City: Portugal
Top Things to do in Portugal
10 Things to do Adventurous in Portugal That You Shouldn't Miss
– in Europe (green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (green)
Restaurants in Portugal
1. Quinta da Regaleira
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13,313 reviews
Classified as World Heritage by UNESCO and built at the turn of the 20th century, this romantic architectural complex is comprised of a Palace, a Chapel, and gardens with grottos.
Reviewed By richardb552016 - London, United Kingdom
This palace is a must for anyone visiting Lisbon. Within easy reach by train and bus, the gardens are a delight with many follies, chapels, delightful views and what is called an Initiation Well which is an absolute must including stepping stones and looking through a waterfall amongst other attractions. The cafe affords a lovely outdoor seating area with views of the palace and gardens. The architecture of all of the buildings are magical in appearance. Allow at least 2 hours. The walk to the top of the garden area is fairly steep but worthwhile. Then it is all downhill from there!
2. Ponta da Piedade
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5,401 reviews
Reviewed By AnnaMoscow16 - Moscow, Russia
Boat trip is the best way to explore the very beautiful Atlantic coastline in Lagos - very beautiful caves and grottos reflected in transparent emerald water versus terracotta cliffs. Highly recommended as a trip - the guides are very friendly and happy to tell the story of the place
3. Praia da ursa
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 521 reviews
Reviewed By 789stephend - Vancouver, Canada
I found Cabo da Roca to be beautiful and the ocean crashing against the cliffs. There are some hiking trails to explore, well worth the trip out here.
4. Observatorio do Lago Alqueva
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 264 reviews
The Observatorio do Lago Alqueva – OLA (Lake Alqueva Observatory) is an astronomical observatory next to the medieval village of Monsaraz. OLA offers almost daily tours of the magnificent night sky of Monsaraz, where one can learn the orientation by the North Star, identify the constellations and know their legends, relate stellar colours with their ages, observe star clusters, nebulas and distant galaxies with the help of telescopes. The explanations are presented with clear examples and language by OLA’s guides. When the weather is cloudy, we resort to a simulation using astronomy software. The observatory also promotes courses on astronomy and astrophotography and has a vast program of outreach talks and activities for the general public, schools and senior groups.
Reviewed By IdB11_NL - Utrecht, The Netherlands
We had a great evening with Nelson (and other families). He explained a lot about the (newborn) stars, planets, galaxies etcetera. And showed them with his telescopes. He has an enormous knowledge and can explain it very well. And every question was answered in a very clear way.
5. Initiation Well
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 919 reviews
Reviewed By ericsE2241OU - Birr, Ireland
This well is a great place to visit as part of a tour of the Quinta da Regaleira. It is unique (in my experience), and of great interest if you are into the Knights Templar and similar groups. Look ot for the Knights Templar cross there
6. Castelo dos Mouros
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,492 reviews
The Moorish Castle is a military fortification that bears witness to the Islamic presence in the region, and was probably constructed between the eighth and ninth centuries and later expanded after the Reconquista. Overlooking the town of Sintra, it served as a watchtower, guaranteeing the protection of Lisbon and its surroundings.
Reviewed By howardform
Everyone comes to Sintra for Pena Palace and frankly I liked the Moorish Castle alot more, its really cool. Be aware there is alot of walking up stairs and hill climbing , so you have to be in shape The views are amazing, you can get the best photos of the castle from the castle and you can also get great photos of Pena Palace from here as well It is less crowded than Pena Palace
7. Pico Mountain (Montanha do Pico)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 474 reviews
Classified as a nature reserve since 1972, this is the highest mountain (7,800 feet) in Portugal, which is capped by a crater, the Pico Grande, from which a small cone emerges.
Reviewed By laurenk127
My boyfriend and I climbed Mt. Pico in June and it was awesome! We lucked out with a clear, sunny day. We're not super intense, but do a decent amount of hiking and felt completely fine tackling this on our own. I do see how it could be challenging if it was super cloudy, especially since you need to follow markers to get up. We were also a little worried about the mountain filling up after reading some reviews, but definitely had nothing to worry about, we climbed in the beginning of June. We called the mountain House super early in the morning to see how full it was and were told there were four people on the mountain haha. I will say its still nice to get there early to see the sunrise and be in the shade. Also, if you're climbing, might as well go all the way to the top, it was worth it to really get those 360 views!
8. Capela dos Ossos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,483 reviews
The walls and pillars of the chapel, built in the century XVII, are lined with thousands of human bones and skulls. Ceilings with murals realtivas death. Written on a plaque next to the door, the phrase "We bones that are here for your hope", reminds us how fleeting passage through life.
Reviewed By jonahNJ - Pennington, United States
The one place I was really looking forward to visiting in Portugal was the Chapel of The Bones. Once inside this relatively small chapel, it exceeded my expectations! Note that the chapel is small, so there is a staggering of groups admitted to the chapel. However, the visitors moved along well during my visit. Just outside of the chapel is a poem which compels travelers to ponder their existence. If that was not enough of a prompt, just over the entrance to the chapel is the engraved warning “Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos” which loosely translates to “We bones that are here, we are waiting for yours." I then entered the chapel and sure enough all of the walls and pillars are covered in a variety of human bones and skulls. Skulls are also used to trim portions of the ceiling. During my visit, I learned that approximately 5,000 skeletons from church cemeteries in Evora were used to “decorate” the chapel. Visiting this small chapel was one of the most surreal experiences of my life and a must see for visitors to Evora.
9. Cabo da Roca
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,019 reviews
Reviewed By jgoodnow
Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point in Europe and is well worth the trip from wherever you are on the Iberian peninsula. Windy, craggy, magnificent views of of the crashing surf; we could have spent hours here. Sadly, we were on an otherwise fabulous bus tour and only had 40 minutes. Bring lunch and take your time!
