Regis St Louis - Lonely Planet Portugal

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Medieval castles, cobblestone villages, captivating cities and golden-sand beaches: the Portugal experience can mean many things. History, great food and wine, idyllic scenery and blazing nightlife are just the beginning

Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Christians all left their mark on the Iberian nation. Exploring Portugal means coming face to face with the great mysteries of the past. You can gaze upon 20,000-year-old stone carvings in the Vila Nova de Foz Ca, watch the sunset over mysterious megaliths outside vora or lose yourself in the elaborate corridors of Unesco World Heritage Sites in Tomar, Belm, Alcobaa or Batalha. You can pack an itinerary visiting palaces set above mist-covered woodlands, craggy cliff-top castles and stunningly preserved medieval town centres.

Freshly baked bread, olives, cheese, red wine or crisp vinho verde, chargrilled fish, cataplana (seafood stew), smoked meats the Portuguese have perfected the art of cooking (and eating) simple, delicious meals. Sitting down to table means experiencing the richness of Portugals bountiful coastline and fertile countryside. Of course, you dont have to sit, you can take your piping-hot pastel de nata (custard tart) standing up at an 1837 patisserie in Belm, or wander through scenic vineyards sipping the velvety ports of the Douro valley the oldest demarcated wine region on earth. You can shop the produce-filled markets of Porto and Lisbon, assembling a memorable picnic for the beach, and when its time to rest, book a table in one of the countrys top dining rooms, where talented young chefs all across Portugal are making waves.

Outside the cities, Portugals beauty unfolds in all its startling variety. You can overnight in converted hilltop castles and historic manors fronting vineyards and olive groves, go hiking amid the granite peaks of Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gers or take in the pristine scenery and historic villages of the little-explored Beiras. Over 800km of coast offer more places to soak up the splendour. You can gaze out over dramatic end-of-the-world cliffs, surf stellar breaks off dune-covered beaches or laze peacefully on sandy islands fronting calm blue seas. Youll find dolphin-watching in the lush Sado Estuary, boating and kayaking along the meandering Rio Guadiana and memorable walks and bike rides all across the country.

Festivals pack Portugals calendar. You can drink, dance and feast your way through all-night revelries like Lisbons Festa de Santo Antnio or Portos Festa de So Joo. There are kick-up-your-heels country fairs in the hinterlands, and rock- and world-music fests all along the coast. Of course, any time of year is right to hear the mournful music of fado in the Alfama, join the dance party in Bairro Alto or hit the bars in Porto, Coimbra and Lagos.

Nightlife in the Bairro Alto

Its midnight in the Bairro Alto ( ) and electricity crackles over the narrow cobblestone streets. As the moon rises over Lisbons hillsides, eye-catching urban art and graffiti-stained buildings guide revellers to the heart of this night-loving neighbourhood. The chatter of drink-toting celebrators blends with the urban rhythms of brassy local bands and House-spinning DJs. Traditional taverns and glossy dining rooms lure late-night diners, while others opt for mojitos and sangria sipped on sidewalks front-row seating to one of Europes finest evening shows.

HOLGER LEUE

Wooded Wonderland

Less than an hour by train from the capital, Sintra ( ) feels like another world. Like a page torn from a fairytale, Sintra is a quaint village sprinkled with stone-walled taverns and with a whitewashed palace looming over town. Forested hillsides form the backdrop to the storybook, with imposing castles, mystical gardens, strange mansions and centuries-old monasteries hidden among the woodlands. The fog that sweeps in by night adds another layer of mystery, and cool evenings are best spent fireside in one of Sintras many charming B&Bs.

Palcio Nacional de Sintra
GREG ELMS

Porto

It would be hard to dream up a more romantic city than Portugals second largest ( ). Laced with narrow pedestrian laneways, it is blessed with countless baroque churches, epic theatres and sprawling plazas. Its Ribeira district a Unesco World Heritage Site is just a short walk across a landmark bridge from centuries-old port wineries in Vila Nova de Gaia, where you can sip the worlds best port. And though some walls are crumbling, renewal in the form of spectacular modern architecture, cosmopolitan restaurants, burgeoning nightlife and a vibrant arts scene is palpable.

Ribeira district, Porto
BRENT WINEBRENNER

Historic vora

The Queen of the Alentejo and one of Portugals most beautifully preserved medieval towns, vora ( ) is an enchanting place to spend several days delving into the past. Inside the 14th-century walls, voras narrow, winding lanes lead to striking architectural works: an elaborate medieval cathedral and cloisters, Roman ruins and a picturesque town square. Historic and aesthetic virtues aside, vora is also a lively university town, and its many attractive restaurants serve up excellent, hearty Alentejan cuisine.

PAUL BERNHARDT

The Cliffs of Cabo de So Vicente

Theres something thrilling about standing at Europes most southwestern edge, a headland of barren cliffs to which Portuguese sailors bid a nervous farewell as they sailed past, venturing into the unknown during Portugals golden years of exploration. The windswept cape is redolent of history if you squint hard (really hard), youll see the ghost of Vasco da Gama sailing past. These days, a fortress and lighthouse perch on the cape. A new museum ( ) beautifully highlights Portugals maritime navigation history.