Portugal’s Ten Best Sights
Roman villas, Moorish cities, vineyards and Knights Templar castles
Portugal is filled with exciting travel experiences, don't miss sites, hilltop castles, gardens and beautiful scenery, so it's hard to pick only 10 best places to visit
Lisbon’s Alfama can only be explored on foot. Take the tram to just below the gates of Castelo Sao Jorge and explore its ramparts for views of Lisbon. Then make your way down to the river through the winding streets of the old Moorish city, where you’re almost certain to pass a fado club.
Sintra has so many charming sights that it’s best to make a day of it (not Monday, when everything is closed). Visit the two royal palaces -- preposterous Pena Palace on its hilltop and the Palacio Nacional in the center of town. Then walk a short way to the marvelous hillside gardens at Palacio Regaleira, with their fanciful grottos and winding paths. Good cafes and restaurants are plentiful, as is shopping.
Obidos is a fairy tale town, surrounded by walls. Its castle sits at the far end, and the narrow streets are lined with old homes, little restaurants and a few shops selling local crafts. The castle is a pousada, part of Portugal’s national system of transforming historic buildings into inviting hotels.
Batalha is a wonderland in cut stone. The abbey was built by king Joao I in thanksgiving for the victory that freed Portugal from Spain, and no amount of effort was spared. See the royal tombs, the magnificent sacristy, the cloister and the astonishingly delicate unfinished chapels.
Evora is a city completely surrounded by nearly three miles of intact walls. Inside are beautiful churches decorated with Medieval and Gothic stone carving, frescoes and carved wood covered in gold from Brazil. Its most bizarre attraction is in the church of Sao Francisco – an entire chapel lined with human bones set in precise designs.
Tomar was the seat of the Knights Templar, and later of their successors, the Order of Christ. Their castle crowns the hilltop above the small town, which also has a fascinating old synagogue. On one wall of the Templar church is a fantastical window considered the archetypical example of Manueline decorative style, found only in Portugal.
Ponte de Lima was the historic gateway to the north. The long Roman and Medieval bridge still spans the river, which is lined by beautiful parks. One of these features different theme gardens each year, and another shows authentic gardens from each of the city’s historic periods. Pilgrims to Santiago de Compostella still pass through, as they did in Medieval times. The city is renowned for its restaurants and for lodgings in the ducal palace and manor houses that surround it.
Coinimbriga continues to emerge from the ground, an entire Roman city with homes, shops, a forum, theaters and luxurious villas. One villa’s gardens and intricate mosaic floors are almost completely intact and have been restored with fountains and plants.
The Douro Valley, home of port wines, cuts a vertiginous, winding route through northern Portugal. Steep terraced hillsides are covered in vines, and towns cling to the riverbank and mountainsides above. Frequent cruises show the river off, but a train line and roads also follow its scenic shores.
Moncao overlooks the Spanish border from a steep rocky crag, an entire walled city with a quintessential castle. Walk the castle walls at any time of day or night for long-ranging views and a sense of this town’s long history. A pousada is set in three old homes within the town walls.
