On the northern cusp of the Serra da Estrela mountain range, Guarda is built around a medieval castle. There are remnants of these walls and two towers in Guarda, as well as a Jewish quarter where Hebrew inscriptions have lasted since the 1100s. The dominant Gothic cathedral is the star attraction and allows you to …
An hour north of Lisbon, Leiria is a university town down the slope from its medieval castle. Kings John I and Denis I lived here and turned it from a tough fortress into a luxurious palace. King John also made his mark close by at the Batalha Monastery, a UNESCO site and vital piece of …
The capital of the Azores is on the south coast of São Miguel, aptly nicknamed the “Green Island”. There’s plenty to get up to on the city, at postcard monuments, cute old churches, a 16th-century fort and a museum documenting the Azores’ intriguing natural history. At the harbour you can embark on a mini-expedition to …
A town built in one go after the infamous earthquake of 1755, Vila Real de Santo António is a wonder of 18th-century urban planning. It was founded by a royal decree, and has a “rational” style, with a precise matrix of streets centring on a noble square. The reason this location needed a town is …
The capital of Madeira is on the south coast of the main island, decking the slopes of the Central Massif as they curve down to the ocean. In Funchal you’ll see the abundant plant life sustained by volcanic soil and an eternal spring climate, and there are three lush, colourful gardens to de-stress in. …
To the northeast of Porto, Rio Tinto is a parish connected to the city via the Porto Metro (Orange Line). Close by there are traditional churches, speciality museums, a zoo and a gorgeous park on the ruins of an old quinta. In Porto’s eastern and northern suburbs you’ll find cool things that most tourists miss, …
The capital of the Algarve is a versatile city that will attract people for different reasons. As a coastal town it’s easy to indulge in the eternal joys of sunshine, beaches, bars and great seafood. But there’s also a rare natural environment just offshore, a lagoon with a maze of waterways between islands. The Ria …
On a scenic bay at the mouth of the Sado River, Setúbal is a working city that built its fortune on the fishing industry in the 20th century. Tourism has since taken over, and although the city receives a lot of Portuguese visitors not many overseas tourists make it here. This may soon change when …
On the shore of a lagoon, Aveiro is a maritime city with water in its soul. The cityscape is crisscrossed by canals that you can navigate on painted gondola-style boats known as moliceiros. And on the quaysides in the older part of the city are charming Art Nouveau houses in pastel shades. The big attraction …
A frontier town of Castelo Branco was founded at the base of a Templar castle in the 13th century. War was a way of life for hundreds of years and the town was attacked repeatedly in the 17th and 18th centuries. Castelo Branco was the seat of a diocese, and the bishops’ palace and garden …