571 Best Sights in Portugal

Fun for children, this museum is a great introduction to Madeira for first-time visitors. It's not high tech, but a series of models, paintings, archival footage, and multimedia displays explain the history and culture of the island, from volcanic beginnings through the days of pirates to the flying boats that brought the first plane passengers to Funchal. There's a rooftop terrace with fine views over town—including the cable car that glides past—as well as a souvenir shop, café, and daily activities for kids.

One of the most beautiful old mansions on Marvila's main square has become a combination of artists' open studios and exhibition spaces. The rooms of the house serve as individual gallery spaces for Portuguese and international artists, and sometimes you can watch some of them at work.

Curving like a crescent moon the entire distance between Lagos and Alvor, Meia Praia is the largest beach in the area and one of the best centers for water sports. The golden sand extends for 4 km (2½ miles), and the water is calm and clear. You can walk to it from Lagos city center in less than five minutes by crossing the footbridge, but there's also a bus from the riverfront Avenida dos Descobrimentos and a summer-only ferry service a few hundred yards from Forte Ponta da Bandeira. A section is reserved for nudists. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers. Best for: nudists; solitude; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

In the tiny village of Guadalupe stands the Menhir of Almendres, an 8-foot-tall Neolithic stone obelisk believed to have been used in fertility rites. Several hundred yards away is the cromlech, 95 granite monoliths arranged in an oval in the middle of a large field on a hill. The monoliths face the sunrise and are believed to have been the social, religious, and political center of the agro-pastoral, seminomadic population. The site is also believed to be linked to astral observations and predictions, fertility rites, and the worship of the mother goddess.

The area around Monsaraz is dotted with megalithic monuments. This 18-foot-high menhir (standing stone), is one of the tallest ever discovered.

Every late July and/or early August, the Mercado Medieval enlivens the town over two long weekends. There's a parade of people in medieval costumes each day around the city walls. To buy some of the typical products of the region—ceramics, cheeses, hams, and flowers—exchange your euros for replica torreões (the first coins struck in Portugal). Battles and court scenes are dramatized daily, and music animates the market until midnight. As for a meal, consider a hunk of the wild boar roasted on a spit.

Vila Nogueira de Azeitão's agricultural traditions are trumpeted on the first Sunday of every month, when a country market is held near the center of town. Here you can buy wine, produce, clothing, kitchen goods, olive oil, and the renowned local queijo de Azeitão, a buttery sheep's cheese.

Silves' market, by far the liveliest in the morning, sits at the foot of town close to the medieval bridge. If you arrive at lunchtime, have a delicious meal of spicy grilled chicken or typical stews like cozido á Portuguesa from one of the cheap and cheerful restaurants. After lunch take a long stroll along the city's riverside walk.

One of your first stops on Porto Santo should be at the Portela viewpoint, which overlooks the harbor, the town, and the long ribbon of beach. Nearby is the hilltop Capela de Nossa Senhora da Graça, one of the oldest churches on the island, dating back to 1851.

Even higher than Miradouro Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, this viewpoint has, of course, spectacular views. There's no permanent café, but there are generally trucks serving coffee, adult beverages, and the occasional snacks.

Stop at this viewpoint at the Ponta da Espalamaca, a short drive northeast of the town of Horta, for spectacular views on a clear day not only of Horta itself but also of Monte da Guia, Praia do Almoxarife, and Mt. Pico. There’s a monument dedicated to Our Lady of Conception along with a 98-foot cross.

Also known as Miradouro do Adamastor due to a rock on the site with a sculpted image of the mythical giant from the seas in national poet Luís de Camões's epic The Lusiads, this hilltop spot boasts fine river views. Here bohemian young locals get together at sunset, drinking and smoking to the sounds of street musicians. It’s a place for chilling out, and if you want to enjoy a drink or a meal, there are several surrounding spots with outdoor seating.

Notable for its pretty terrace with blue-and-yellow azulejo tiles, the Miradouro de Santa Luzia has great views of the rooftops of Alfama and the boats along the Tagus River. Street musicians draw crowds with jazz and samba performances, and artists sell reasonably priced etchings of the scene. A pleasant kiosk serves coffee, cocktails, and snacks.

This scenic overlook at the end of a bumpy ride off the far western end of the beach offers dramatic panoramic views of the uninhabited islet of Ilhéu de Ferro rising out of the turquoise water. Look to the west and you can also see the main island of Madeira on a clear day.

Some 6 km (4 miles) northwest of Braga, this impressive Benedictine monastery was built in the 11th century and rebuilt again at the end of the 19th century. You can tour four cloisters, which have some fine examples of azulejos, and also the extensive grounds, once the source of most of the monks' food and drink and where grapes are once again being grown to make vinho verde.

The Italianate facade of the twin-towered St. Vincent's Monastery heralds an airy church with a barrel-vault ceiling. It's the work of three architects including Spaniard Juan de Herrera (1530–1597) and Italian Filippo Terzi (1520–97) and was completed in 1629. Its superbly tiled cloister depicts the fall of Lisbon to the Moors. The monastery also serves as the pantheon of the Bragança dynasty, which ruled Portugal from the restoration of independence from Spain in 1640 to the declaration of the republic in 1910. It's worth the admission fee to climb up to the rooftop terrace for a look over Alfama, the dome of the nearby Santa Engrácia, and the river. Guided tours of around 90 minutes are available for a modest extra charge, but must be booked in advance.

Founded in 1993 with the aim of fostering cultural exchange between artists in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique, this gallery displays contemporary paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and jewelry.

On a clifftop just outside Calheta, Casa das Mudas is the unlikely setting for one of Madeira's leading art galleries. The museum is split between a 16th-century home that once belonged to the granddaughter of famed Portuguese explorer João Gonçalves and a dramatic modern building of interlocking cubes. The gallery has hosted exhibits featuring the works of Picasso, Dalí, and Francis Bacon, as well as the works of acclaimed local artists. Even if you don't go inside, it's worth visiting for its pristine location.

This little gem of a museum located inside the castle walls has light-filled rooms displaying artifacts from Serpa dating from the Paleolithic to the Islamic period. The first floor covers the Prehistoric Period to the Iron Age, and the top floor houses artifacts from the Roman era, Late Antiquity, and the Moorish era. Artifacts include pottery, parts of marble and stone columns, coins, and jewelry. New features include kiosks featuring films by a local filmmaker.

The Rio Cávado, crossed by a medieval bridge, is shaded by overhanging trees and bordered by municipal gardens. High above the river stands the ruin of the medieval Paço dos Condes (Palace of the Counts), where you'll find the Barcelos Archaeological Museum. Among the empty sarcophagi and stone crosses is the 14th-century crucifix known as the Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo (Cross of the Lord of the Rooster). According to local legend, after sentencing an innocent man to death, a judge prepared to dine on a roast fowl. When the condemned man said, "I'll be hanged if that rooster doesn't crow," the rooster flew from the table and the man's life was spared. The Barcelos rooster is on sale in pottery form throughout the town; indeed, it's become something of a national symbol.

This local museum showcases the largest private collection of tiles in Portugal. The permanent exhibit is a collaboration between Estremoz's city council and the renowned art collector Berardo. Housed inside the Tocha Palace, it covers 800 years of tilemaking practices, ranging from the 13th to the 21st century. The ground floor covers the origins of the craft, while the upper floors feature historic baroque panels and innovative designs by artists such as the late Paula Rego.

Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro was the older brother of one of Portugal’s greatest artists, Columbano, and was himself a prominent artist but much more multifaceted. Born in Lisbon in 1846, he excelled not just as a painter but above all as an outrageous caricaturist and ceramist. He satirized Portugal’s political and social climate and put great wit into everything he did. He invented the iconic peasant figure Zé Povinho, who had the habit of bluntly saying exactly what he thought and who came to be represented in newspaper cartoons and ceramics. At this museum, housed in the former home of an admirer of the artist, there are drawings, paintings, and fantastically designed ceramics, often featuring animals and plants. There’s also a library with some of Bordalo Pinheiro’s original publications and a video explaining the art and times of the artist.

This eclectic museum’s collection is displayed in three buildings within walking distance from each other, with the largest section—the natural history collection—housed within the 16th-century Convento de Santo André, a former convent that retains much of its original charm. The natural history portion focuses on botany, geology, mineralogy, and especially zoology, with many fascinating taxidermied specimens. The Santa Bárbara location houses more contemporary artworks and temporary displays, while the sacred art museum includes 17th- and 18th-century pieces from Azorean painters, a former chapel with an intricate carved-wood altar, and interesting temporary exhibits.

Dedicated to Madeiran soccer megastar Cristiano Ronaldo, this museum attracts huge numbers of fans of all ages and nationalities who flock here to admire the player's many awards and trophies, watch some of his many footballing highlights, and even pose for photos with computer-generated images of CR7 himself. Outside, a giant statue (which made headlines when many people questioned its resemblance to Ronaldo) is an obligatory free photo opportunity for any visiting sports fans.

This innovative museum tells the story of Caniçal's whaling-focused past and conservation-minded present through exhibits of antique fishing implements, vintage photographs of fishermen, and life-size replicas of whales and dolphins. If you have kids, opt for the 3-D movie that takes you under the sea inside a submarine.

This museum celebrating Lisbon's public transport past and present is next to the creative hub Village Underground and donated the distinctive double-decker buses that now house that attraction's café. It's worth taking the opportunity to climb aboard a classic tram that trundles from one converted warehouse to another, allowing visitors to admire vintage buses, streetcars, uniforms, and other artifacts from Lisbon's public transport history. A gift shop sells cute miniature buses and trams.

It’s worth a stop at this small museum within an 18th-century Jesuit college to learn more about Faial’s history, from the first Atlantic seaplane flight that stopped here in the late 19th century to historical submarine telegraph cables used to reduce the communication time between North America and Europe. There’s also an interesting collection of elaborate miniatures made out of the pith, or white kernels, from the inside of fig tree branches.

Portugal has a rich history of using puppets—from cute to creepy—to tell stories, and this fascinating museum is an opportunity to see the marionettes and masks up close. The only one of its kind in Portugal, the Puppet Museum includes an impressive collection of African and Asian puppets alongside the Portuguese exhibits. The location, inside a former convent, adds an extra dash of drama to the proceedings, and there's a chance to get hands-on with some of the puppets.

Created in 1919 by António Maria Pereira Júnior, the Escola de Rendas (Lace-Making School) is attached to the Museu das Rendas de Bilros de Vila do Conde. Here you can see beautiful examples of lace from the region and from around the world.