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Sightseeing in Portugal A white walled beach resort villa with large bay windows revealing an untouched, white sand beach on the southern coast of Algarve is all one might ask for when visiting Portugal. For those travelers with a bee in their bonnet, there are plenty of amazing things to do and see. From Algarve’s Celtic ruins to the birthplace of Port, Portugal packs quite a few stunning, and delightful attractions into a relatively small, thin stretch of land.
Vilamoura, in the Algarve region in the south of Portugal, is a hotspot for golf courses, whose verdant patches and numerous sand traps present a stern challenge as amateurs and pros from around the world drive and put on these championship courses with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. Squint your eyes and you still won’t see the Azores Islands, the resort retreat archipelago that rivals the Canary Islands in its desolate, mysterious beauty.
Back on the mainland, listing off all of Lisbon’s innumerable attractions would be a daunting challenge better left untaken. Instead, let’s turn the focus to the very best of Lisbon. Quite possibly one of Europe’s least known yet most remarkable cathedrals is the Sé, which dates back the mid 12th century and is a stunning example of the Romanesque style of architecture. Portugal defeated the Moors much sooner than Spain, and this religious attraction commemorates that victory – it is built where once a mosque stood. A century later, the cathedral was the inspiration for by an impressive cloister to be built alongside it that also stands to this day, and is well worth a visit.
Heading further up north along the coast brings us to Porto, the city where the sweet dessert wine port was once brewed. Often served in a glass teacup rather than a chalice, Port hearkens to the gritty days of working class Portugal touched with sweet elegance. It’s a perfect drink for fine occasions, and more casual affairs, and is delicious with desert. Various wineries will give you tours throughout the city and the region, and free port tasting of course. There are also a number of churches and state buildings of historic intrigue, and the marina is simply splendid.
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