From the Serra de Arrábida ridge there are views to the left of Mt Formosinho (499m), the highest point in the range, and to the right the site of Portinho and the Sado estuary. Below is the Franciscan Friary of Arrábida (founded in 1542), and nu..

On the site of an old 17C quinta , this architectural ensemble of Gothic, Renaissance and Manueline styles was built in the early 20C by Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920), a businessman interested in freemasonry and the esoteric. The quinta is a riot ..

From the summit with its cross there is a vast panoramic view over the entire massif (except Sintra ) and surrounding plain, as far as Lisbon to the south (beyond the Pena Palace ). The Pena Park has an accessible network of footpaths.

This huge church is striking for its sober feel and elegant vaulting. The chancel has stained-glass windows from the Manueline period (16C) illustrating scenes from the Lives of the Vigin and Christ.

Here is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (in fact two Portuguese soldiers, one killed in France, the other in Africa, during the First World War). The bold 20m-span stone vault is the work of master architect Huguet. The construction was so risky th..

King Duarte aspired to the establishment of a vast pantheon for himself and his descendants, but he alone lies here under an open sky in this unfinished monument. An octagonal rotunda (its portal bearing unusually exuberant Maneuline decoration) give..

Built in the 12C in emulation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, this two-storey rotunda structure is internally octagonal and supported on eight pillars; a vaulted ambulatory separates the inner core from a polygonal (sixteen-sided) e..

This nature park covers 74 788ha from Burgo in the Algarve to Sines in the Alentejo. From Cape St Vincent to Sines, the coastline is wild. Battered by wind and waves, the protected Costa Vicentina has tall grey cliffs rising above beaches which are o..

Built by Juan V in 1724, and composed of three huge rooms, with furniture in rare woods and sumptuous giltwood Baroque decoration. Chinoiserie mtifs are painted onto the surfaces, the colour different for each room: green, red or gold. The trompe-l’œ..

This villa was the property of a certain Rufus and dates from the mid-2C. Its room layout is clearly discernible from the column bases and flooring, much of which incorporates splendid mosaics. Around its central areas were sleeping quarters and rece..

Built between the 15C and the 17C, the Antigo Convento de Jesus has a 15C church ; in its chancel is the early-18C tomb of St Joana, by architect João Antunes. A museum since 1911, it has collections of religious and Baroque art: 16C Coimbra Scho..

From Gouveia, the route crosses the massif following the upper Zêzere Valley. Up on the high rocky plateaus, note the granite boulders formed by erosion like the Cabeça do Velho (“Old Man’s Head”). The Mondego rises at an altitude of 1 360m. From t..

With its source 2 060m up in Spain, the River Douro is an impetuous and unpredictable watercourse. It roars through the Spanish Meseta before flowing into the Atlantic above Porto. On the way, it has down the ages cut a steep granite valley (famed fo..

Established in 1971 and covering 70 000ha in the far north of the country, this is Portugal’s only national park. Its purpose is to protect the area’s landscape and archaeological sites, as well as its flora and fauna. Its numerous hamlets are inhabi..

Once the home of city founder Zarco, this quinta is now a decorative arts museum, exhibiting 16C Portuguese furniture, and 18C-19C English furniture. In the last room is a 15C Flemish reredos depicting the Nativity. The house sits in a botanical g..

This vast establishment incorporating a hotel, smart restaurant and golf club sits in a fine English-style park traversed by avenues planted with camelias. Over 3 000 species feature, and it is pleasant to wander among its remarkable exotic trees a..

After pasing the church of São Martinho , there is a fine view from Pico dos Barcelos over Funchal, Santo António and São Martinho. By the River Socorridos, there is a good view of its gorge. Then the route heads into the valley (fine panorama of it..

From the clifftop viewpoint there is a fine panorama over the coastal strip to the bay of Funchal. 580m below, the frothing ocean creates regular curving patterns. The route passes through terraces and banana plantations then drops down to Ribeira Br..

A staircase leads from the inn to the lighthouse. Halfway there, in the background look at the site of the old fortress. Follow the path to the west, towards the Wild Coast. From the top of the rocks, you will enjoy a very pretty view over the fo..

Built between 1995 and 1998, this vast road bridge, over 11 miles long, crosses the Tagus between Savacem and Monitjo. It was designed to relieve the traffic on bridge 25 and form a direct link between North and South, without having to go through Li..