the island and the boat journey to Corvo, the smallest island within the Azores.
Keep: Aldeia da Cuada, a restored stone village above the ocean, is the explanation many individuals come. In any other case, Resort das Flores in Santa Cruz is the snug choice.
Getting there: 1 hour 30 by air from Ponta Delgada or Terceira with SATA. Flights are weather-dependent, so depart a buffer day on the finish of your journey.
The way to plan a visit round one of the best locations to go to in Portugal
You can not see all 20 in a single journey, and you shouldn’t strive. As an alternative, decide one or two areas and provides every place at the least two nights. These 4 routes cowl one of the best of the checklist.
| Route | Days | Locations | Base | Fly into |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The basic first journey | 10 | Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Óbidos, Porto, Douro Valley | Lisbon, then Porto | Lisbon, out of Porto |
| The north | 6 | Porto, Douro Valley, Guimarães, Peneda-Gerês | Porto, then Pinhão | Porto |
| The south | 8 | Comporta, Évora, Marvão, Lagos, Benagil, Tavira | Comporta, Évora, Lagos | Lisbon, out of Faro |
| The islands | 9 | Madeira, São Miguel, Pico | Funchal, Furnas, Lajes do Pico | Funchal, then Ponta Delgada |
When to go
Could, June and September are the months to purpose for: heat, dry and earlier than or after the August crowds. The Algarve and the Alentejo are sizzling in July and August, so swim early and eat late. The north and the Azores, alternatively, are greener and wetter, and finest from June to September. Madeira is sweet all 12 months, and it’s the winter choice.
Getting round
Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and the Algarve are linked by snug trains, and Sintra and Cascais are suburban trains from Lisbon. Nevertheless, you’ll need a automotive for the Douro, Peneda-Gerês, the Alentejo, Comporta and the islands. Distances are quick, and the motorways are good, so a Portugal highway journey is among the best in Europe.
Finances
Portugal is one of the best worth in western Europe, particularly exterior Lisbon and the Algarve in August. For instance, anticipate to pay €120 to €200 an evening for a very good four-star, and €350 and up for the well-known resorts like Reid’s Palace and Six Senses. Our information to journey prices in Europe has the total breakdown.
What to eat
Eat regionally, as a result of each place on this checklist has a dish it does higher than anyplace else: francesinha in Porto, pastéis de nata in Lisbon, black pork within the Alentejo, grilled sardines on the coast, cozido within the Azores and espetada in Madeira. Above all, order the fish of the day and a bottle of vinho verde.
Incessantly requested questions on one of the best locations to go to in Portugal
What are one of the best locations to go to in Portugal for a primary journey?
Lisbon, Sintra and Porto, with the Douro Valley added when you’ve got greater than per week. In different phrases, the 2 cities first, then the countryside and the coast on a second go to.
What’s the most stunning place in Portugal?
For surroundings, the Douro Valley. For a metropolis, Porto. Alongside the coast, the cliffs between Lagos and Carvoeiro. In the event you can solely select one, select the Douro, as a result of nothing else in Europe appears to be like fairly prefer it.
What number of days do you’ll want to go to one of the best locations in Portugal?
On the whole, ten days covers Lisbon, Porto and one area between them. Two weeks enables you to add the Algarve or the Alentejo. The islands, nonetheless, every want their very own week.
When is one of the best time to go to Portugal?
Briefly, Could to June and September to October. Spring is finest for Lisbon and the Alentejo, summer season for the north and the Azores, and winter for Madeira and the large waves at Nazaré.
Are you able to go to one of the best locations in Portugal and not using a automotive?
Partly, sure. Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Óbidos, Coimbra, Porto, Guimarães and Lagos all work by practice or bus. You will have a automotive for the Douro, Peneda-Gerês, Comporta, the Alentejo, the central Algarve and the entire islands.
The place are one of the best locations to go to in Portugal for a honeymoon?
Comporta, the Douro Valley and Madeira. All three have the resorts, the surroundings and, equally, the tempo {that a} honeymoon wants. For extra concepts throughout the continent, see our most romantic areas in Europe.
Preserve exploring Portugal and Europe
As soon as these locations to go to in Portugal are ticked off, go deeper with our 8 locations you could go to in Portugal, Lisbon bucket checklist and south coast highway journey.
Past Portugal, the identical intuition for large sights and small locations runs by our 20 unimaginable locations to go to in Spain, 20 unimaginable locations to go to in Italy, 20 unimaginable locations to go to in France and the Europe bucket checklist. For sensible planning, Portugal’s official tourism web site has the most recent opening hours and occasions.
