Must See

The Algarve

The Sandy Algarve runs from Faro to the Spanish frontier, with endless expanses of sandy beach, dunes and pine-groves. This area has seen less tourism development than the western half (the Rocky Algarve), which runs from Cabo Sao Vicente to Vale do Lobo (just west of Faro). This is the better known and scenically more striking of the areas, and is famous for its sheltered beaches of fine sand, its picturesque golden-yellow cliffs, slashed by caves and crevices, its deep blue sky and its emerald-green water.

Alto Douro

The district of Alto Douro has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of the centuries of viticulture that have produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty. It is from this region that port wines are made.

Batalha

The tiny little town of Batalha, in the Lena valley between Lisbon and Coimbra, is home to an internationally famous Dominican abbey: the Santa Maria da Vitória na Batalha (Monastery of Batalha). The abbey was built to commemorate the victory of King Joao I over a Castilian army in 1385. It is one of the best and original examples of Late Gothic architecture in Portugal, intermingled with the Manueline style, and offers the visitor a of profusion of gables, spires, pinnacles and buttresses.

Nearby is the Cistercian gothic Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça (Monastery of Alcobaça), which was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I.

Cabo da Roca

Cabo da Roca is the most westerly point in Europe - a visitor's certificate is offered to those who make it there. The view from the lighthouse situated on the granite headland is not to be missed.

Coa Valley

Situated in northeastern Portugal, the Côa Valley is the site of ancient rock carvings from the Upper Palaeolithic period (22,000-10,000 BC). Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1998, the Archaeological Park is thought to be the most outstanding example of early human artistic activity in this form anywhere in the world. Unlike other Palaeolithic art (such as Lascaux), the carvings may be found outside the caves, on rocks in plain sight.

Coimbra

The old University town of Coimbra lies halfway between Lisbon and Oporto in the hilly country of Beira Litoral. It is built on the right bank of the Rio Mondego, on the edges of the chalk hills of the Serra de Lorvao. The city, which was the capital of Portugal from 1139 to about 1260, has some archaeological remains of ruins dating from the time it was a Roman town called Aeminium. The university is one of the oldest in Europe (founded in 1290) and due to its monumental buildings and history attracts tourists from around the world.

Other highlights include the 12th century Old Cathedral (Se Velha); the 17th century New Cathedral (Se Nova); the Machado de Castro Museum (one of the most important art museums in Portugal), housed in the former Palace of the Bishops; and the gothic church and final resting place of Portugal's first king (Santa Cruz Monastery).

Estoril

Once a modest fishing village on the Costa do Sol, Estoril is now a popular resort town, swamped by day trippers from nearby Lisbon during the peak holiday season. Its radioactive hot springs (33°C/91°F), containing carbonic acid, are recommended for the treatment of rheumatism and diseases of the joints. Visitors may also want to tee off at Quinta de Marinha, one of the country's oldest golf clubs, or attend a car or motorcycle race at the world famous Estoril racetrack. The Portuguese Formula 1 Grand Prix is held here every autumn.

Evora

With its walls of the Roman, Moorish and later periods, still largely preserved, and its narrow lanes lined with arcades, Évora's townscape has earned it the name "cidade museu" or museum city. The town reached its golden age in the 15th century, when it became the residence of the Portuguese kings. Its monuments had a profound influence on Portuguese architecture in Brazil.

Some of the major highlights include:

• Aqueduct of Silver Water (Agua de Prata Aqueduct)
  With its huge arches stretching for 9 km, this 16th century aqueduct was built to supply the city with water. The end part of the aqueduct features houses, shops and cafés built between its arches.
• Cathedral
  Mainly built between 1280 and 1340, this is one of the most important gothic monuments of Portugal. It has a notable main portal with statues of the Apostles (around 1335) and a beautiful nave and cloister.
• Roman Temple
  Also known as the Diana Temple, this 1st century-temple was probably actually dedicated to the Cult of Emperor Augustus. During the Middle Ages it was converted into a fortress, and later served for many years as a slaughterhouse, a use which ultimately saved it from demolition. It has now become the city's most famous landmark. The base of the temple, the capitals and the architraves are made of marble from nearby Estremoz.
• Saint Francis Church (Igreja de São Francisco)
  Built between the end of the 15th and the early 16th, this former convent church is perhaps the finest example of Manueline architecture in southern Portugal. The wide nave is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. It contains a number of chapels decorated in Baroque style, including the Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos), which is totally covered with human bones.
• Giraldo Square (Praça do Geraldo)
  Situated at the centre of the city, this picturesque square was once a place of execution where up to 22,000 victims of the Inquisition went to the stake. In 1483 Ferdinando II , Duke of Braganza was also decapitated on this square, in the presence of his brother-in-law king John II. The Renaissance fountain (fonte Henriquina) dates from 1570. Its eight jets symbolise the eight streets leading into the square. On the north side of the square is the collegiate church of Santo Antao (St Anton's church), built in 1557 by the archbishop who later became King Henrique II.
• Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval
  This palace, with its 17th-century façade, is constituted in part by an old castle burnt in 1384; it is dominated by a tower called Tower of the Five Shields. It was the palace of the governor of Évora, but also served as royal residence from time to time. The first-floor rooms houses a collection of family portraits, manuscripts and religious art from the 16th century.
• Largo das Portas de Moura
  The Largo das Portas de Moura owes much of its picturesque, quaint character to the Renaissance fountain (1556) in its centre, with a globe looming over its marble basin as the symbol of the the Age of Discovery. On the south side of the square stands an elegant 16th century palace (Casa Cordovil), in Moorish and Manueline style, catching the eye with its loggia and four graceful pillars.

Fatima

This city, situated 123 km north of Lisbon is famous for the religious visions that took place there in 1917, when the Virgin Mary appeared to a group of children. Every year it attracts thousands of believers from far and wide to ask forgiveness for their sins or pray for a cure. Visitors may experience the torchlight processions held on 13 May and 13 October.

Guimaraes

Guimaraes, in northwestern Portugal, was the birthplace of Afonso I of Portugal, the first Portuguese king and is often referred to as the 'birthplace of the Portuguese nationality'. Its well preserved old town and profusion of art treasures and historic monuments make it a worthwhile destination for the traveller. Town life revolves around the Praça Toural, lined with shops, banks and houses and the beginning of the town's main shopping street (Rua de S. António), although tourists will be drawn more towards the picturesque old town, with its imposing granite houses.

This exceptionally well-preserved example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town boasts a fine 10th century castle (one of the most complete and best preserved medieval strongholds in Portugal); the collegiate church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira (in Largo da Oliveira); and the former palace of the Dukes of Bragança, a magnificent Gothic residence built by Afonso, first Duke of Bragança and completed 1442. It was extensively restored and rebuilt in 1933, and became the official residence of the president in northern Portugal. Its fine interior, with 16th-18th century Flemish tapestries, furniture and valuable porcelain, is open to the public.

Lisbon

This likeable capital on the west coast of the country is a relaxed port, overlooked by a ruined castled. Whitewashed, cobbled streets form a labyrinth upon a hill, populated by fantastic architecture, and Art Nouveau shops and cafes. A statue of Christ stands by the river, arms out-stretched, surveying the grand suspension bridge and river ferries.

Visitors can enjoy some sweeping vistas of the city and the River Tagus (Tio Tejo) estuary on a walk around the hilly capital. At the top of the highest of the seven hills surrounding the city is the magnificent 12th-century Castle of St George (São Jorge), one of the main historical and tourist sites of the city.

Other monuments include:

• Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) with the beautiful façade of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha nearby
• Elevador de Santa Justa, a lift built around 1900 in Gothic revival style to connect the downtown streets with the uphill Carmo Square
• the 16th century Belém Tower (Torré de Belém), whose defensive, yet elegant construction has become one of the symbols of the city
• the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (Jerónimos Monastery), the Manueline complex that houses the tomb of Vasco da Gama

The city is also home to some excellent museums, such as:

• Lisbon Oceanarium - one of the largest aquariums in the world
• Museu Calouste Gulbenkian - containing varied collections of ancient and modern art
• Museu da Farmácia - Pharmacy Museum
• Museu do Design at Centro Cultural de Belém - Design Museum
• Museu dos Azulejos - Museum of Portuguese-style Tile Mosaics
• Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga - National Museum of Ancient Art
• Museu Nacional do Traje e da Moda - National Museum of Costume and Fashion
• Museu Nacional dos Coches - National Coach Museum, containing one of the largest collections of royal coaches in the world

Visitors may fall under the spell of the melancholy Fado music, Portugal's best-known traditional musical form, at the atmospheric bars and clubs of Lisbon's Bairro Alto (Upper Town) or Alfama neighbourhoods.

Mira de Aire

The area of Mira de Aire is known for caving. Near the town, a flight of steps leads down into an underground system, the Grutas de Mira (or Grutas dos Moinhos Velhos); the return is by elevator.

Peneda-Geres

Peneda-Geres, Portugal's only national park, comprises of 70,000 hectares (170,000 acres) of mountainous countryside near the Spanish border. The park includes expanses of completely unspoiled country with magnificent mountain and forest scenery and beautiful artificial lakes. The wildlife includes deer, wild boar, hares, wild horses, partridges, snakes, lizards and even golden eagles and wolves.

Porto (Oporto)

At the mouth of the Douro River, this atmospheric city of tangled tiers reaching up from the river's north bank has more to offer than simply its port-producing suburb of Vila Nova de Gaia. Spectacular bridges span the wide river, contemporary art is on display at the Fundacao de Serralves, and the old town bustles beside its riverbanks.

The old core of the city is now UNESCO World Heritage listed, with its Romanesque-gothic Cathedral, the vibrant Cais da Ribeira (old waterfront) and the baroque Clérigos tower.

Visitor may experience the country's best port wine tasting in the port houses of Porto or its suburb, Gaia.

Sintra

The small city of Sintra is located between Lisbon and the Atlantic on a promontory of land between two gorges. The beauty of the scenery, combined with the equable climate, the nearness of the sea and the magnificent subtropical vegetation, made it an early choice as the summer seat of the Portuguese royal family. This  World Heritage Site is one of the loveliest spots in the Iberian peninsula, wholly justifying Lord Byron's description of it as "glorious Eden".

Immediately above the town, on its steep rocky mount, stands the Moorish castle captured from the Arabs by Afonso Henriques in 1147, and then, higher up, the Castelo da Pena, nicknamed the 'fairy tale castle'. Probably the finest views of the Serra de Sintra are to be had from the walk along the top of the walls, the Galeria, and from the dome (external staircase).

Tavira

Tavira is considered to be the most architecturally attractive town in the Algarve, and is situated 30 km east of Faro, on the south coast of the country. Constructed on the banks of the River Gilhao, this picture-postcard settlement boasts a seven-arched Roman bridge, an arcaded town hall, an island beach and old fortifications.

Tomar

Tomar is situated just north of the lower Tagus on its tributary, the Nabao, in central Portugal. It was founded as head-quarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal in the 12th century and contains some of the most significant Templar monuments in Europe.

Some of the most significant monuments include:

• Castle and Convent of the Order of Christ (Convento da Ordem de Cristo)
  In the 12th century, in order to defend the line of the Tagus, the Knights Templar built a castle high above the right bank of the Nabao, and some of this castle's walls, its keep and the round Templar church are still part of the complex. This magnificent ensemble of 12th to 16th century-architecture and art is the main monument of the city and one of the most important in Portugal.
• Church of Saint John the Baptist (São João Baptista)
  The main church of Tomar is located in the main square of the town, and was built between the 15th and 16th centuries. It has many interesting artistic details, such as the Manueline tower with a 16th century clock, the flamboyant Gothic portal, several panels painted in the 1530s by Gregório Lopes, and the decorated capitals of the inner columns of the nave.
• Church of Santa Maria do Olival
  This Gothic church (13th century) was built as burial ground for the Templar Knights.
• Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception (Nossa Senhora da Conceição)
  This chapel was built between 1532 and 1540 in pure Renaissance style, and was intended to be the burial chapel of King John III. Its beautiful architecture has made it one of the best early Renaissance buildings in Portugal.
• Synagogue of Tomar
  This 15th century synagogue is the best preserved mediaeval synagogue of Portugal. It has an interesting interior with Gothic vaulting and columns with classic capitals. It also houses a small Jewish Museum, with interesting pieces related to Jewish history in Portugal.