Top Portugal hotels
Belém Lisbon
326 Reviews This building has become the symbol of Lisbon. It was built in 1515 as a fortress to guard the entrance to Lisbon's harbour. Many of the voyage of discoveries journeys left from here. The tower is...
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Oporto Wine Porto
48 Reviews Porto is, of course, famous for its Port. Its success lies in it becoming a favourite tipple of the English elite during the heyday of the British Empire. The English moved in on Porto in large...
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Old Town Albufeira
12 Reviews The crazy construction that disfigured Algarve, has (thanks God!) spared the central area of old Albufeira. Now, cleaned and organized for touristy exhibition, the central Albufeira looks good, and,...
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Palácio da Pena - Pena Palace Sintra
58 Reviews This palace, painted with vivid colors, is one of Sintra’s main attractions. It’s located in the top of the hill and it has a dazzling sight over the coast, sea and the hill itself. There you can...
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Chapel of Bones Évora
28 Reviews Maybe it would be advisable for the most impressionable people not to visit this chapel - you will be submerged under thousands of bones, in a gloomy but also harmonious image. The bones are not...
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Slave Market Lagos
6 Reviews One of the darker periods in Lagos’ history is the time when in the 15th century the town sported a market at which slaves, imported from North Africa, were sold on a market. The first African slaves...
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Day trips: Sintra, Cascais, Estoril... Lisbon
102 Reviews I loved this short day trip to sintra!!it's a magical place with so many interesting sites that I believe an overnight stay wouldn t be a bad idea!!! quinta de regalais although not that old is a...
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Ribeira Porto
38 Reviews Ribeira means in Portuguese stream. This is the place where the city was born and developed due to trade in the little stream by the river Douro. The district was the scene of fights and sieges. When...
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Beaches Albufeira
23 Reviews At the touristy south coast of the Algarve, more or less, between Quinta do Lago and Sagres, the coast has this sandstone cliffs. They have colours ranging from yellow to red, depending on the amount...
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Castelo dos Mouros - Moorish Castle Sintra
47 Reviews Castelo dos Mouros (the Moorish Castle), perches on its hilltop, a silent sentinal above the town of Sintra. The Portugese of today waves from several of its crenelated towers along the walls. But...
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Churches Évora
17 Reviews UNESCO world heritage, this church is one of the best examples of Portuguese Renaissance style. In 1834 it was nationalized and transformed in military headquarters, accelerating its ruin. Some...
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Fortaleza da Ponta da Bandeira Lagos
6 Reviews This is my favorite point in Algarve. A long walk, or a short ride by car, and you are at a beautiful natural point, 5 Km from town. Naturism is still possible in Pinheirinhos, one of its secluded...
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Churches and monasteries Lisbon
260 Reviews We visited this beautiful building on Christmas day so it was all closed except for the wonderful church. The monastery is dedicated to Saint Jerome who was the patron saint of sailors. It was built...
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Churches/Cathedrals Porto
78 Reviews Reading in Lifecooler that... "Porto Cathedral is the cradle of the city, which has developed from here. It is a must-see monument, because of its artistic treasures. Built in the 12th century in...
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Waterparks Albufeira
6 Reviews This water shute I found frightening. It looks so simple. I watched for a while before I was tempted/persuaded to have a go. When you get to the top and its your turn to sit down with your legs...
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Palácio Nacional de Sintra - Sintra National Palace Sintra
69 Reviews In the centre of the city stands the most discreet of its public palaces, but the richer. Built from a Muslim palace, for several centuries it was suffering modifications and improvements. Its...
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Praça do Giraldo Main Square Évora
14 Reviews Wandering the streets of Evora after we had finished our daily "touristy things", we came upon the Praca de Giraldo, a quiet square in the middle of town with its fountain that was being enjoyed with...
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Dolphins Lagos
6 Reviews Take a trip on the Dolphin Safaris RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat), which leaves from the Lagos Harbour, when we went it cost about 35 euros each but well worth it,The trip last approx 45mins,Taking in...
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Castles and palaces Lisbon
161 Reviews Photo: Hilltop citadel - Lisbon's Castelo de São Jorge What is it about a group of seven hills that makes them a magnet for a city to take root there? Rome, Amman, Barcelona, San Francisco, Prague,...
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Boat tours Porto
13 Reviews Departing point for several cruises along the river, this quarter, close to Ribeira, is also being restored, and shows a clean face to the river. Well, in the back there is still much work to be...
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Zoo Marine Albufeira
6 Reviews Zoo Marine is a kind of seaworld/zoo on the Algarve coast,the main attraction being the Dolphin show which is shown several times a day everyday of the week,other attractions include a sea-lion...
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Quinta da Regaleira Sintra
34 Reviews "man of scientific spirit, very large culture and rare sensibility...", is what I read in the leaflet received at the entrance of the park, about the man who conceived the place. I can't follow him!...
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Cathedral Évora
19 Reviews Just beside the Roman temple, this cathedral built between the 12th and 13th century and where Romanesque melts with Gothic, its easy to visit and surely deserves it. From the 14th to the 18th...
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Statues Lagos
11 Reviews Built against a section of the city wall overlooking the square where you'll find the statue of Henry the Navigator, this house was built in 1728. It was refurbished in 1737, the date on the facade...
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Grand structures and architecture Lisbon
240 Reviews Photo: Stark reminder - Convento do Carmo The Elevador de Santa Justa will take you straight up (and I mean straight up - it's a vertical lift) to the higher reaches of Chiado. The lift's exit brings...
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Celebrated as the cradle of the Portuguese nation, Guimaraes played an important role in many of the events that led to the country's independence and witnessed the birth of Afonso Henriques I. When he proclaimed himself Portugal's first king in 1139, he chose Guimaraes as his capital, and the distinctive outline of its proud castle appears on the Portuguese coat of arms. It was elevated to city status by Queen Maria II in 1853.
The Alentejo Province is a region of wide plains to the south of the Tagus River (Rio Tejo). In the heart of this region, at a distance of 130 km from Lisbon, lies the city of Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Part of the town is enclosed by ancient walls and has been preserved in its original state, aswell as its monuments dating from various historical periods. It was known by the Romans as Liberalitas Julia, and vestiges from this period (walls and rooms) and the monumental imperial temple (Diana's temple), still remain. During the barbarian invasions, Evora was under Visigoth rule. It occupied a space defined by a Roman enclosure that had been modified. In 715, the city was conquered by the Muslims
a UNESCO Heritage Site:a masterpiece of Manueline and gothic architecture in 1502, which was inspired by Vasco da Gama who is buried here with other great navigators of the past. Get onto the Website,what more can i say ;-)))== In all, there are ten representations in the Monastery and although they were made by different artists, in various materials and at different times, they were conceived with the same end - to remember and glorify the baby Jesus.
Although a small country, Portugal surprises for the strength of its contrasts, and variety of interesting attractions. The southern coast seems a separated country, with a Mediterranean look and weather.Extensively used by tourism, most of its traditions faded in the coast, and can only be seen now inland. But the wide white sandy beaches are there, and, day and night, ALgarve is a paradise for sun seekers, and, together with Lisbon and Madeira one of the Portuguese top destinations.
Its impossible to drive across the country in summer, without stumbling in one (or more) popular feast. You will see the "arraial" - paper flags all over the area - hear the noise and feel the confusion of cars. That's the place.The Portuguese venerate hundreds of saints, and each town or village chooses some of them to celebrate in summer. What is all about?Well, the priest celebrates a mass, if the saint is important there will be a procession, and afterwards the people meets in the "arraial" listening to some (bad) popular music, eating occasional "petiscos" talking and laughing. So... why not? Do you want a better opportunity to meet local people and make friends?
The Lisbon Cathedral, commonly called the Sé, is the oldest church in Lisbon, and is the church of the Roman Catholic Archdioces of Lisbon. In 1147, the Moors were expelled from Lisbon by King Alfonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal. In that same year, he demolished the city's main Moorish mosque and ordered that a cathedral be built on the site. Construction started in 1147 and was completed sometime in the early 1200s. Although originally designed in the Romanesque style of architecture, the cathedral was modified several times over the centuries and repaired after earthquakes, so it now has a mixture of architectural styles.The Lisbon Cathedral has a fortress-like façade because it would be more than a century before the Moors were finally banished from the country, and they still represented a threat to Lisbon when it was built.In the thirteenth century, King Dinis I of...
Formerly called the Royal Palace, the National Palace of Sintra is one of the best-preserved royal palaces in Portugal. Its unique cone-shaped chimneys have come to symbolize Sintra, and can be seen on everything from T-shirts to azulejo tiles.The palace was built on a site originally occupied by the residence of the Moorish rulers of the region. After King Alfonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, expelled the Moors in the twelfth century, he used the Moorish building as his residence.Eventually all the Moorish buildings in Sintra were demolished. Much of today's palace was constructed during a building program initiated by King João in 1415. The parts of the building that surround the central courtyard date from this period, as do the Sala dos Árabes, a room with a marble fountain and fifteenth-century Moorish tiles; the Sala dos Cisnes, an enormous reception hall with swans...
The village of Sintra is located in the Sintra Mountains 17 miles (28 kilometers) from Lisbon. It is near the Atlantic coast, where warm southerly winds clash with moist westerlies, causing a microclimate which is cooler and wetter than in the surrounding countryside. Its pleasant climate made it a favorite summer retreat for Portugal's royal family and nobility. The Moors were the first to settle in the Sintra area in the eighth and ninth centuries. They built a castle and defensive walls, now called the Castle of the Moors, on a hillside overlooking the site of the future town. The town of Sintra itself was probably first settled in the eleventh century. After the reconquest in the twelfth century, Portuguese kings and aristocrats built palaces, villas, and churches in and around the town. It is these buildings that make Sintra a popular destination for day trips out of Lisbon....
The Jerónimos Monastery is a monument dedicated to Vasco da Gama's discovery of a trade route to India in 1498 and his safe return to Portugal. It was constructed mainly in the Manueline style of architecture, and is the best example of that style of architecture in Portugal. The monastery was built on the site formerly occupied by a hermitage constructed by Henry the Navigator in about 1450. Construction of the present building was ordered by King Manuel I, and lasted from 1502 to 1580. The project was funded by a five-percent tax levied on all precious stones and spices flowing into the country from Africa and the East Indies.Although the initial architect, Diogo de Boitaca, designed the building in the Manueline style, subsequent architects employed over the decades of construction built parts of the monastery with themes in the Plateresco, Renaissance, and Classical styles. Interior...
The Belém Tower sits on the banks of the Tagus River, and marks the spot from which Vasco da Gama and other explorers set off on their voyages of discovery. The tower commemorates the expedition of Vasco da Gama, and was dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa, the patron saint of Lisbon.The tower was commissioned by King João II to complement a defensive system at the mouth of the Tagus River that included fortresses at Cascais and Caparica. It was also to serve as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. The 100-foot (30-meter), four-story tower was designed by military architect Francisco de Arruda in the uniquely Portuguese Manueline style of architecture (named after King Manuel I). Construction began an 1515 and was completed in 1521. In 1845, the tower was restored by Queen Maria II. At that time, neo-Manueline elements were added, including the battlements and rampart walkway. The Belém...
Lapa Palace Lisbon
4 Reviews and 206 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 303 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 219 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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