Find places in Portugal

Must-Haves

• Castelo de São Jorge (Alfama)
  Moorish hilltop castle with the widest views over the city and the river.
• Belém Tower (Belém)
  The riverside fortress that sent explorers off to sea, a symbol of the Age of Discovery.
• Miradouro da Senhora do Monte (Graça)
  The highest viewpoint in the old city, lovely at sunset.

Fun for Everyone

• Tram 28 (Martim Moniz)
  The classic yellow tram rattling through Graça, Alfama and Estrela, best early in the morning.

Great for Date Night

• Miradouro de Santa Luzia (Alfama)
  Tiled terrace and bougainvillea over Alfama rooftops and the Tagus.

Must-Haves

• Jerónimos Monastery (Belém)
  A masterpiece of Manueline stonework and the tomb of Vasco da Gama.
• Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (Avenidas Novas)
  A superb private art collection set in calm modernist gardens.
• National Tile Museum (Xabregas)
  Five centuries of azulejos in a former convent with a gilded chapel.
• MAAT Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (Belém)
  Striking wave shaped riverside museum with a walkable roof.

Great for Date Night

• Clube de Fado (Alfama)
  An intimate fado house for dinner and a full night of traditional song.

Must-Haves

• Pastéis de Belém (Belém)
  The original custard tart bakery, warm from the oven with cinnamon on top.

Low Cost and Authentic

• A Brasileira (Chiado)
  A historic Art Nouveau café where Lisboetas take a quick bica at the counter.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fábrica da Nata (Baixa)
  Freshly baked natas in a bright café just off Restauradores.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Zé da Mouraria (Mouraria)
  A lunchtime tasca famous for huge plates of honest Portuguese cooking.

Must-Haves

• Cervejaria Ramiro (Intendente)
  A loud, beloved seafood hall for garlic prawns, clams and a steak sandwich to finish.

Great for Date Night

• Tasca da Esquina (Campo de Ourique)
  Modern takes on Portuguese petiscos in a relaxed neighbourhood corner.

Fun for Everyone

• Time Out Market Lisboa (Cais do Sodré)
  Dozens of the city's chefs under one roof, easy for groups with different tastes.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado de Campo de Ourique (Campo de Ourique)
  A local market hall with food stalls where Lisboetas actually eat.

Off the Beaten Path

• Feira da Ladra (São Vicente)
  The Tuesday and Saturday flea market behind São Vicente, full of tiles, records and curios.

Must-Haves

• LX Factory (Alcântara)
  A former textile complex turned into bookshops, studios, cafés and Sunday markets.

Great for Date Night

• Park Bar (Bairro Alto)
  A rooftop bar on top of a car park with sunset views over the river.

Fun for Everyone

• Pink Street (Cais do Sodré)
  The lively pink painted street of late night bars near the river.

Must-Haves

• A Tasca do Chico (Bairro Alto)
  Small, crowded and real, with fado vadio sung by locals on many nights.

Fun for Everyone

• Lisbon Oceanarium (Parque das Nações)
  One of Europe's largest aquariums, great for children and rainy days.

Off the Beaten Path

• Monsanto Forest Park (Monsanto)
  A huge wooded park on the city's edge with trails and quiet viewpoints.

Must-Haves

• Santo António Festival (Alfama and Mouraria)
  June street parties with grilled sardines, garlands and music in every old quarter.

Great for Date Night

• Memmo Alfama (Alfama)
  A boutique hotel with a small pool terrace looking over the rooftops to the river.

Must-Haves

• Ribeira (Ribeira)
  The UNESCO riverfront of coloured houses and terraces below the Dom Luís I bridge.
• Dom Luís I Bridge (Ribeira)
  Walk the top deck between Porto and Gaia for the city's most famous view.
• Clérigos Tower (Baixa)
  Climb the baroque tower for views over the rooftops.

Off the Beaten Path

• Foz do Douro (Foz)
  Walk or take the old tram 1 along the river to where it meets the Atlantic.

Fun for Everyone

• Six Bridges river cruise (Ribeira)
  A short rabelo style boat trip under all of Porto's bridges.

Must-Haves

• Livraria Lello (Baixa)
  The ornate neo-Gothic bookshop with its red staircase, book a timed ticket.
• São Bento Station (Baixa)
  A working station with a hall covered in twenty thousand blue and white tiles.
• Serralves Foundation (Boavista)
  Contemporary art museum in vast gardens with a treetop walkway.

Off the Beaten Path

• Casa da Música (Boavista)
  Rem Koolhaas's concert hall, with tours by day and music by night.

Must-Haves

• Graham's Port Lodge (Vila Nova de Gaia)
  A port cellar tour and tasting with a terrace high above the river.

Great for Date Night

• Taylor's Port (Vila Nova de Gaia)
  Old cellars and a peaceful garden for a slow port tasting.

Fun for Everyone

• Galerias de Paris street (Baixa)
  The busiest bar street in the centre, lively late on weekends.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Casa Guedes (Baixa)
  The classic roast pork sandwich, best with serra cheese on top.

Must-Haves

• Café Santiago (Baixa)
  A great place to try a proper francesinha, the city's famous sauced sandwich.

Great for Date Night

• Cantinho do Avillez Porto (Baixa)
  Relaxed modern Portuguese cooking from a well known chef.

Off the Beaten Path

• Matosinhos fish grills (Matosinhos)
  A whole street of grills cooking the day's catch over charcoal.

Must-Haves

• Majestic Café (Santa Catarina)
  Belle Époque mirrors and carved wood on Porto's main shopping street.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Confeitaria do Bolhão (Baixa)
  An old style pastry shop for a quick coffee and sweet treat.

Must-Haves

• Mercado do Bolhão (Baixa)
  The restored historic market for fish, flowers, cheese and petiscos.

Fun for Everyone

• Jardins do Palácio de Cristal (Massarelos)
  Peacocks, shady paths and river views from the terraces.

Off the Beaten Path

• Parque da Cidade do Porto (Boavista)
  The country's largest urban park, running down to the ocean.

Must-Haves

• São João Festival (Citywide)
  The June night when the whole city parties, with grilled sardines, fireworks and plastic hammers.

Great for Date Night

• The Yeatman (Vila Nova de Gaia)
  A wine hotel on the Gaia hillside with a decanter shaped pool and city views.

Must-Haves

• Pena Palace (Sintra hills)
  The colourful romantic palace on a peak, book a timed slot and go early.
• Quinta da Regaleira (Sintra)
  Gardens of grottoes, tunnels and the famous initiation well.
• Moorish Castle (Sintra hills)
  Walls snaking across granite ridges with views to the ocean.

Off the Beaten Path

• Convent of the Capuchos (Sintra hills)
  A tiny cork lined friars' convent hidden in the forest.

Fun for Everyone

• Cascais seafront (Cascais)
  A short trip to the old fishing town with beaches, a promenade and Boca do Inferno.

Must-Haves

• National Palace of Sintra (Old town)
  The palace with twin white chimneys and some of the oldest tiles in Portugal.

Fun for Everyone

• Casa das Histórias Paula Rego (Cascais)
  Paula Rego's powerful paintings in a red tower building.

Off the Beaten Path

• Monserrate Palace and Gardens (Monserrate)
  A quieter palace in lush gardens with plants from around the world.
• Praia da Adraga (Almoçageme)
  A beautiful cliff framed beach with a simple fish restaurant.

Fun for Everyone

• Cabo da Roca (Colares)
  The westernmost point of mainland Europe, wild and windy above the Atlantic.
• Praia do Guincho (Cascais)
  A wild, windswept beach loved by surfers and kitesurfers.

Great for Date Night

• Azenhas do Mar (Colares)
  A white village tumbling down a cliff to an ocean pool, lovely at sunset.

Must-Haves

• Casa Piriquita (Old town)
  The place to try travesseiros and queijadas, Sintra's pastries.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Tascantiga (Old town)
  Small plates and local wine in a cosy old town tasca.

Great for Date Night

• Tivoli Palácio de Seteais (Seteais)
  An eighteenth century palace hotel with formal gardens.

Must-Haves

• Ponta da Piedade (Lagos)
  Golden sea stacks and arches, best seen by kayak or small boat.
• Benagil Cave (Lagoa)
  The famous sea cave with a hole in its roof, seen from boats only.
• Praia da Marinha (Lagoa)
  Cliffs, arches and clear water, with the Seven Hanging Valleys trail above.

Fun for Everyone

• Seven Hanging Valleys Trail (Lagoa)
  A clifftop walk past sinkholes and secret coves.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ria Formosa Natural Park (Olhão)
  Lagoons, islands and flamingos, reached by small ferry.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tavira (Tavira)
  A gracious old town of churches and a Roman style bridge, calmer than the west.
• Ilha de Tavira (Tavira)
  A long sandy island beach reached by a short ferry.
• Monchique and Fóia (Serra de Monchique)
  Cool mountain air, cork forests and the Algarve's highest viewpoint.
• Rota Vicentina Fishermen's Trail (Aljezur)
  A spectacular clifftop path along the wild west coast.

Fun for Everyone

• Sagres Fortress (Sagres)
  A windswept headland fort tied to Portugal's age of exploration.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado de Olhão (Olhão)
  Red brick market halls full of fish, fruit and local sweets.

Great for Date Night

• Vila Joya (Albufeira)
  A refined seaside restaurant for a special night out.

Fun for Everyone

• Lagos old town bars (Lagos)
  Friendly, buzzy bars spill onto the cobbles every summer evening.

Off the Beaten Path

• Silves Castle (Silves)
  A red sandstone Moorish castle above a quiet town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado de Loulé (Loulé)
  A Moorish style market hall with a busy Saturday market around it.

Great for Date Night

• Vila Vita Parc (Porches)
  A cliffside resort with gardens running down to the sea.

Fun for Everyone

• Lagos marina cafés (Lagos)
  Easy coffee and breakfast by the boats before a sea trip.

Must-Haves

• Funchal Old Town (Zona Velha)
  Painted doors, small bars and the market at the heart of the island capital.

Fun for Everyone

• Monte toboggan ride (Monte)
  Slide downhill in a wicker sledge steered by men in straw hats.
• Cabo Girão skywalk (Câmara de Lobos)
  A glass platform on one of Europe's highest sea cliffs.

Off the Beaten Path

• Santana traditional houses (Santana)
  Triangular thatched houses on the green north coast.
• Porto Santo day trip (Porto Santo)
  A ferry to the neighbouring island with a long golden beach.

Must-Haves

• Mercado dos Lavradores (Funchal)
  Tropical fruit, flowers and fish in a tiled Art Deco market.

Must-Haves

• Monte Palace Tropical Garden (Monte)
  A huge hillside garden of ponds, tiles and exotic plants.
• Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo (Central mountains)
  The island's classic high mountain hike, check trail status first.
• Levada do Caldeirão Verde (Santana)
  A water channel walk through laurel forest to a waterfall.

Fun for Everyone

• Levada das 25 Fontes (Rabaçal)
  A popular trail to a pool fed by dozens of springs.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fanal Forest (Porto Moniz)
  Ancient laurel trees in drifting mist, a magical short walk.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Taberna da Poncha (Serra de Água)
  Taste poncha, the island's honey and lemon drink, in a rustic bar.

Must-Haves

• Blandy's Wine Lodge (Funchal)
  Learn how Madeira wine is aged and taste a few styles.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Espetada in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos (Estreito)
  Beef skewers grilled over bay wood, a Madeira classic.

Must-Haves

• Madeira Flower Festival (Funchal)
  Spring parades and carpets of flowers through the city.

Fun for Everyone

• New Year fireworks in Funchal (Funchal)
  One of the world's great New Year firework displays over the bay.

Great for Date Night

• Belmond Reid's Palace (Funchal)
  The grand clifftop hotel famous for afternoon tea.

Must-Haves

• University of Coimbra and Joanina Library (Alta)
  One of Europe's oldest universities with a baroque library.

Off the Beaten Path

• Machado de Castro National Museum (Alta)
  Sculpture and a Roman cryptoportico under the museum.

Great for Date Night

• Fado ao Centro (Baixa)
  An evening of Coimbra fado, sung by men in student capes.

Fun for Everyone

• Portugal dos Pequenitos (Santa Clara)
  A miniature park of Portuguese buildings, great for children.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mosteiro de Santa Clara a Velha (Santa Clara)
  A Gothic monastery once flooded by the river.

Fun for Everyone

• Queima das Fitas (Citywide)
  The May student festival with parades and concerts.

Off the Beaten Path

• Buçaco Forest (Luso)
  An enchanted forest and palace hotel a short drive away.