I want to show you some of my favorite places in the beautiful country of Portugal, so here’s my Portugal top 10. Portugal is home to some of the world’s most stunning landscapes. The country is full of incredible coastline, intriguing history, and some of the world’s biggest waves from the volcanic islands of Madeira to the scenic Algarve coast.
1. Lisbon
Portugal has so much to offer. Let’s start this article off in the vibrant city of Lisbon. Being one of the oldest cities in the world, Lisbon is Europe’s second, the oldest capital city, after Athens. I mean there’s just so much culture and history in the city, you can check out the sanctuary of christ, the king monument reminds me of a mixture of Rio de Janeiro and San Francisco's bridge. The commerce square is another beautiful spot to explore. One of the coolest parks in Lisbon is the Parque Eduardo the seventh is full of beautifully designed, hedges and is just a great place to enjoy the afternoon or evening. The Belem Tower is also an important monument that served as a point of embarkation for Portuguese explorers. Lisbon is such a historic city and I have to say it’s one of the most beautiful capitals in all of Europe.
2. Sintra
After Lisbon, we’re going to head to the nearby municipality of Sintra, now, looking about 30 minutes outside of Lisbon, Sintra is home to some of Portugal’s most famous places. Now one of the most well-known places in the region is the Pena Palace. It’s this colorful castle that sits on top of the central mountains. Originally a monastery was built here in the 15th century, but lightning in earthquakes left the monastery in ruins and del King Ferdinand decided to build the palace which was completed in 1854. Today, it stands as one of the seven wonders of Portugal.
3. Castles of the Moors
Now right next to the Pena palace are the Castles of the Moors. It’s a stunningly well-preserved medieval castle that was built back in the 9th century. If you visit, you can walk the castle walls and get a little taste of what it must have felt like to live in Portugal during medieval times. Another historical nearby place is Quinta Da Regaleira, it’s home to the inverted tower which has a fascinating history regarding the initiation ceremony for templar nights.
4. Cape Roca
Now, from Sintra, you can make the 30-minute drive down to the coast. The coastline here is some of the most picturesque in all of Europe. It’s full of jagged, cliffs, incredible beaches, and picturesque lighthouses, and one of my favorites is the lighthouse of Cape Roca. It offers an incredible view of the Atlantic ocean now regarding beaches, I have to say one of the most scenic is Ursa beach. It’s right next to cape Broca and there’s this uniquely shaped pointy rock that reminds me of a wizard. I mean what a stunning coastline another really beautiful place right up. The coast is Azenhas Do Mar it’s a stunning town built right against the coastal cliffs. I mean it would be so cool to live there
5. Madeira
After Sintra and the coast, we’re going to head out to the Atlantic ocean to visit the island of Madeira located off the northwestern coast of Africa. Madeira is a volcanic archipelago of four islands. The island was claimed by Portugal in 1419. Madeira is known for its idle climate and stunning coastline. I have to say that one of my favorite parts of Madeira is its mountains. They are so jacket and have a stunningly colorful combination. If you want to visit the mountains, you can go to Pico Du Ariero. It’s just a 30-minute drive from Foochow you’ll be able to hike around and get stunning 360 views of the whole island. Now the weather on top can be quite unpredictable. You might get lucky and be right above the clouds, if you’re, not in the mountains. The coastline offers just as much beauty. A lot of the beaches are dwarfed over by massive cliffs. I mean it’s just hard to believe that places like this exist. Madeira is just such a unique island and I hope you all can visit it one day.
6. The Azores
While we’re still in the Atlantic ocean we’re going to head over to the archipelago of the Azores, located right in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. The Azores are a group of nine islands like none other. They remind me of a hybrid between New Zealand and Hawaii, with their rolling pastures and green scenery. The largest island on the Azores is Sao Miguel. One of the most stunning places on the island is Lago Das Sete Cidades, it’s a twin lake situated in the crater of a volcano. One lake is green, while the other is blue. The nearby Santiago lake is also an incredibly unique place. The highest point in the Azores and all of Portugal is the massive Mount Pico. The stratovolcano is over 7713 feet high and last erupted in 1720 from the dramatic coastline to the crater lakes. The Azores just have so many places to see.
7. Algarve
After the Azores, we’re going to head back to the mainland to visit the region of the Algarve. Now the agar region is the southernmost part of Portugal, it’s famous for its good weather, high standard of living, and incredible coastline. One of the most beautiful towns in the Algarve is Lagos. It’s this ancient maritime town with more than 2 000 years of history. Today, it’s one of the most visited cities in all of Portugal. What I love about Lagos is it’s located right. Next to some of the best beaches, the coast is home to uniquely shaped sea cliffs filled with hidden beaches and sea caves. I would just love to swim to one of those hidden beaches and spend all day there. One intriguing place in Ponta Da Piedade, it’s full of countless grottos and sea arches to explore and this summer I just want to explore the Algarve coast so bad and there are just so many hidden gems to find
8. Obidos
After Algarve we’re going to visit the medieval town of Obidos located about an hour’s drive from Lisbon in central Portugal, Obidos is a romantic, medieval town protected by an impressive stone wall around the year 713. The Moors established a fortification here and in 1148 the king of Portugal reclaimed the land after the successful storming of the Moorish castle in the 13th century, the king gifted Obidos to his queen for the following centuries. The village received special treatment from the queens of Portugal. Remodeled and enriched the village throughout the middle ages today Obidos is one of Portugal’s most well-preserved medieval cities. The Obidos Castle is one of the crowning features. It dates back to the ninth century and now it’s a hotel. Obidos is just such a beautiful, medieval town, and I hope you all can witness it one day.
9. Tomar
Now from Obidos, we’re going to make the one-hour drive to Tomar. Tomar is an idyllic Portuguese city full of history. It’s also known as the last town commission for construction by the templar knights. Now the crowning feature of the city is the Convent of Christ. It’s this massive monastery in the castle, surrounded by medieval walls. It was completed in the 12th century by the templar knights. Now the monastery was integral for defending the Christian kingdom against the moors. I'm just blown away by how big it is. The stone wall that surrounds the castle must have taken ages to construct. Another fascinating medieval place to visit is the Leiria Castle located about a 50-minute drive from Tomar constructed in the 12th century. This castle was built to create a line of defense against the Arabs throughout the years. The castle started to lose its military importance and it was damaged extensively by French invasions. Today the castle has been restored and I just love how it’s integrated with the city I mean: there are just houses all around it, it’d be pretty cool to live next to the castle if you ask me.
10. Porto
After exploring the Leiria Castle we’re going to head two hours up the coast to the beautiful city of Porto now located on the coast of northern Portugal, Porto is the second-largest city in the country after Lisbon, it’s one of the oldest European centers, as it developed as an important commercial port during Roman times. Today, it’s one of Europe's most vibrant cities. I just love how colorful all the buildings and roofs are. The Dom Luis Bridge is one of the most recognizable features as it spans across the river. Now, while we’re still on the river, I recommend taking a boat ride or car up the Duoro valley to witness some of the best wine countries in the world. Wine has been made in this valley for over 2 000 new years. The region is full of endless terraced vineyards that line the powerful Duoro river. I mean what a beautiful spot, especially if you’re into drinking wine.
11. Nazare
All right after exploring Porto and the Duoro Valley, we’re going to head back to the coast to visit, possibly the most gnarly piece of coastline in the world Nazare now Loki. Just a 90-minute drive from Lisbon, Nazare is a historical coastal town that is famous for being home to the biggest surfable waves on the planet every winter season. The waves can reach over 100 feet high now the best place to see the waves is the 16th-century fort of Saint Michael, the archangel it’s located right on the cliff. I’m surprised it hasn’t collapsed into the ocean after being battered by wave after wave for so many centuries.