571 Best Sights in Portugal

Whaling was a major industry in Pico up until the end of the 20th century. This small museum, set inside a former whaleboat warehouse, screens a movie (available in English) explaining the history of the whaling industry on the island along with historic photos and interesting displays showing some of the tools and equipment used in whale hunting. The exhibits offer an interesting look at this important part of the Azores’ history.

Visitors to this grand mansion dating back more than a century can get a peek into how local aristocracy once lived while admiring an impressive display of 18th- and 19th-century paintings, ceramics, and furnishings. The canary-yellow building makes a dramatic backdrop to the small beach next door, which is open to the public and attracts groups of swimmers and sunbathers on hot days.

Some of the world’s largest trilobite fossils—ancient marine creatures that could grow up to 90 cm long (nearly 3 feet)—are on display at this museum in Canelas, a village about 7 km (a 10-minute drive) southeast of Arouca, within the Arouca UNESCO Global Geopark. Set among the slate hills and forested slopes of the Freita Ridge, the fossils were discovered in nearby quarries and were key to the region’s Geopark status. Opened in 2006, the small museum showcases these Ordovician-era giants as its star attraction. Allow 20 minutes or so for the short film which tells the fascinating story of these creatures and their discovery in Arouca.

This small museum is housed in the old Paço Episcopal (Episcopal Palace). In addition to the usual Roman artifacts and odd pieces of furniture, the collection contains some fine examples of the traditional bordado (embroidery) for which Castelo Branco is well-known. Adjacent to the museum is a workshop where embroidered bedspreads in traditional patterns are made and sold.

If you can't make your visit to the region coincide with one of the festivals in which local lads wearing wooden masks roam the streets, the Museu Ibérico da Máscara e do Traje is definitely worth a visit. A joint Portuguese-Spanish initiative, it has displays on the celebrations in villages across Trás-os-Montes and in Zamora, over the border. The many costumes on show are riotously colorful and the masks strikingly carved. Information in English is available.

This prize-winning museum, opened in 2022, showcases municipal and private collections that include archaeological finds from Abrantes and the surrounding area as well as from elsewhere in the Iberian Peninsula and beyond (including Ancient Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia), plus sacred art from the region over the centuries, and some modern art. It is all housed in a former Dominican monastery, founded in the 16th century, that is one of the city's most important historic buildings, now sensitively restored as part of a project by leading Portuguese architect Carrilho da Graça.

The high-tech Miracle of Fátima Interactive Museum re-creates the appearance of the Virgin Mary a century ago. Its use of multimedia technologies certainly helps generate a sense of wonder at the apparition of the Virgin and of the Angel of Portugal, and at what became known as the Miracle of the Sun. Guided visits last around 40 minutes, with free time afterward; it is recommended that you book ahead at busy times, as slots can be scarce (and tickets bought online are slightly cheaper). The museum is under a small shopping mall near the new basilica.

The expansive wooded park surrounding the town's spa is home to the country's largest collection of works by Caldas native José Malhoa (1854–1933), one of Portugal's most prominent Naturalist painters, as well as sculpture, drawings, and ceramics from the 19th and 20th centuries. A handheld audio guide with English commentary is available.

In the Old Town, a stroll along the flower-lined street of Rua Dr. Joaquim Jacinto takes you to the heart of the Jewish Quarter and this former synagogue, now a modest museum. Built in the mid-15th century for what was a sizeable community, it is Portugal's oldest extant synagogue, though there are only a handful of Jewish families currently living in Tomar, so it's rarely used as a house of prayer. Inside, exhibits chronicle the Jewish presence in the country, which all but ended in 1496 when Dom Manuel issued an edict ordering Jews to either leave the country or convert to Christianity. Many, who became known as Marranos, converted but secretly practiced Judaism. The building was declared a national monument in 1921 and is open for visits. Call the Tomar Tourist Office in advance to set up a free guided visit in English. Note the remains of a mikveh (ritual bath) in the building next door, visible from the street through the large window.

At the top of the Largo do Toural is this excellent archaeological museum contained within the cloister of the Igreja de São Domingos. This privately run institution has rich finds from the Iron Age settlement of Citânia de Briteiros northwest of Guimarães, which makes it a logical stop before or after visiting the site. There are also Lusitanian and Roman stone sarcophagi, a strange miniature bronze chariot, various weapons, and elaborate ornaments. Two finds stand out: the decorative, carved stone slabs known as the pedras formosas (beautiful stones)—one of which was found at a funerary monument at Briteiros—and the huge, prehistoric granite Colossus of Pedralva, a figure of brutal power thought to have been used in ancient fertility rites.

One of Lisbon’s lesser-known but most extraordinary museums, this is the former residence of collector António de Medeiros e Almeida. Every room of his late-19th-century mansion is filled with works of art ranging from paintings to ceramics, sculptures to furnishings. Highlights include paintings by Rubens and Tiepolo, a Rembrandt portrait, a silver tea set used by Napoléon, fountains originally from the Palace of Versailles, and what's said to be the world's most notable private collection of clocks. There are free hour-long guided tours each Saturday at 10:30 and 11:30 am.

The spirit of heroism is palpable in the sprawling barracks and arsenal complex of the Lisbon Military Museum, which houses one of the largest artillery collections in the world. You can ogle a 20-ton bronze cannon and admire Vasco da Gama's sword in a room dedicated to the explorer and his voyages. As you clatter through endless echoing rooms of weapons, uniforms, and armor, you may be lucky enough to be followed—at a respectful distance—by a guide who can convey exactly how that bayonet was jabbed or that gruesome flail swung. In this ornate building there is also a collection of 18th- to 20th-century art.

Housed in a 1930s movie theater, the municipal photography museum's permanent collection includes 19th-century cameras, black-and-white images from around Portugal, and an exhibit on the history of global photography.

Housed in the old Town Hall, this small but well-curated museum showcases local finds from prehistory to the Moorish era. Artifacts include Roman mosaics, Islamic ceramics, and ancient tools—shedding light on the region’s tapestried past.

With most displays in both Portuguese and English, the town's compact archaeology museum provides interesting insights into the area's history, particularly its Arab and Islamic heritage. One primary attraction is an Arab water cistern, preserved in its original location, with a 30-foot-deep well. The museum is a few minutes' walk from the cathedral, off Rua da Sé.

This museum is housed in a lovely 17th-century almshouse across from the castle. Its displays chronicle the development of the region and range from Roman artifacts to contemporary pottery, including a collection of the brightly colored figurines for which Estremoz is famous.

At the foot of the path leading to the town's castle is Marvão's municipal museum, in the 13th-century Church of Saint Mary. The small gallery contains a diverse collection of religious artifacts, traditional costumes, ancient maps, and weapons.

In the 16th-century Convento de Graça, the Municipal Museum has exhibits about the city's historical fortifications, as well as interesting archaeological finds from the castle grounds and from all over the region.

This modern museum next to the city park may look a bit stark outside, but it holds one of the province's most diverse and interesting collections. The archaeological section consists mainly of Roman coins sourced from all over the Iberian Peninsula. A second gallery focuses on former Portuguese colonies in Africa, with highlights including some fascinating ritual objects. There is also a gallery dedicated to Portuguese marquetry furniture with exquisite inlaid carvings, plus another devoted to religious items. Exhibits have multilingual explanations.

Portugal's National Museum of Ancient Art is housed in an opulent 17th-century palace, built at the behest of the Count of Alvor and later occupied by the brother of the Marquês de Pombal. Try not to spend too much time gaping at the dramatic painted ceilings, stucco detailing, and baroque doorways or you'll miss the collection of more than 40,000 works, including the unsettling circa-1500 triptych Temptations of Saint Anthony by Hieronymous Bosch, one of the most important pieces in the country. A cafeteria with seating in lovely gardens is the perfect place for a post-viewing drink or meal.

Also known as the Museu do Chiado, this museum housed in a former convent specializes in Portuguese art from 1850 to the present day but is currently only staging temporary exhibitions of contemporary paintings, sculpture, and multimedia installations. In the summer, there are jazz concerts on Friday evenings in its small walled garden.

Designed by Brazilian Pritzker Prize winner Paulo Mendes da Rocha, this very popular museum has a dazzling collection of gloriously gilded horse-drawn conveyances. The oldest on display was made for Philip II of Spain in the late 1500s; the most stunning are three created in Rome for King John V in 1716. The museum was originally located at the nearby Royal Riding School, which still has exhibitions. It's right next door to the official residence of the president of the republic, whose Museu da Presidência tells the story of the presidency, profiles the officeholders, and displays gifts that have been received on state visits.

Housed in a former seminary beside the cathedral, this palatial museum was originally created to display the works of 16th-century local boy Grão Vasco, who became Portugal's most famous painter. In addition to a wonderful collection of altarpieces by Vasco and his students, the museum has a wide-ranging collection of other art and objects, from Flemish masterpieces to Asian furniture.

Once the home of a Genoese wine-shipping family, the 17th-century building and grounds of this museum are as impressive as its collection of antique furniture, paintings, drawings, sculpture, and ceramics. Of special interest are the palanquins—lounge chairs once used to carry the grand ladies of colonial Madeira around town. Don't miss the small garden filled with ancient stone columns, window frames, arches, and tombstone fragments rescued from buildings that have been demolished around the island. It also has an alluring café.

This museum is next to the Castelo de Beja in a 6th-century church—one of Portugal's oldest standing buildings. It houses an impressive collection of tombstones, weapons, and pottery that documents the Visigoth presence in the region.

Barack Obama and the late Queen Elizabeth II have been among the famous faces peering from the windows of this modern museum dedicated to the workings of mass media. Inside a handsome building with wrought-iron balconies, it combines interactive exhibits such as a giant touch-screen tablet highlighting world-changing events with thought-provoking examinations of how the media has covered various topics, including Portuguese soccer luminary Cristiano Ronaldo. The bright exhibits and interactive devices should keep younger visitors occupied for an hour or so.

Though Praia da Luz has little in the way of sights other than its coastal attractions, it's worth stopping by this little church, shared by both the Catholic and Anglican communities around it with services in Portuguese and English. Though there's no historic clout to speak of, it makes a restful stop while in the town. The current 19th-century structure replaces a 15th-century church, destroyed by the 1755 earthquake.

If Willy Wonka turned his attention to canned fish, it would probably look something like this flamboyant shop on Rossio square, part of a fast-growing chain that even recently opened a branch in Times Square. A riot of color, complete with a miniature sardine-themed Ferris wheel, the Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines is a gift shop and sightseeing experience all in one, dreamed up by long-established fish processor Comur. The decorative personalized (by birth year) tins make for uniquely Portuguese keepsakes.

All through December, the Óbidos Christmas Village is the perfect miniature winter wonderland for children. There's usually ice-skating, an ice slide, a carousel, puppet shows, and, of course, Santa Claus. There are also several shows, organized games for all ages, and a market selling handicrafts and traditional sweets, as well as plenty of other food and drink.

A relative newcomer to the Portuguese wine scene, ODE has already made a name for itself with wines made following organic and regenerative principles, its various monovarietals being of particular note. Tours of the winery may be booked via the website for Wednesday through Sunday; they conclude with a tasting with five wines (€20) or with lunch with wine pairing (for an extra €45) in the excellent Cellar Door restaurant, which serves unusual Japanese-style dishes and which is open to all comers.