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Albufeira
Central on the Algarve coast and only 40 minutes away from the Faro airport, Albufeira has been the most popular holiday destination in the…
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Alcacer do Sal
River Sado at Alcacer photo: Portuguese Eyes Alcácer do Sal is an historical town crowned by castles whose medieval cobbled streets,…
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Aljezur
Aljezur is a small market town of whitewashed houses and cobbled streets located thirty kilometers north of Lagos near the border between the…
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Almancil
A fifteen minute drive from the main airport in Faro, the small town of Almancil is perfectly pleasant and typical of the Algarve. The neighbouring…
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Amarante
Amarante Amar is the Portuguese verb to love, and it is perhaps fitting that it should be the first part of the name of this attractive town.…
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Aveiro
Aveiro Aveiro is a medium town of around 55,000 people that grew up around its thriving port. Established in Roman times, Aveiro was initially…
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Azores
Rising straight out of the Atlantic Ocean around 1,500Km off the coast of mainland portugal is the Azores (Açores) archipelago. Volcanic…
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Barcelos
Probably the most famous symbol of Portugal, the colourful ceramic cockerel has its origins in the pretty town of Barcelos where, according…
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Batalha
Batalha Monastery A small town amidst the hills of the Leiria area, Batalha only became a place of any significance upon the building of its…
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Beja
Beja Convent photo: António Sacchetti Inhabited since the Bronze Age, Beja became capital of the Lower Alantejo region under Roman rule…
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Braga
Braga José Manuel Famous for its historical buildings, monuments, gardens and fountains Braga is a beautiful city in the heart of the…
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Braganca
Bragança The name of the region of which Bragança is the capital belies its nature, being that Tras-os-Montes, quite literally…
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Caldas da Rainha
Caldas da Rainha The origins of the spa town of Caldas da Rainha lie in a journey made by the 15th century Queen Leonor to her father-in-law’s…
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Carvoeiro
Carvoeiro is an Algarve fishing village turned tourist hot spot located five kilometers south of Lagoa. Built into steep red sea cliffs, the…
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Cascais
Cascaisphoto: Jose Manuel At the end of one of the suburban train lines out of the capital lies Cascais. This once tiny fishing village has…
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Castelo Branco
Jardim do Paço Episcopal Castelo Branco is the capital of what used to be the province of Beira Baixa. Located just twenty kilometers…
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Chaves
In the remote northern region of Trás-os-Montes, Chaves (meaning ‘keys’) is only 10km away from Spain and lies on the upper…
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Coimbra
Coimbra photo:António Sacchetti In terms of historic significance and romantic beauty, Coimbra is second only to Lisbon and Oporto. Its…
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Costa da Caparica
Costa da Caparica A stone’s throw away from the capital on the southern side of the Tejo River, the Costa da Caparica is basically a long…
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Covilha
The Serra da Estrela is a wonderland of mountains. Clean air, crystal-clear streams and the ubiquitous sheep make it a magical destination far…
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Espinho
Espinho grid layout Originally a small fishing village boasting little more than a minor canning industry, the beach resort of Espinho now draws…
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Estoril
Estoril Casino Long established as the cosmopolitan holiday destination of the rich and famous on the Portuguese Riviera, Estoril has an elegance…
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Estremoz
The semi-arid plains of the eastern Alentejo stretch for miles before the pyramid-like settlement of Estremoz looms into view. To sum this place…
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Evora
Even from a distance the majestic importance of Evora is apparent, its cathedral dominating the view of the famous white and yellow city as…
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Faro
Faro photo: António Sacchetti Surrounded by fertile fields of trees bearing fruit, olives and the almonds for which the Algarve is famous,…
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Fatima
Jacinta & Francisco Marto and Lucia Santos Once a tiny village in the hills of Santarém between Lisbon and Oporto, Fátima…
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Figueira da Foz
Beach at Figueira photo: Paulo Magalhães Its nickname, Rainha das Praias (Queen of Beaches) leaves us in no doubt as to the main attraction…
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Grandola
Grândola, in the Setúbal district, is a typical small Alentejan town. Set amidst plains of crops and vast gatherings of cork trees,…
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Guarda
Its proximity to the Spanish border means that this whole area of the Beira region is dotted with fortifications and hilltop villages, and Guarda…
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Guimaraes
Heralded as the birthplace of Portugal as we know it today, the role of Guimaraes in establishing Portugal’s status as an independent…
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Lagos
Ponta da Piedade photo:Regiao de Turismo do Algarve One of the most popular tourist destinations on the Algarve and certainly one of my favourites,…
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Lamego
Lamego Nestled among the terraced slopes of the Douro valley port wine-growing region, and overlooked by an ornate shrine, the town of Lamego…
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Leiria
Leiria In the Beiras regions, all roads seem to lead to Leiria from surrounding tourist favourites such as Coimbra, Alcobaça, Fatima…
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Lisbon
Lisbon photo: Carlos GilLisbon is one of the most immediately likeable capitals in Europe. Located on the westernmost front of Continental Europe,…
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Luso
Luso spring water This small town just north of Coimbra is famous for one thing in particular: water. Agua de Luso is synonymous with good quality…
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Madeira
Map of Madeira The archipelago of Madeira is situated in the Atlantic Ocean 535 miles southwest of Lisbon and 490 miles off the coast of Morocco…
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Monsanto
photo: Mónica Pinheiro In 1938 Monsanto was voted the 'most Portuguese village in Portugal'. Since then it has been protected by building…
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Moura
Moura is a large town in the thinly-populated (and relatively impoverished) Alentejo region. The town is supposedly named after the Moorish…
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Nazare
Nazare fishing boats Possibly the most famous fishing town in Portugal, Nazaré is unique in many ways. It doesn’t contain the architectural…
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Obidos
Typical Obidos street Perched on a hill rising out of an agricultural plain, Óbidos is one of Portugal’s picturesque gems. From…
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Olhao
Olhão rooftops Olhao is a coastal town in the Algarve which grew out of the fishing industry in the seventeenth century. Olhão,…
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Ourem
Ourém Ourém is a town and municiplaity in central Portugal, near the city of Leiria. Ourem is mostly visited for its ruined castle…
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Palmela
Palmela Castle Another link in the ancient Portuguese defence system, Palmela is a charming small town centred around a fortified castle at…
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Peniche
Fortazela Peniche is a coastal city an hour's drive north of Lisbon. Peniche was an island until the sixteenth century, when silt created a…
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Portalegre
Portalegre photo: Portuguese Eyes Visiting Portalegre is not so much about visiting one interesting town, but about visiting a whole cluster…
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Portimao
Located towards the western end of the Algarve, Portimao is one of the largest towns on this coast with a population approaching 40,000. As…
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Porto
PortoPorto is considered the capital of the north and as the second largest city in Portugal, rightfully so. There are really very few similarities…
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Sagres
Ponta de SagresAlthough Sagres is on the Algarve it doesn't have the same over-developed holiday town feel of some of those towns further east.…
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Santarem
Igreja da Seminario Overlooking the wending Tagus River from its ridge-top position, Santarem is a town of historical significance, once renowned…
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Serpa
photo: IPPA/António Sacchetti Serpa is a sleepy hilltop town in rural Alentejo. Close proximity to the Spanish border gave rise to the…
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Sesimbra
Arrabida José Manuel This picturesque fishing port lies about 40km due south of Lisbon and is situated nestled at the foot of the hills…
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Setubal
Setubal José Manuel Setubal and its surrounding area are awash with history dating back to before the Roman period, indeed it is said…
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Silves
Silves is an attractive town with a rich history built on the banks of the River Arade. The river was navigable in historical times and represented…
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Sines
Sines is a long way off the tourist trail and on first impressions it is easy to see why. Sines is an industrial town dominated by its oil refinery…
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Sintra
Sintra Considered not only one of the wonders of Portugal but indeed of Europe, Sintra is truly a gem. Once the royal town of the country, it…
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Tavira
Tavira is one of the gems of the eastern Algarve. Straddling the River Gilao and the River Segua, its gentle charm and predominantly low-rise…
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Tomar
Although a small town, Tomar plays a large role in a very important stage of Portuguese history, with links to the Knights Templar and the Discoveries,…
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Vendas Novas
Vendas Novas is a municipality in the district of Evora. Vendas Novas is split into two parishes, Landeira and Vendas Novas. A royal palace…
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Viana do Castelo
Viana do Castelo Oft described as ‘Entre o mar, o rio e a montanha’ (between the sea, the river and the mountains), the northern…
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Vila Real
Vila Real, the capital of the Tras-o-Montes province, is a sleepy university town set in a sea of rural tranquility. The town is located above…
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Vilamoura
Vialmoura MarinaVilamoura is more of an area than a town in iself and has grown over the past couple of decades to more or less engulf Quarteira…
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Viseu
Traditional Viseu pottery Set on a plateau high in the hills of Beira Alta, this regional capital retains a medieval feel to what was once a…
Portugal Towns, Cities and Districts
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