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Last Updated on October 7, 2023
Portugal is a small country but one with a rich and interesting history and with plenty of art and beautiful nature to keep you coming back to it. It offers attractions for tourists of all kinds and with all kinds of budgets as well.
Exploring the country is best done on your own time and schedule and in your own vehicle. In order to do that you’ll need an international drivers license for Portugal. It’s an easy document to obtain and once you do, you get to explore Portugal as it should have been done.
Lisbon The Capital
Lisbon, the nation’s capital is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It’s a port city that offers a wonderful blend of different cultures and influences that have shaped the country over the years. Start by exploring the historical core of the city and move from there.
It also features a collection of some of the best museums in the world. Oceanário attracts the largest crowds, but you should also take the time to see the modern Parque das Nações. Quite a few historic sites from the age of explorations are also located in Lisbon and protected by UNESCO.
Sintra UNESCO
Make sure to take a day trip from Lisbon and visit Sintra, a city that’s as a whole a part of the UNESCO’s world heritage list. The town is dominated by the Palacio Nacional, for which it’s most well known. The tower is known for its twin chimneys and strange color pallet.
Palacio de Pena is also located in Sintra and it was a summer home for the royal home in the 19th century. Seeing the city from the top of the tower makes you feel as if you’ve stepped into the postcard.
Porto’s Waterfronts
Porto is probably the second most popular city in the country and one that you need to visit. It’s settled at the mouth of the River Douro and has one of the most beautiful waterfronts in the world. The city cathedral is probably one of the most beautiful in the country and you should take the time to check it out.
Take a boat ride on the Douro and see the city from a different point of view. Cruises are the most popular way to take a tour of the city and learn about its beautiful architecture.
Evora
Evora is based deep inside the Altejeho and it’s too often overlooked as one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal. It’s mostly well known for its beautiful and perfectly preserved historic monuments. It’s a city that you should explore slowly and at your own pace in order to get the most out of it.
The city also has a personality to it and it feels slow and homey as a small town that you can come back to any time and enjoy in a different way every time you do. The architecture and aesthetic of Evora are a product of its rich and complex history you can learn all about, along the way.
