Portugal is a top travel destination with so much to offer in terms of culture, scenery and food. The Portuguese people are very accommodating and the country is well geared up for tourists, making it extremely popular with the Brits and Americans. The weather in the summer months (from around May to September) is warm and sunny, which means that you are pretty much guaranteed that summer sun.
Most people spend a week in Portugal with a focus on Porto and Lisbon, before heading off to other destinations in Europe. But there’s a lot more to Portugal than the capital and second city.
Here are my top 5 cities in Portugal that everyone should visit
1. Lisbon
The Portuguese capital has to come at the top of the list – it is brimming with culture and things to do. Don’t miss Sao George castle, Se Cathedral and the National Azulejos Museum. You should also take a trip to Belem where you will find the Monument of Discoveries, Belem Tower and Jeronimos Monastery. Wear your walking boots as Lisbon is very hilly, but you’ll need to do plenty of walking to walk off those calories from all the pastel da nata (Portuguese custard tarts)!
2. Porto
Portugals second city, Porto is further North and has some fantastic things to see and do. Make sure that you join a walking tour or tuk-tuk tour in Porto. You will see some amazing sights including Clergies tower, Se Cathedral, Carmo Church and Livraria Lello (world famous bookstore). There are fabulous views of the river Duoro to be seen from Jardins do Palacio de Cristal. Also, if you are a fan of Port wine then you need to head over to the other side of the river to Gaia where you find an abundance of Porto houses.
3. Aveiro
Also in the North, the city of Aveiro is approximately 40 minutes by train from Porto. Aveiro is known as the Venice of Portugal due to the beautifully painted ‘moliceiro’ boats. It is one of the most beautiful and colourful cities in Portugal. Don’t miss Aveiro Museum, the marketplace and of course the canals. You won’t find as much sightseeing as in Porto or Lisbon, but Aveiro is more about the experience of simply enjoying the city itself.
4. Sintra
Sintra can easily be done as a day trip from Lisbon, but it’s also worth spending a few days there. Some of Portugals most beautiful palaces are found in Sintra including the outstanding Pena Palace – a hotchpotch of different colours and architectural styles. Also make sure that you visit Monserrate palace and the Moorish castle.
5. Coimbra
Slightly inland and located somewhere between Porto and Lisbon you will find the beautiful University city of Coimbra. Coimbra is famous as the Church of Santa Cruz houses the tombs of the first two kings of Portugal – Afonso Henriques and Sancho I. The University of Coimbra is the oldest in Portugal and during term time you will see students sporting their uniforms with ‘Harry Potter’ style capes. Also don’t miss the stunning Joanina library. Across the other side of the Mondego river you will find two interesting monasteries – Santa Clara a Velha and Santa Clara a Nova. The new monastery was built further up the hill because the old one was prone to flooding. You can visit both and the new monastery contains the tomb of Queen Isabel.
Portugal is such a pleasure to visit and I hope that this insight into the best Portuguese cities has inspired you to travel.