Best cities to visit in Portugal – History, culture and architecture

If you’re looking for the best cities to visit in Portugal, then this post is for you! Portugal is a small country, but with a huge diversity in terms of cities, ranging from the bigger and cosmopolitan cities, such as Lisbon and Porto, to small scale cities, but filled with history, culture and architecture, such as Évora and Sintra. There is no better way to get to know Portugal than visiting its cities, from north to south, from the coast to the countryside, the most popular ones as well as the ones more off the beaten track. Of course, there is a lot of subjectivity when making up a list of “best cities in Portugal”, but we have done our best in chosing the ones we believe are truly the best cities in Portugal! We also made the decision to include in this post only cities located in mainland Portugal. Start preparing your trip and enjoy your itinerary through some of the best cities in Portugal.

• Check out our post about the best itineraries for road trips in Portugal.

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Uma publicação partilhada por Carla Mota e Rui Pinto ✈︎ Viajantes (@viajar_entre_viagens)

In order to visit the best cities in Portugal, you should rent a car.

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Travel insurance is more important than ever for a trip without worries, specially for a road trip.

Buy your travel insurance for your visit to the best cities in Portugal.

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BEST CITIES TO VISIT IN PORTUGAL

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Here is our list of the best cities to visit in Portugal

1. Visit Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal

Lisbon is, of course, one of the cities in Portugal not to be missed. But that doesn’t mean that a trip to Portugal should be synonymous with visiting Lisbon and little else. Despite all the attractions of its capital, Portugal is much more than Lisbon. However, Lisbon continues to be a mandatory stop, being one of the most beautiful European capitals, appealling to the youngest, the most experienced tourists and all those who like places with charisma.

• Check our post about the UNESCO Heritage Sites in Portugal.

Traditional neighborhoods, good food, music and bars, historical monuments, museums, sun and good weather, everything combines to make Lisbon one of the cities in Portugal not to be missed.

Book your stay in Lisbon at Torel Palace, in a traditional 19th-century mansion, surrounded by a garden with a swimming pool.

2. Visit Évora, one of the historical cities in Portugal

Évora is one of the cities in Portugal with greatest heritage, its historic center having been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Brutally hot in the summer, during the rest of the year it is a destination not to be missed if you like History and Culture.

• Check out our post with all the tips to visit Évora.

Its biggest attractions are its university, the Cathedral, the churches and convents and the ruins of a Roman temple. Finally, it can serve as a base for exploring Alentejo, a region of Portugal full of surprises.

3. Visit Sintra, the fairytale of cities in Portugal

Sintra is, among the cities in Portugal, the one which appears right out of a fairytale, gifted with a cultural (and architectural) landscape, fruit of 19th century Romanticism, which is a UNESCO Heritage Site.

• Check out our post with all the tips to visit Sintra.

A mix of fairytale palaces, extravagant villas, a mountain range of lush vegetation and an enigmatic castle that dominates the horizon, Sintra is one of the cities in Portugal not to be missed.

Book your stay at Valverde Sintra Palácio de Seteais, an elegant hotel set in the mountainside of Sintra with privileged views of the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace.

4. Visit Olhão and enjoy the beaches of the south of Portugal

Olhão is one of the cities in Portugal not to be missed if you want to discover the still traditional way of life of fishermen and at the same time enjoy some of the best beaches in Portugal.

Located in Algrave, the southernmost region of Portugal, the climate and the culture are very different from, for example, the north of the country. Besides, the beaches of Fuzeta and Olhão are our favorite corner of the Ria Formosa and one of our favorite places in the Algarve.

Book your stay in Olhão at Real Marina Hotel & Spa, with indoor and outdoor pools with panoramic sea views.

5. Visit Fátima, the religious symbol of the cities in Portugal

Fátima is a symbol of how a small village can turn into a city in a few decades, in this case because of a religious event. Unknown until 1917, Fátima houses today one of the main sanctuaries of Marian worship in the world, and is an international pilgrimage destination, for prayer and fulfillment of promises.

• Check out our post with all the tips to visit Fátima.

Fátima is one of the most visited places in Portugal and, even if you are not Christian, it is interesting to visit Fátima and understand the devotion of a significant portion of the portuguese population.

Book your stay in Fátima at SDivine Fatima Hotel, Congress & Spirituality.

6. Visita Coimbra, the university city of Portugal

The most prestigeous of the university cities in Portugal, Coimbra is home to the first Portuguese university, and one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1290. Coimbra’s uptown grew around the square where the oldest original buildings of the university were organized and today is a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Main attractions include the Joanina Library, considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, the chapel of São Miguel, and the Sala dos Capelos, decorated with paintings of all the Kings of Portugal (with the exception of the Philippine Dynasty) and still used today for doctoral exams at the University of Coimbra.

Book your stay in Coimbra at Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas – Small Luxury Hotels, situated in a historic palace that once accommodated the Duke of Wellington.

7. Visit Covilhã, the city in the mountains

Covilhã is one of the cities in the interior of Portugal with the most history and today one of its most dynamic centers. Covilhã is mainly the land of the wool industry, one of the symbols of Estrela mountain range, and the closest Portuguese city to the highest point in mainland Portugal. With the decline of the wool industry, Covilhã knew how to reinvent itself, becoming the headquarters of one of the most dynamic universities in the interior of Portugal, and increasingly becoming a winter and summer tourist destination.

Tourism in Covilhã has established itself as an increasingly important component of the city’s economy, exploring its industrial past, but largely based on its geographical location, in the heart of Estrela mountain range. With privileged access to the Tower and Ski Resort, Covilhã is naturally a winter tourist destination, a land of handicrafts and mountain cuisine, but it has also taken on the role of a summer destination, being the base of choice for visiting the highest mountain range in Portugal, and explore the Serra da Estrela Natural Park.

Book your stay in Covilhã at Pousada da Serra da Estrela, featuring panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

8. Visit Porto, one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal

The Douro River is closely linked to the founding of Porto and even Portugal. At its mouth, the Romans founded the towns of Portus and Cale, respectively on the north and south banks of the river, which later together designated the region between Douro and Minho, Portucale, and became the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.

• Check out our post with all the tips to visit Porto.

In addition to its historic center, a UNESCO world heritage site, the city of Porto can also serve as a base for exploring the Douro River and the Douro wine region, responsible for the production of the famous Port Wine.

• Check out our post about exploring Douro River by boat and train.

Book your stay at The Yeatman, located in Vila Nova de Gaia, with the best panoramic views over Porto and a 2-Michelin Star awarded restaurant.

9. Visit Guimarães, the birthplace of Portugal

Guimarães is one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal. Palaces, a medieval castle, an incredibly preserved historic centre, are just some of its attractions. This city in Portugal enchants in its details. Let yourself be enchanted by this beautiful city in Portugal.

• Check out our post about historical sites in Portugal, a list of must-see castles, churches & convents.

Afonso Henriques (Afonso I of Portugal) (1109-1185) was the first king of Portugal, reigning for 42 years. He was born in Guimarães and, as Count of Portucale, achieved Portuguese sovereignty in the Iberian Peninsula with the Treaty of Zamora in 1143, a date that is traditionally accepted as the creation of Portugal (recognized by the Pope in 1179).

Book your stay in Guimarães at Pousada Mosteiro de Guimarães, in a Situated in a 12th century Augustin Convent.

10. Visit Chaves and the far north of Portugal

Chaves is one of the northernmost cities in Portugal, halfway between the Peneda-Gerês National Park and the Montesinho Natural Park (making it a great base for exploring these two strongholds of fauna and flora in Portugal). It has an ancient history, having been founded as a municipality by the Romans in the first century of our era (at the time it was known as Aquae Flaviae) and was one of the most important cities in the Portucale County, disputed between Portugal and Spain for centuries. Recently, it has been arousing more interest due to being the start (or end) point of National Road 2, which runs through Portugal from North to South, covering a length of 739 km to Faro.

• Check out our post about the best itineraries for road trips in Portugal.

Book your stay in Chaves at Forte de São Francisco Hotel, in an historic 17th-century building, listed as a National Monument.

Chaves is located on the Penacova-Régua-Verín tectonic fault, an active fault measuring around five hundred kilometers, which allows the occurrence of hydrogeological phenomena, such as mineral and thermal springs. The Romans settled in what is now Chaves precisely because of the therapeutic qualities of its thermal waters (and also due to mining). In addition to the Chaves, the Vidago and Pedras Salgadas spas have been internationally recognized since the 19th century, attracting visitors from all over the world.

Book your stay at the majestic Vidago Palace, where the Belle Epoque style blends with modern luxuries, featuring a vanity pool, spa and 18-hole golf course.