Portugal is the southwestern country on the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with Spain. Portugal is about twice the size of the Netherlands. Capital Lisbon and Porto, the country’s second city, are popular city break destinations. Most tourists who travel to Portugal settle in the Algarve. This coastal area on the south coast of Portugal is the sun destination of the country. In addition, you also see quite a lot of city trips to Portugal being booked. Lisbon and Porto are by far the most popular destinations. A trend that is continuing is the increase in the number of tours through Portugal. This is mainly done by people who have been to Portugal before and now want to see more of this country. Check topmbadirectory for how to get to Portugal.
Top 10 places of interest in Portugal
#1. Lisbon
The capital of Portugal is located on the Tagus River. This large and fairly densely populated city has quite a few attractions. Lisbon counts many museums such as the art museum Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, the national museum of tiles Museu Nacional do Azulejo and the largest museum of contemporary modern art in Portugal Museu Colecção Berardo. There is plenty in terms of historic buildings. You have numerous churches, monasteries and palaces. Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in the Belém district is a monastery that is one of the prominent buildings of the city. The Baixa district is known for its Rossio square and the Bairro Alto district for its restaurants and nightlife. The Bairro Alto district is thirty meters higher and can be reached from the center by means of an elevator ‘Elevador de Santa Justa’ designed by Gustave Eiffel. Check simplyyellowpages for mass media and culture of Portugal.
#2. Sintra
Picturesque Sintra has a wealth of historic buildings and palaces to offer. The Castelo dos Mouros from the 7th century, the Palácio de Queluz, a church from the 13th century and the huge Palácio Nacional de Sintra which is located in the middle of the historic center. But the most beautiful and romantic palace is located on the tops of the rocky Serra de Sintra. This is the imposing ‘Palácio da Pena’ from 1839. Especially the striking colors will be permanently burned on your retina. Because the distance from Lisbon to Sintra is only about 35 kilometers, many tourists combine a city trip to Lisbon with a visit to Sintra.More information about Sintra
#3. Praia da Marinha
The most beautiful beach in Portugal – Praia da Marinha – is located in the Algarve near Lagoa. This special stretch of beach is featured on most brochures and other promotional materials for Portugal. Surrounded by rock formations and cliffs is a stretch of beach with the most beautiful clear water of this coast. It is quite a climb down via dozens of steps, but then you are in a special location.
#4. Porto
The port city of Porto is known worldwide for its production of delicious Port wines. Via the neighboring district of Vila Nova de Gaia, this wine leaves Portugal to travel the world. But Porto certainly has more to offer. For example, there is a very famous and historic bookstore called Livraria Lello & Irmão in the center. Once inside you don’t know what you see. Sé Cathedral and the very special concert hall Casa de Música should not be missed in Portugal’s sights. The old Ribeira district takes you back in time with its colored facades.
#5. Behind-the-hills
In the northeast of Portugal it is a bit rougher and more mountainous than in the rest of Portugal. There are two beautiful nature parks in the town of Trás-os-Montes; Montesinho Natural Park and Douro Internacional. In the 70,000-hectare Parque Natural de Montesinho, you can see Iberian wolves, wild boars, granite mountain slopes and chestnut groves, among other things. There are also many castles to visit in this region.
#6. reservoir
The seaside resort of Albufeira is well known among the many tourists that Portugal attracts every year. Especially the famous entertainment area on ‘The Strip’ attracts many visitors and the marina that provides a lot of fun. The beaches at Praia dos Pescadores, Praia do Tunel and Fisherman’s beach make for a wonderful day at the sea. Not far from Albufeira is the Paderne castle with remaining ramparts.
#7. Lisbon coast
The coastline of Lisbon has the name ‘Costa de Lisboa’. The rocky coast with beautiful sandy beaches is perfect for a day at the beach. Fashionable seaside resorts on this beautiful coast, such as the fashionable Cascais, provide a unique atmosphere. The location near Lisbon ensures that you can combine a beach holiday with a city trip. In terms of temperature, the Costa de Lisboa is slightly milder in the summer than the more southerly Algarve region.
#8. Serra da Estrela
The Serra da Estrella is the largest mountain range and natural park in Portugal. This mountain range was formed about 300 million years ago. An attempt has been made in the nature reserve to bring together as much culture, nature and landscape as possible. Many cattle are walking around unattended. This is possible because wolves are almost non-existent. The approximately 40,000 people living in this area mainly live on sheep farming, dog breeding of the ‘Estrela mountain dog’ and tourism.
#9. Madeira
The Portuguese island of Madeira is located in the Mediterranean Sea about 1000 kilometers from the coast of Portugal. Due to its beautiful natural surroundings, the island is especially popular with hikers and nature lovers. This “flower island” has little beach, so it is not too touristy. The capital of the island is Funchal which has a number of attractions. There are a number of botanical gardens, tropical gardens, a cable car to Monte, a palace and a cathedral. Hikers should definitely walk towards Rabacal to see 25 springs coming down as a waterfall. In the north of Madeira you will find more traditional villages with a lot of cultural heritage.
#10. Azores
The Azores are formed of nine islands, which, like Madeira, belong to Portugal. On the island of São Miguel is the largest city, Ponta Delgada. This city has a pleasant boulevard, shopping center Parque Atlantico, harbour, church São Sebastiao and a fortress. Furnas is located on this same island. Many hot springs can be found here. The highest mountain in the Azores and even Portugal can be found on the island of Pico. This is the 2351 meter high Pico Alto, which means highest mountain. Because all islands have their own characters, it is recommended to go island hopping. This way you get a good idea of what the Azores have to offer.
