Top 5 Best Cities to Visit

Lisbon is Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city. From imposing São Jorge Castle, the view encompasses the old city’s pastel-colored buildings, Tagus Estuary, and Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge. Nearby, the National Azulejo Museum displays 5 centuries of decorative ceramic tiles. Just outside Lisbon is a string of Atlantic beaches, from Cascais to Estoril. The city’s compact, the cobblestoned heart is easily explored on foot or via its old-fashioned trams and funiculars. The Moorish Alfama district has narrow, winding streets and taverns with fado singers. Chiado and its cafes, shopping, and seafood restaurants adjoin Bairro Alto, known for its nightlife. The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum complex, set amid serene gardens, displays noted art collections. On the waterfront are the ornate 16th-century Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, and, to the east, the ultramodern Parque das Nações district and its massive Oceanário aquarium.

Porto is a coastal city in northwest Portugal known for its stately bridges and port wine production. In the medieval Ribeira (riverside) district, narrow cobbled streets wind past merchants’ houses and cafes. São Francisco Church is known for its lavish baroque interior with ornate gilded carvings. The palatial 19th-century Palácio de Bolsa, formerly a stock market, was built to impress potential European investors. Clérigos Tower is the iconic baroque bell tower of Clérigos Church. An old tram follows the river to beachside bars in affluent Foz. Up the coast is fishing port Matosinhos, where seafood restaurants offer grilled sardines on the street. The 1886 Dom Luís iron bridge has a walkway that crosses the Douro River to the port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia. São Bento train station's immense azulejo tile panels depict battles and rural life in Portugal. The famous Lello & Irmão bookstore has ornate art nouveau features, and the Serralves Museum traces the history of contemporary art.

Sintra is a resort town in the foothills of Portugal’s Sintra Mountains, near the capital, Lisbon. A longtime royal sanctuary, its forested terrain is studded with pastel-colored villas and palaces. The Moorish- and Manueline-style Sintra National Palace is distinguished by dramatic twin chimneys and elaborate tilework. The hilltop 19th-century Pena National Palace is known for a whimsical design and sweeping views. Also perched above the city is the Moorish fortress Castelo dos Mouros, whose winding battlements and towers were originally built in the Middle Ages. Near the town center, the Quinta da Regaleira is an early-20th-century manor whose turrets overlook lush parkland sheltering grottoes and moss-covered tunnels. Just outside town, 30 hectares of atmospheric gardens surround the Moorish-style Monserrate Palace. The nearby monastery of Convento dos Capuchos, nicknamed the “Cork Convent” for its cork-lined walls, was immortalized in a poem by the English writer Lord Byron.

Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is an archipelago comprising 4 islands off the northwest coast of Africa. It is known for its namesake wine and warm, subtropical climate. The main island of Madeira is volcanic, green, and rugged, with high cliffs, pebbly beaches, and settlements on deltas of the Fajã River. Capital Funchal has botanic gardens and is known for its harbor and a large New Year's fireworks show. Dotted around the island of Madeira are vineyards and wineries producing sweet, fortified Madeira wine. Popular outdoor pursuits include hiking along old Levada (aqueducts) in the mountains, golf, and surfing as well as scuba diving at sites such as the Garajau Marine Nature Reserve. The small island of Porto Santo has a semi-arid climate and a long sandy beach at Vila Baleira. To the southeast are Desertas and Selvagens islands, uninhabited and wild.

Cascais is a coastal resort town in Portugal, just west of Lisbon. It’s known for its sandy beaches and busy marina. The old town is home to the medieval Nossa Senhora da Luz Fort and the Citadel Palace, a former royal retreat. Nearby is the whitewashed Nossa Senhora da Assunção church, with glazed azulejo tiles. Paula Rego House of Stories shows the Portuguese artist’s paintings in a modern building. King D. Carlos Sea Museum has a variety of seafaring artifacts. A striking mansion nearby houses the Castro Guimarães Museum, with lavish decorative arts. Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum explains the building’s past and has displays of optics. Boca do Inferno is an arched rock formation through which waves crash noisily. A promenade leads northeast from Cascais to the neighboring resort of Estoril, home to the Casino Estoril. To the northwest is broad Guincho Beach, with brisk breezes and strong surf. North of Cascais is the diverse landscapes of Sintra-Cascais Natural Park and the extravagant hilltop palaces of Sintra.

Source: wikipedia