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Arco de Repouso
You can leave the Cidade Velha through the medieval Arco de Repouso (Gate of Rest) – apparently Afonso III, after taking Faro from the Moors, put his feet up and heard Mass nearby. Around the gateway are some of the town walls oldest sections – Afonso IIIs improvements on the Moori
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Santuário do Senhor da Pedra
Below town this imposing, if a little ramshackle, hexagonal church is an 18th-century baroque gem in need of some tender loving care. Its worth the stroll down here for the unusual hexagonal interior; in the altar is the stone sculpture of Christ crucified that gives the place its
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Lagoas de Bertiandos e São Pedro de Arcos
This 350-hectare nature reserve is set in a wildlife-rich humid zone just north of the Rio Lima. There’s a wildlife interpretation centre and eight hiking trails, ranging from an easy lakeside loop (1.6km) to a longer 12.5km hike. Get there on the A27 4km west from Ponte de Lima, t
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Espaço Porto Cruz
This swank port wine emporium inside a restored 18th-century riverside building celebrates all things port. In addition to a shop where tastings are held (€5 for three ports), there are exhibition halls, a rooftop terrace with panoramic views and the DeCastro Gaia restaurant on the
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Parque do Fontelo
A haven of woodland and open space sprawls beyond the Portal do Fontelo. Here are the 16th-century Antigo Paço Episcopal (former Bishop’s Palace), now home to the Dão Regional Vintners’ Commission (CVRD), together with once-lovely Renaissance gardens, a stadium and a recreation com
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LX Factory
Lisbons new hub of creativity hosts a dynamic menu of events from live concerts and film screenings to fashion shows and art exhibitions. Theres a rustically cool cafe as well as a restaurant, bookshop and design-minded shops. Weekend nights see parties with a dance- and art-loving
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Praça da Figueira
Praça da Figueira is framed by whizzing traffic, Pombaline townhouses and alfresco cafes with stellar views of hilltop Castelo de São Jorge. At its centre rises gallant King João I, once celebrated for his 15th-century discoveries in Africa, now targeted by pigeons and gravity-defy
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M|i|mo
Just below the castle, this likeable museum focuses on the history of the moving image, with a fine collection of cine cameras and temporary exhibitions on the top floor. Best is the interactive floor in between, with lots of optical illusions and things to spin. Its worth getting
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Museu Regional do Algarve
Elements of old peasant life – such as a small fishing boat and a wooden water cart (used until the owner’s death in 1974) – are on display, along with ceramics, fabrics and dioramas of typical interiors. Labelling is scarce – basic written information is available in English and o
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Jardim Botânico
A serene place to catch your breath, the lovely university-run botanic garden sits in the shadow of the 16th-century Aqueduto de São Sebastião . Founded by the Marquês de Pombal, the gardens combine formal flowerbeds, meandering paths and elegant fountains. The green-fingered can a
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Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição
This baroque, 17th-century Jesuit church, built on the site of the former royal palace, looms over the town’s most impressive square, Praça Sá da Bandeira. The church now serves as the town’s cathedral. Inside is a lush baroque ceiling bursting with angels, plus a number of elabora
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Castelo de São Tiago da Barra
You can still scoot around the ramparts of this squat castle, a short walk west of the centre, which began in the 15th century as a smallish fort. It was integrated into a larger fort, commissioned by Felipe II of Spain (Felipe I of Portugal) in 1592, to guard the prosperous port a
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Praia de Garajau
At the foot of the cliff atop which stands the Christo Rei statue, this stony beach was once used for dismembering and boiling up whales caught by boats off Madeira. Its since been turned into a leisure complex with a restaurant and other facilities reached by cable car or a very l
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Centro de Arte Contemporânea Graça Morais
This cross-border collaboration between Portugal and Spain has a permanent collection that features local painter Graça Morais’ haunting portraits of Trás-os-Montes residents, alongside more abstract work. The modern annexe showcases rotating special exhibitions, and theres a cafe
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Avenida dos Aliados
Lined with bulging, beaux-arts facades and capped by the stately câmara municipal (municipal council), this avenida recalls grand Parisian imitators like Buenos Aires and Budapest. Its central plaza was restored a few years back and often hosts pop-up-book, comic and art festivals
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Casa das Histórias Paula Rego
The Casa das Histórias Paula Rego showcases the disturbing, highly evocative paintings of one of Portugal’s finest living artists. Exhibits span Rego’s career, from early work with collage in the 1950s to the twisted fairy tale–like tableaux of the 1980s, and up to the disturbing
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Military Museum
Also added was the miniature zigzag-walled Forte de Santa Luzia , just 1.4km south of the praça . This now houses the military museum . The Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça , 3km north of town, with a similar shape, was added in the following century; it’s still in use as an army ba
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Pólo Museológico da Água
This small modern museum is on the square in pretty Querença and has a model of a waterwheel as well as information panels (in Portuguese) on water use. Theres also a tourist office here, and it holds the keys to the church opposite. Despite official opening hours, youll often find
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Estrada Romana
Fifteen minutes northeast of Porto de Mós by car, a section of ancient Roman road has been converted into a walking trail. Marked with red and yellow blazes, the old road bed meanders through the hills for 9km; the most impressive section is at the signposted trailhead just above t
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Palácio da Assembleia da República
The columned, temple-like Palácio da Assembleia da República is where Portugal’s parliament, the Assembleia da República, makes its home. It was once the enormous Benedictine Mosteiro de São Bento, and is decorated with lofty Doric columns and graceful statues of temperance, pruden
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