One by one, those 10 corners of Portugal that you can not miss for the world. You’ll love it!

Extensive and narrow, forming the geographical face of the Iberian Peninsula, is Portugal. Patria of navigators, merchants, explorers and adventurers, the ancient Lusitania has weighted in History inversely proportional to its small dimensions. This historic legacy, inherited by so many of its towns and cities, coupled with a pleasant climate, good gastronomy at low prices, forests and the beautiful beaches of its wild coast beat by the Atlantic, make Portugal a perfect place to travel without hurry.

Discover Portugal

It would take you weeks to unravel all the beautiful secrets that Portugal hides. So, if you have less time and want to see the best, on Skyscanner we leave you the ten most beautiful places in Portugal, the ones you can not miss:

1. Lisbon

The old, melancholy, historical and beautiful Lisbon is the best point to begin any tour of Portugal. Located on the banks of the mouth of the Tagus in the Atlantic, the hills that surround it are covered by old houses that seem to cling to them as if they were life. Climbing the narrow alleys, you will have the best views of the city.

Listen to the sad fates that emerge from the taverns of the historic neighbourhood of La Alfama. Enjoy a good dinner and continue the party until dawn in the many places full of life of Bairro Alto. Visit San Jorge Castle, La Baixa (downtown), Plaza del Comercio, and take the legendary tram 28 to visit the most emblematic neighbourhoods of Lisbon.

Using public transport, you can visit the Tower of Bethlehem and the Monastery of Jerónimos, two of the most beautiful places in the capital. You can spend several days in Lisbon, and you will still leave things to discover.

2. Sintra

Only a half hour by train from the capital is a fairytale village. Sintra was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. Its narrow cobbled streets are dotted with colourful houses on the ground floor of which we find a potpourri of souvenir shops, chocolatiers and restaurants. The visit begins in the centre of Sintra, where the 16th century National Palace stands. From there you can take one of the buses that go up the hill to visit the two most important monuments: Castelo dos Mouros and Palacio Da Pena.

Castelo dos Mouros is a fortress built in the 9th century by the Muslims who passed to Christian hands in the 12th century, after the reconquest of King Don Alfonso Henriques. Its walls look out onto the green hill, like a watchman who keeps the true gem of Sintra jealous: Palacio Da Pena.

Similar to a castle of the Disney tales, the colourful Palácio Da Pena, home of the Portuguese kings during the XIX, mixes styles and has several viewpoints from which to contemplate incredible views with the sea, forests and other towns in the horizon.

3. Wood

The island of Madeira, lost in the Atlantic, is a natural paradise. Mountains and cliffs upholstered in green, natural fountains, beaches and secluded coves and green meadows. Add to that a few picturesque villages and a gastronomy based on the fresh fish of the Atlantic, and you will be trapped like Robinson Crusoe.

It begins in the capital, Funchal, with the descents of its steep streets mounted in a kind of wicker basket. Rent a car and explore the inland mountains of the island, which will make you think you are in the Scottish Highlands. Then head to the coast and rest on the hidden beaches that look out of nowhere.

4. Oporto

If Lisbon has a decadent and melancholy air, Porto seems to have remained anchored in the early twentieth century. In it lies much of its great charm.

It crosses its historical centre on foot and arrives at the beautiful houses of La Ribeira, where the Duero river flows. Discover its bridges and enjoy a good fish showered with green wine in the restaurants on the beach of Matosinhos or, if you’re a little geeky, have a coffee on the second floor of the famous Lello & Irmão bookstore. Considered one of the three most beautiful bookstores in the world, it is said that it was here that JK Rowling, the writer who created Harry Potter and spent ten years in the city, was inspired to give life to the magician.

5. Obidos

The white façades of Óbidos’ little houses glitter in the sun when the Christian king Alfonso Henriques re conquers Arab hands to give it to his wife, Queen Isabel. From then until the end of the nineteenth century Óbidos was owned by the kings of Portugal.

The beautiful city is walled and crowned by a fortress of Muslim origin. Entering the door of Santa Maria, visit the Mother Church of Santa Maria and the Chapel of Saint Martin. If you are one of those, who die for the sweet, approach Óbidos in March when an international chocolate festival is celebrated.

6. Algarve

Sun, beaches and sea attract tourists from northern Europe throughout the year in this region blessed with a pleasant climate. But the Algarve offers much more than that. The capital, Faro, still looks stagnant in the eighteenth century, and Lagos and Sagres were born in the time of the Romans.

Sagres, with its fifteenth-century fortress and the mythical Cape St. Vincent, was the place from which the great King Henry the Navigator launched his exploratory expeditions that brought so much glory and wealth to the Portuguese crown.

Click on the picture and relax in the ten most spectacular beaches in Europe

7. Guimarães

Another of the Portuguese cities whose historic centre has been declared World Heritage by UNESCO. The most characteristic monument of Guimarães is the medieval castle, from the 10th century, and the 15th-century Ducal Palace, which now functions as a palace and museum. Soak up the medieval atmosphere that is breathed in the Rua de Santa Maria and escapes to the mountain of Penha, where you will have an unbeatable view, and you can choose between several rural routes.

8. Coimbra

This former capital of Portugal is located almost halfway between Porto and Lisbon. Coimbra is known for its university, where classes are taught since 1290, is one of the oldest in Europe. His students still wear the black cloaks that identify them.

Its medieval touch, with churches and streets of that time, make it considered the most romantic city in Portugal. Go up to the campus of the University, from where you can see Coimbra and the Mondego River, and declare yourself to your partner.

9. Cascais

Cascais, next to its neighbour Estoril, was the summer residence of some European monarchies between the decades of the 30 and 50 of the last century. The aristocracy took this small port of the Atlantic and casinos, palaces, mansions and expensive restaurants proliferated quickly.

Today its aura of exclusivity has declined considerably but is still a summer resort of the upper middle-class Lusa. Stroll through the quiet streets near the port, take a rich ice cream in the historic Santini ice cream shop or practice windsurfing and surfing on the nearby beaches of its Atlantic coast. A great getaway just 25 km from Lisbon.

10. Evora

With 2,000 years of history, Évora shows a mixture of cultures and architectural styles unique in Portugal. Roman temples, Renaissance fountains, gothic buildings, and the labyrinthine Muslim-style streets of the Mouraria district take you to the Giraldo square, where public executions took place some time ago, and today you can have a coffee on one of the terraces at fresh air.

Located at the foot of the mountain that bears the same name, it also offers interesting attractions for nature lovers.

Although we suggest ten destinations, Portugal has much more to discover. There your kind people await you with a ” Welcome!”.