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Day trips: Sintra, Cascais, Alcochete... Lisbon
55 Reviews If you ever come to Lisbon you must go to Sintra. It's an amazing place, far from all the city problems, where you can relax in its marvelous nature, stroll around the beautiful and historic city...
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Monserrate Sintra
4 Reviews This park was landscaped in the 18th century by a wealthy Englishman; William Beckford. Around half a century later, another rich Englishman; Francis Cook transformed the gardens and rebuilt a...
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Outside Walls Évora
17 Reviews This convent produces everything it needs for its monks. They don't go out. There are two distinct monasteries. This is the one inside the walls of the fortress. The monks that live here are in...
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Monuments and structures Lisbon
53 Reviews A large building now used for military purposes, is something I can't qualify. It seems a fort, but it is only a palace with a style that... style? Well, just have a look and make no questions,...
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Pena Park & Cruz Alta Point Sintra
3 Reviews Sintra has so many interesting points to visit, that most tourists visit the palace and skip the park. If you have time, don't do it. The park has a great botanical variety, and some views are...
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Street scenes Évora
4 Reviews Late in the afternoon, after we had done our touristy things in Evora, we took a walk, both for a "rest" from the day and also with an eye open for a good place to eat dinner. As we approached the...
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Little things to notice in Lisbon Lisbon
47 Reviews Lisbon's earthquake, in 1755 destroyed the original church, built in 1556. Ten years after the earthquake, Marquês de Pombal ordered the reconstruction, with a new architecture, according Pombal's...
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Quinta da Regaleira Sintra
3 Reviews This estate was built between 1904 and 1910. It was designed by Luigi Manini; an Italian architect, for a wealthy Brazilian merchant; Antònio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. Here you can visit a palace,...
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University buildings-General Évora
9 Reviews In Evora you will find the 2nd oldest university in Portugal,dating back to the year 1559. This university-buildings are next to the Mercade Municipal and the Franziscan church. We did not enter the...
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Out-of-the-way museums and sights Lisbon
37 Reviews One of the less visited museums in Lisbon (It is new, opened in 1996) this museum, in Belém area, shows several displays concerning energy producing. It was not difficult to gather a good display,...
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Cromeleques dos Almendres Évora
3 Reviews A few of those stones have details that go unnoticed by most people who visit the site. One of them has a flat surface full of holes of the same size -- perhaps used for some kind of game? One...
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Neighborhood sights Lisbon
30 Reviews If you enjoy exploring the areas outside the main tourist centers and historic districts, you could take a short trip out to see some of the largest street art I recall seeing. There are three...
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Bairro da Malagueira Évora
3 Reviews Made by the famous architect Alvaro Siza Veira, its has this arabish look. Go for a walk. Be careful cos some of the houses are habited by gipsies that some times could be not very friendly....
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Belém sightseeing Lisbon
12 Reviews If you make it to Belem make sure you pay a visit to the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. This stunning monastery is an example of Manueline style. Work commenced in 1502 but was not completed until towards...
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Medieval Paintings Évora
2 Reviews This is really a very nice ip that you'll thank me after. Nobody knows about this place. Ask in the Turism Office for more details or just go to the after of Eugenio de Almeida building (same building...
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Lisbon for kids Lisbon
6 Reviews Parents - Monsanto - Get the No.2 or 13 to Monsanto park and as well as a nice day you'll also find Alto de Serafina (or Indian Park) as it may be known. A grand childrens play area which you will be...
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Sao Bento's Hill Évora
4 Reviews Wonderful place where you can see a full view of this city. This place has some old wind mils. take the road to Malagueira and as soon as you get to the Municipal Swiming Pool garden turn left....
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Sports, entertainment, and culture Lisbon
13 Reviews There lies a 1000 hectare park in the hills in Lisbon called Monsanto. It is one of the only forested areas in the city. It is frequented by outdoor recreationalists. There is camp grounds available...
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Shopping Lisbon
9 Reviews This could be one of the best areas of Lisbon, but it is one of the worst. Not recommended at night, even during the day it may have problems, because of the ethnic and religious minorities that...
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On the water Lisbon
5 Reviews Lisbon’s answer to the Golden Gate Bridge is this, the Bridge of the 25th April or Ponte 25 de Abril to give it its Portuguese name. Dating to 1966, and constructed by the same company who built its...
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Take to the road: driving out of Lisbon Lisbon
5 Reviews Some 40kms south of Lisbon and a few kms west of Sesimbra is the remote, windswept Cabo Espichel and Santuario de Nossa Senhora do Cabo. Sheer cliffs drop away from the 17th century church (built with...
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The change of seasons on the hill top go from windy and cold to windy and hot. There is even times where the ice would come down sideways.The view from the top is awesome and you can see all the way back to Cascais and on a very clear day you can even see Sintra.
I would say that this is off the beaten track, because you have to book ahead. You also have to know about it in advance, because you wouldn't notice this estate by just passing by it. It's in a wooded and walled-in grounds. . .once you're inside it all begins to unfold for you ~ the guided tour takes two hours and covers the extensive gardens (with hidden fountains, statues and grottos), as well as the chapel and a Manueline-style house with turrets and towers. It's all quite fantastical and the guide tries hard to ensure that the connections to mythology and alchemy are clear for you. Initiation rites apparently took place in one of the secret passage in the grounds ~ it all makes for a super tour. Seek it out and book one if you plan to be in Sintra at all.
This small village, Piodão, near coimbra, is very very nice! It's not easy to get there, only by car, and the way is a bit confusing, but really rewarding!! beautifull landscapes in a green hills scenario! It's a very small village, perfect for a few relaxing days in a naturaly gorgeous place! keep checking cause i'll soon put up more stuff about it in the Coimbra travel page.
Finally, Fatima stands as one of the most important centers of pilgrimage in the Catholic world. Its 20th century neoclassical basilica faces a square said to be twice as big as St. Pete's in Rome. This is where, in May 1917, three young sheperds believed to have seen a series of miraculous visions, followed by a solar phenomenon witnessed by thousands in October of the same year. Two of the children died soon after these inexplicable events; the third, Lucia is (was) a Carmelite nun in Coimbra.
Mosteiro da Batalha was consecrated to Santa Maria da Victoria and King Joao I ordered the construction of this gothic masterpiece in gratitude for the victory over Juan I of Castile at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385.
Inside the Arcadia Real de Santa Maria, you will find Portugal's greatest medieval stonecarving depicting scriptural scenes. The delicate sculpture was damaged by French soldiers looking for treasure when they sacked Alcobaca during their 1811 retreat.
In you are in the town of Alcobaca, never to miss visiting the Abadia Real de Santa Maria, the former Cistercian Monastery. Abadia Real de Santa Maria was built to celebrate a victory - the 1147 battle in which Don Alfonso Henriques took over the town of Santarem from the Moors. The exterior of the church ha suffered centuries of architectural tinkering, but the overall effect is still harmonious. The transept of Abadia Real de Santa Maria is about 100 feet, are the tombs of Pedro I and his beloved Ines de Castro. The interior of unadorned limestone is very impressive. This is the biggest church in Portugal.
Up to the north of Lisbon, the town of OBIDOS remains in a circle of medieval walls. In this town, you can visit the IGREJA DE SANTA MARIA, the parish church with its blue 18th century azutejos, and the 16th century museum town hall set up by the Gulbenkian foundation.
In Cascais, the workday fishing scene attracts tourists who inspect the catch as it is unloaded from boats into wooden trays, and then rushed to the modern auction building. The fish is sold by a reverse auction, in which the price starts high and decreases until somebody shouts a bid. Also, shown here is the Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point of mainland Europe.
By train, from Lisbon to Cascais is only less than an hour ride. The town of Cascais is famous for its Pacos do Concelho (town hall) where the town hall has stately windows with iron railings and separated by panels of azutejos (balcony) depicting saints. Cascais is also known as the small town of fishermen and kings.
Lapa Palace Lisbon
4 Reviews and 205 Opinions Great weekend. Best hotel in Lisbon for gardens and outside pool 5* and so not cheap. Excellent...
Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa Porto
2 Reviews and 302 Opinions I have no words to explain how much I liked the place. I paid 50 euros for a double room and What a...
Hotel Calheta Beach Madeira Island
1 Review and 215 Opinions Calheta has a marvelous marina and have the only beach of yellow sand. It´s situated in the West...
Reviews and photos of Portugal attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Portugal sightseeing.
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Q: hi guys, was jus postin this for sum help n sum advice, wats the night life like in albefuria in april time, im on about goin on ...
A: You meant Albufeira; isn't it?
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