This pousada lies in a wing of the castle that protects one of the most perfectly preserved medieval towns in Portugal. In 1285, King Dinis offered the castle — along with the entire village — to his beloved Queen Isabel. Inside, the medieval aesthetic coexists with improved plumbing, electricity, and unobtrusive contemporary comforts.Source:frommers.com
A textile magnate built this hotel in 1951 in the style of a Portuguese manor house. Its elegant detailing makes it appear much older than it is. It’s the most nostalgic, elegant, and ornate hotel in Porto. The managers began their careers here as teenage bellboys, and the staff members have obvious pride in their hotel.Source:frommers.com
One of the leading government-rated five-star hotels in the north of Portugal offers 15 floors of grand comfort with the largest roster of facilities in the city, including an outdoor pool with a panoramic view on the 15th floor. This bastion of good taste and luxury is as popular with tourists as it is with its business clients.Source:frommers.com
Porto’s most elegant restaurant, serving a Brazilian cuisine, is housed in a 19th-century antique manor restored to its Belle Epoque glory. The town’s finest chefs turn out a savory cuisine specializing in grilled seafood. Source:frommers.com
The Palácio enjoyed its heyday during the 1950s and 1960s, when every deposed monarch of Europe seemed to disappear into the Art Deco hotel’s sumptuous suites. The result: the curious survival in Estoril of the royal ambience of a Europe gone by. Today “the Palace” maintains a staff whose old-timers are among the best in Europe at offering royal treatment to guests.Source:frommers.com
In the 1830s, the power of many of Portugal’s fabulously wealthy monasteries was violently curbed. Many of the monasteries’ art treasures, including the country’s best collection of Portuguese primitives, as well as gold and silver plate crafted from raw materials mined in India, are displayed at the 17th-century palace of the counts of Alvor. Source:frommers.com
The convent was originally intended to house only about a dozen monks, but after the king of Portugal was blessed with an heir, he became obsessed with its architecture and vastly augmented its scale. Construction began in 1717, and funding came from gold imported from Portuguese settlements in Brazil. Some 50,000 laborers toiled more than 13 years to complete the convent. Today the buildings alone cover 4 hectares (9 9/10 acres) and include a royal palace as well as accommodations for 300 monks. A park whose outer wall measures 19km (12 miles) surrounds the complex. Source:frommers.com
Founded by Queen Amélia in 1904, when the horse-drawn buggy was becoming obsolete, this museum is on the premises of the riding school of the Palácio do Belém (the official home of the Portuguese president). It contains dozens of magnificent state carriages, some decorated with depictions of Portugal’s maritime discoveries.Source:frommers.com
In central Portugal, north of Lisbon, some of the finest beaches in Europe open onto the Atlantic. Like gems in a necklace, good, sandy beaches stretch from Praia de Leirosa north to Praia de Espinho. The surf can be heavy and the undertow strong. Major resorts include Figueira da Foz and nearby Buarcos. The beaches between Praia de Mira and Costa Nova are more secluded.Source:frommers.com
On a rocky hilltop above the modern resort of Quinta do Lago (with which it is not associated), this restaurant occupies a century-old farmhouse, with kitchens modernized for the preparation of gourmet food. The sophisticated cuisine includes preparations of upscale French and Portuguese recipes. Source:frommers.com