This pousada was conceived as a monastery and rebuilt in 1485 adjacent to the town’s ancient Roman temple. The purity of its design and the absence of exterior encroachments from the modern world contribute to one of the most aesthetically thrilling experiences in Portugal. Inside there are no traces left of its original austerity — everything is luxurious and comfortable. Source:frommers.com
This pousada opened in 1942 during the most horrible days of World War II, near the strategic border crossing between neutral Portugal and Fascist Spain. Vaguely Moorish in design, with two low-slung stories, it was most recently renovated in 1992. It offers comfortable, colorful lodgings. Source:frommers.com
For centuries, the design and fabrication of lace, rugs, hand-knit clothing, wood carvings, and embroidered linens have evolved in homes and workshops throughout Portugal. Although some of the cruder objects available for sale are a bit clunky, the best can be called art. From the north to the south, store after store offers regional handcrafts. Source:frommers.com
In Portugal, any piece of jewelry advertised as “gold” must contain at least 19.2 karats. This purity allows thousands of jewelers to spin the shining stuff into delicate filigree work with astounding detail. Whether you opt for a simple brooch or for a depiction in gold or filigreed silver of an 18th-century caravel in full four-masted sail, Portugal produces jewelry worthy of an infanta’s dowry at prices more reasonable than you might expect. The country abounds in jewelry stores.Source:frommers.com
During the 1500s, this structure served as a defensive link in a chain of fortresses surrounding Lisbon. Today it boasts antique azulejos (glazed earthenware tiles), panoramic views of the town, and a keen sense of Portuguese history. The rooms are simple (some might say monastic) but comfortable and tidy.Source:frommers.com
Early in Portugal’s history, builders learned to compensate for the lack of lumber by perfecting the arts of masonry, stuccoing, and ceramics. All were used to construct the country’s sturdy, termite-proof buildings. After the ouster of the Moors, their aesthetic endured in the designs painted on tiles and ceramic plates, vessels, and jugs. Later, styles from Holland, England, and China combined to influence a rich tradition of pottery-making. The most prevalent of these appear as the blue-and-white azulejos (tiles), each with an individual design, which adorn thousands of indoor and outdoor walls throughout the country. Equally charming are the thousands of plates, wine and water jugs, and vases adorned with sylvan landscapes populated with mythical creatures. New and (to a lesser extent) antique samples of any of these items can be acquired at outlets throughout Portugal.Source:frommers.com
The Moorish traditions that once prevailed in the town of Arraiolos, where the carpets are still manufactured, inspired their intricate stitching. Teams of embroiderers and weavers work for many days, using pure wool in combinations of petit point with more widely spaced ponto largo cross-stitches. The resulting depictions of garlands of fruit and flowers (a loose interpretation of French Aubusson carpets) and animals scampering around idealized gardens (a theme vaguely inspired by carpets from Persia and Turkey) are some of the most charming items for sale in Portugal. The size of the piece and the intricacy of the design determine the price, which is often less than half what you’d pay in North America. If you can’t make it to Arraiolos, you’ll find the carpets for sale at outlets in Lisbon. Source:frommers.com
As the northern coastline approaches Galicia in Spain, the Atlantic waters grow colder, and even in summer they’re likely to be windswept. But on certain days they’re among the most dramatic in Europe. We like the wide, sandy beach at Ponte de Lima, but there are many others. Notable destinations are the resort of Espinho, south of Porto, and other beach meccas, including Póvoa do Varzim and Ofir, which have some of the best hotels, restaurants, and watersports equipment in the country. Source:frommers.com
Housed in a structure built during the Middle Ages, the Santa Isabel is the most lavish pousada in Portugal. Reproductions of 17th-century antiques, about .5 hectares (1 1/5 acres) of gleaming marble, and elaborately detailed tapestries create one of the most authentic old-fashioned decors in the region. Guests have included Vasco da Gama, who was received here by Dom Manuel before the explorer’s departure for India. Source:frommers.com
The most important maritime museum in the world – a rich tribute to Portugal’s Age of Exploration — is in the west wing of the Jerónimos Monastery. The thousands of displays include royal galleons dripping with gilt and ringed with depictions of saltwater dragons and sea serpents. Source:frommers.com