Boutique
Palácio Belmonte
Lisbon · Alfama
15th-century palace next to São Jorge castle — 10 suites lined with Sintra azulejos and Lisbon's oldest garden.
From 700€Check prices→
01
Excursions
The most-booked experiences on the island · book with free cancellation
Tours & excursions · Best-sellers on Viator
Portugal — Lisbon miradouros, Douro river cruises, Sintra palaces and Algarve caves
Hand-picked from Viator's top-rated experiences on Portugal, sorted by review volume and average rating. Free cancellation up to 24 h before, reserve now and pay later.
- ◆ Free cancellation 24 h
- ◆ Reserve now, pay later
- ◆ Instant confirmation
- ◆ Best-price guarantee
Culture9 hoursSintra, Cascais & Cabo da Roca full-day from Lisbon
4.7(15,200 reviews)
The Lisbon day-trip everyone leaves happiest with: Sintra's UNESCO palaces, the initiation well of Regaleira, the cliffs of Cabo da Roca and cocktails on the Cascais bay before returning at sunset.
From
€75per person
- Pena Palace skip-the-line
- Cabo da Roca (Europe's edge)
- Colares wine stop
- Cascais old town
Food & wine10 hoursDouro Valley wine tour with river cruise & lunch from Porto
4.8(9,800 reviews)
The full Douro classic: two working port quintas with tastings, a scenic Douro river cruise between Régua and Pinhão, and a long lunch at a family-run winery with river views.
From
€110per person
- Two port tastings
- Douro river cruise
- Wine-country lunch
- Small group
Boat & beach2.5 hoursBenagil Cave & Algarve coast boat tour from Portimão
4.7(8,600 reviews)
The most-booked Algarve boat tour: a fast catamaran along the Benagil cliffs, into the famous cathedral cave and past the double arches of Praia da Marinha with dolphin spotting on the way back.
From
€35per person
- Benagil cave entry
- Praia da Marinha arches
- Dolphin spotting
- Free swim stop
Culture3 hoursLisbon tuk-tuk half-day — Alfama, Belém & the seven hills
4.9(7,200 reviews)
The easiest way to see the Lisbon hills without walking them. A private tuk-tuk winds through Alfama, up to São Jorge castle, out to Belém for the monastery and pastéis, and back along the Tagus.
From
€45per person
- Private tuk-tuk
- Alfama & Bairro Alto
- Belém stop
- Miradouro sunset optional
Culture10 hoursFátima, Nazaré & Óbidos day trip from Lisbon
4.7(5,400 reviews)
Three of central Portugal's biggest hits in one small-group day: the Fátima sanctuary, Nazaré's cliffs (home of the 30-metre wave) and the medieval walled village of Óbidos with a ginjinha in a chocolate cup.
From
€65per person
- Fátima sanctuary
- Nazaré viewpoint (Sítio)
- Óbidos walled town
- Ginjinha tasting
Nature8 hoursMadeira levada walk & Pico do Arieiro sunrise from Funchal
4.8(4,200 reviews)
The two things everyone comes to Madeira for in one day: a sunrise 4x4 to the top of Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) and a guided levada walk through the UNESCO Laurisilva laurel forest.
From
€60per person
- Pico do Arieiro summit
- Laurisilva levada walk
- 4x4 transport
- Local lunch
Food & wine3 hoursLisbon food & fado evening — 3 h tasting tour
4.9(3,900 reviews)
A walking tasting tour through Alfama and Mouraria with six food stops (bacalhau, tremoços, ginjinha, pastéis, tinned fish, queijo da Serra) that ends in an intimate fado house where the neighbours still sing.
From
€65per person
- Six food & wine stops
- Small fado house
- Local guide
- Small group (max 10)
Adventure10 hoursAzores São Miguel — Sete Cidades & Furnas full-day
4.8(2,600 reviews)
The island in a day: 4x4 into the Sete Cidades caldera for the blue-and-green lakes, then Furnas for the geothermal park and the cozido cooked underground on volcanic steam.
From
€75per person
- Sete Cidades viewpoint
- Furnas volcanic cozido lunch
- Terra Nostra thermal park
- 4x4 transport
Affiliate links with Viator: you pay the same price as on the official site, and Suites & Sunsets earns a small commission that helps keep our guides free to read.
02
Towns
The essential villages and what to do in each
01 · SeptLisbon
Seven hills over the Tagus — Alfama fado, Chiado terraces and Belém pastéis. Base four nights near Príncipe Real or Chiado.
Read the guide →- 03 · Sept
Sintra
The fairy-tale forest with Pena Palace, Regaleira and Cabo da Roca — Europe's westernmost tip.
Read the guide → 
05 · SeptPorto
The baroque ribeira on the Douro — port cellars in Gaia, Livraria Lello and Francesinhas.
Read the guide →- 07 · Sept
Douro Valley
The world's oldest demarcated wine region — terraced quintas and river cruises Régua–Pinhão.
Read the guide → - 09 · Sept
Algarve
Ochre cliffs, secret coves, the Benagil cave and Vila Joya on the sand.
Read the guide → - 11 · Sept
Madeira
The floating garden of the Atlantic — laurel forest levadas, Pico do Arieiro sunrises and Reid's pink cliffs.
Read the guide →
03
Town map
Filter by category and see what to do in each town
Loading map…
VerComerPlayaExcursiones● Beach
04
Beaches
Beach-by-beach guide with parking, best time and facilities
6 handpicked beaches
Beaches on this island
Each beach has its own guide: where to park, the best time to arrive, what's actually on site, the beach bars worth recommending and what to avoid.
Wild cove400 m
Praia da Marinha
Lagoa · Algarve
The Algarve's poster beach — twin arches on an ochre-cliff amphitheatre
- ◆
- Parking: Two free clifftop lots (fill by 10 h in summer).
- ◆
- Best time: Early morning for the calmest water and empty stairs.
Wild cove200 m
Praia do Camilo, Lagos
Lagos
200 wooden steps down to the Algarve's most photogenic twin coves
- ◆
- Parking: Free clifftop car park (small — arrive early).
- ◆
- Best time: Morning to secure a spot; sunset for photos.
Sandy beach6 km
Praia da Falésia
Albufeira & Loulé
Six kilometres of red-and-white cliffs — the Algarve's longest continuous beach
- ◆
- Parking: Several free lots — Alfamar, Rocha Baixinha, Olhos de Água.
- ◆
- Best time: Late afternoon for the cliff light show.
Sandy beach800 m
Praia do Guincho
Cascais
The wind-swept Atlantic beach at the edge of the Sintra-Cascais park
- ◆
- Parking: Paid clifftop lots along the EN247.
- ◆
- Best time: Late morning before the nortada wind picks up.
Wild cove150 m
Praia de Benagil
Lagoa · Algarve
The tiny fishing cove that guards Portugal's most famous sea cave
- ◆
- Parking: Small paid lot (fills 09 h in summer).
- ◆
- Best time: Sunrise SUP tour to have the cave to yourself.
Sandy beach9 km
Praia de Porto Santo
Porto Santo · Madeira
Nine kilometres of golden sand on Madeira's sister island
- ◆
- Parking: Free lots along the coast road.
- ◆
- Best time: July–September for the warmest water and calm sea.
05
Sleep
Beds worth the trip
Style
Luxury
The Yeatman
Vila Nova de Gaia · Porto
Wine-themed hotel over the Douro with two Michelin stars, a 25,000-bottle cellar and the best view of Porto's ribeira.
From 420€Check prices→
Luxury
Six Senses Douro Valley
Lamego · Douro
19th-century manor above the Douro terraces — vineyard hikes, port tastings and a wine library spa.
From 580€Check prices→
Luxury
Belmond Reid's Palace
Funchal · Madeira
1891 pink palace on the cliffs above Funchal bay. Sub-tropical gardens, three saltwater pools and the William (1★).
From 620€Check prices→
Boutique
Vila Joya
Albufeira · Algarve
Cliffside Relais & Châteaux with a two-star restaurant — Dieter Koschina's Austrian-Portuguese tasting menu on the Atlantic.
From 650€Check prices→
Boutique
São Lourenço do Barrocal
Monsaraz · Alentejo
200-year-old family farm reborn as a 40-room retreat — Susanne Kaufmann spa, own vineyard and stargazing in a UNESCO Dark Sky reserve.
From 350€Check prices→
Book your stay
Compare real prices across 70+ booking sites for Portugal, or add travel insurance for peace of mind.
Affiliate links · price shown on the partner's site · best-price guarantee
06
Eat
Tables jotted on a napkin
- Book →
Belcanto (2★)
José Avillez · Portuguese avant-garde · Lisbon · Chiado
- Book →
Alma (2★)
Henrique Sá Pessoa · modern Portuguese · Lisbon · Chiado
- Book →
The Yeatman (2★)
Ricardo Costa · Douro-view tasting · Vila Nova de Gaia
- Book →
Vila Joya (2★)
Dieter Koschina · Algarve on the sand · Albufeira
- Book →
Il Gallo d'Oro (2★)
Benoît Sinthon · Madeira · Funchal
- Book →
Pastéis de Belém
The original 1837 custard tart · Lisbon · Belém
07
Diario
A journal entry
Entry 04 · Thursday
Sunrise SUP into the Benagil cave
05:45 pick-up in Carvoeiro, on the water by 06:30 — a two-person SUP into an empty Benagil cave with the oculus overhead. The sun angles in from the east and turns the sand pink. Breakfast tosta mista at O Xandra. Long walk along the Seven Hanging Valleys to Praia da Marinha, back for a swim at Praia da Marinha. Dinner: cataplana at Ocean at Vila Vita Parc (2★). Bed early — Douro quinta drive tomorrow.
- ✓Book the 06:30 SUP tour 3 days ahead
- ✓Vila Joya + Ocean books 60 days out
- ✗Rent a car in Faro for the coast loop
08
Itineraries
Ready-to-copy routes
5 days · Lisbon + Sintra + Cascais
Three nights in Lisbon with a full day in Sintra and a Cascais coast loop finishing at Cabo da Roca.
Leer itinerario →7 days · Lisbon + Douro + Porto
The classic north-south by rail: Lisbon (3), a Douro Valley quinta (2), then Porto and its port cellars (2).
Leer itinerario →10 days · Portugal end-to-end
Add the Algarve coast — Lagos, Benagil and Tavira — and finish with a Madeira or Azores island stopover.
Leer itinerario →09
Practical
What we've noted for next time
Getting there
Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO) are the two mainland hubs — TAP flies direct from most European capitals plus Brazil, USA and Canada. Faro (FAO) is the Algarve gateway; Funchal (FNC) and Ponta Delgada (PDL) reach Madeira and the Azores.
Getting around
Portugal's rail spine is excellent — Alfa Pendular Lisbon–Porto in 2h50, Comboios de Portugal for regional lines. Rent a car for the Algarve, Alentejo, Douro back-roads and any island. Avoid driving in central Lisbon or Porto — trams, tuk-tuks and the metro do the job.
Best time to go
May–June and September–early October are the sweet spots — warm sea, open beach clubs, no August crowds. July–August is peak everywhere but crushed in the Algarve. November–March is mild in Lisbon; Madeira is 20 °C year-round; the Azores peak June–September for whale watching.
Emergencies
112 pan-European number. SNS public hospitals are free at point of use for EU visitors with an EHIC/GHIC. 'Farmácias de serviço' rotate 24-h duty — every pharmacy posts the closest one on its door.