Portugal is the nation that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean with the westernmost outpost of Europe, Cabo de Roca, and which through the words of the poet Luis Vaz de Camoes reminds us of a very simple thing: “Here … where the land ends and the sea begins “.
Here, exactly here, we find a frontier land, of natural wonders, of mestizo architectures, of open people and, just like its landscape, pushed towards the mystery of the ocean and fueled by the great passion, by its saudade, for its own country. Portugal knows how to be gentle and rough at the same time, it knows how to be cosmopolitan and traditional, and its rhythm adapts to all those who cross its borders and immediately love it unconditionally.Here are the 10 most beautiful and important cities in Portugal !
1 – Lisbon
Lisbon is a wonderful synthesis of a metropolis and therefore a crossroads of cultures, with its 500,000 inhabitants, the nerve center for the most important sectors such as the economic, financial, commercial and tourist sectors: the main city of Portugal and its capital , headquarters of the life of the whole country, and definitely an excellent starting point to introduce yourself in the best way to the most authentic Portuguese and European life.
Lisbon recalls our Rome in an “oceanic” version, as it stands on 7 hills and winds along the Tagus River: overlooking the sea, it enjoys a truly pleasant climate, with mild winters and hot summers, but always very well ventilated.
SEE ALSO: What to see in Lisbon
- Best period : Lisbon can be visited all year round due to its mild climate, even during the middle of winter and hot summers, due to the gentle ventilation that is maintained in all seasons.
- Main attractions : Belem Tower, Sao George Castle, Praca Marques de Pombal, Cristo Rei, the typical neighborhoods of Lisbon, especially the oldest, Alfama, where you can get lost to the rhythm of Fado, nostalgic music Portuguese.
- Low cost flights: from € 33.98 – check the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotel and b & b starting from € 46.00 per room – see the offers
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: Lisbon: hop-on hop-off tour Lisbon: Skip-the-line entrance to the castle of San Giorgio Fado by Night 4 hours Tour April 25 Bridge & Christ the King Open-Top Bus Lisbon: Yellow Boat Tour on the Tagus River
2 – Porto
Porto (or Oporto) with its 200,000 inhabitants and the capital of the so-called “Norte” region, overlooking the Atlantic and the Douro River. Always in competition with the capital Lisbon on the economic side (for this reason it is also called the Capital of the North, as it is highly industrialized and home to the main Portuguese companies), Porto has a vast heritage of medieval and Renaissance works of art and the Ribeira, declared a World Heritage Site.
The fine wine to which it gives its name is exported and tasted all over the world from here. City of bridges, churches, magnificent urban guards, monuments scattered throughout the historic center and museums, Porto is certainly a fundamental stop to visit to understand the Portuguese reality.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see absolutely in Porto
- Best period : Porto has a mild climate, with more rainfall than Lisbon: the best time to avoid rainfall and certainly between June and September, when even hot summers are still made mild by the constant wind.
- Main attractions : Museu do Vinho do Porto, the Se do Porto Cathedral, the Ribeira District, the Tower of the Clerics, the Stock Exchange Palace.
- Low cost flights: from € 33.98 – check the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 51.00 per room – see the offers
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: Porto Wine and Tapas Tour Art and Religion in Porto: half day Experience The Essence of Porto Walking Tour Porto: ticket for the Torre dos Clerigos
3 – Faro
Photo of SA³nia Lopes. The small municipality of Faro, with its 58 thousand inhabitants, is located on the extreme southern tip of Portugal, straddling a lagoon and the ocean, with its well-known fishing port and its being one of the main areas of the tourist region of the Algarve. It has a protected area of ​​140 hectares, the Parque Natural del Ria Formosa , consisting of a varied lagoon ecosystem and sands, constantly modified by the oceanic action. Churches and museums in the magnificent Cidade Velha (Old Town) frame this southern town, which, between art and nature, is on the list of unmissable places in Portugal.
- Best period : certainly Spring, between April and May, when the heat is still moderate and a light refreshing breeze blows in the evening. For a beach-only holiday, better from mid-June to mid-September, when the sun shines more decisively and the sea is certainly warmer than the rest of the year.
- Main attractions : the Se Cathedral, the Ciudade Velha, the Parque Natural de Ria Formosa.
- Low cost flights: starting from € 128.21 – look at the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 48.00 per room – see the offers
- Card, ticket and recommended tour: Catamaran tour to the 4 Ria Formosa Islands from Faro Birdwatching Experience: a protected area near Faro – Half day
4 – Coimbra
Coimbra, in the central part of Portugal, is the capital of the homonymous district, 150 thousand inhabitants and crossed by the Mondego River. It is a fundamental city for the cultural life of the country, as it hosts one of the oldest universities in Europe , with thousands of students who come from all over the country, thus becoming the first and true university center of excellence in Portugal . A city halfway between Lisbon and Porto, it has always been an important commercial hub , and of great historical importance, with its narrow and cobbled streets, with medieval stairways and arches. A small cultural, architectural and commercial jewel.
SEE ALSO : 10 things to see absolutely in Coimbra
- Best period : from April to October, when rainfall is minimal and the climate is really mild.
- Main attractions : the ancient Upper and Sofia University with the Joanina Library, Arches of the Botanical Garden, the Old Cathedral and the New Cathedral, Almedina Gate and Tower.
- Low cost flights: flights to Porto (120km) from € 33.98 – check offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 59.00 per room – see the offers
- Recommended Cards, Tickets & Tours: Coimbra Private Tour Coimbra: 1-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Optional Mondego Cruise
5 – Fatima
Probably the name of the city “Fatima” already reminds us of information well known to most of us: the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima undoubtedly identifies this town of 12 thousand inhabitants in the central area, since it is internationally known for being one of the most important Marian centers , linked precisely to the apparition of the Madonna to the three little shepherd children, back in 1917. It also has two important monasteries: the Cistercian Alcobaca and the Templar Tomar.
- Best period : being an important Marian center, probably the best period falls between May and October, when pilgrimages are more frequent.
- Main attractions : the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, the Alcobaca and Tomar Monasteries.
- Low cost flights: Flights to Lisbon (130km) from € 33.98 – check the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 39.00 per room – see the offers
- Card, ticket and recommended tour: Fatima: private tour with local guide Fatima: full day tour from Lisbon
6 – Vila Nova de Gaia
The second most populous city in Portugal with 300,000 inhabitants, is located in the district of Porto, in the north. Vila Nova de Gaia is the heart of the production and export of the famous Port wine : in the area we find all the best producers, seasoners and bottlers from all over the country. The city consequently ranks first in the wine tourism sector, with an infinite offer of tasting packages of the various qualities of Port wine. Vila Nova de Gaia is certainly a very important stage in the construction of the Portuguese identity and for its tourist and excellence market.
- Best period : a city that can be visited throughout the year, even if in winter we encounter some more precipitation, while between May and October we will be sure to experience the best time.
- Main attractions : the various wineries in the district.
- Low cost flights: flights to Porto (7km) from € 33.98 – check offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 45.00 per room – see the offers
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: From Porto: Calem winery, Fado show and wine tasting Half day tour Verde & Port Wine
7 – Braga
If the conformation of Lisbon with its 7 hills and the river that crosses it could remind us of Rome, Braga is really known as the “Portuguese Rome” because of its Cathedral, primatial of the whole Iberian peninsula (for the ecclesiastical title received called primate).
Braga, 180,000 inhabitants, is very rich in museums, chapels, churches, cathedrals, sanctuaries and palaces : a dip in the Portuguese architectural heart, from the Middle Ages to the present day.
- Best time : late spring to early autumn.
- Main attractions : Braga Cathedral, Menagem Tower, Museu de Arte Sacra, Zona Arqueologica, Theatro Circo.
- Low cost flights: Flights to Porto (57km) from € 33.98 – check the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 44.00 per room – see the offers
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: Braga: full-day bus tour Braga and Guimaraes: full-day tour with lunch from Porto
8 – Setubal
Photo of http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usu%C3%A1rio:Sacavem. A short distance from Lisbon, the city of Setubal, 120,000 inhabitants, is the third port and tourist center of the country , with a center rich in history and modern monuments and neighborhoods. Fishing is certainly a fundamental activity, and is practiced not only along the coasts, but also along routes that reach as far as Greenland and in Atlantic archipelagos such as the Azores. The naval sector is also of some importance for the city, with several companies in the sector. Nearby, the magnificent Serra de Arrabida , one of the most beautiful landscape areas in the area: dense vegetation and rocky mountains mixed in a unique ecosystem.
- Best period : all year round due to the mild and windy climate of the coast.
- Main attractions : the town center with dozens of churches, the Castle of Sao Felipe, the Serra de Arrabida.
- Low cost flights: Flights to Lisbon (53km) from € 33.98 – check offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 47.00 per room – see the offers
- Recommended Cards, Tickets & Tours: Setubal: Dolphin Watching Sailboat Cruise Setubal: Guided Fish Market Tour from Lisbon
9 – Guimaraes
In the district of Braga, in the northern hinterland, in the green hilly landscape of Minho, the city of Guimaraes is a municipality of 150 thousand inhabitants. Important center of textiles, trade and crafts, especially cutlery and goldsmiths . The city can also boast of the Guimaraes Castle, the oldest Portuguese castle, on the hill called Sagrada, the magnificent Paco dos Duques de Braganca monument and the Nossa Senhora de Oliveira Church.
- Best period : all year round, although the period between spring and autumn is certainly the best.
- Main attractions : Guimaraes Castle, Paco dos Duques de Braganca, Nossa Senhora de Oliveira Church.
- Low cost flights: Flights to Porto (57km) from € 33.98 – check the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 37.00 per room – look at the offers
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: Guimaraes: private half-day tour from Porto Braga and Guimaraes: full-day tour with lunch from Porto
10 – Funchal
110 thousand inhabitants in the capital of the autonomous region of Madeira, the largest of the island and certainly of a unique peculiarity, in which the geological conformation has created a natural amphitheater, from the port to its highest peak of 1,200 meters.
Funchal and within the Ilhas Selvagens nature reserve which extends for 160km. The cultivation of fennel is widespread throughout the island, hence the name funcho. Today Funchal is known all over the world for being the birthplace of Cristiano Ronaldo, to whom a museum and the name of the airport has also been dedicated since 2016.
SEE ALSO : Cruise to the Azores – info prices, period and itinerary
- Best time: Funchal has an oceanic-subtropical climate, with mild winters and dry summers, with consistent rains in winter, always very windy, so the best time is certainly all year round, except for winter if you don’t like it. especially the rain.
- Main attractions : Ilhas Selvagens Nature Reserve, Cristiano Ronaldo Museum.
- Low cost flights: starting from € 173.77 – look at the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b starting from € 95, per room – see the offers
- Recommended Cards, Tickets & Tours: Funchal Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour Madeira: Whale and Dolphin Watching from Funchal From Funchal: Best of Madeira Tour
