Portugal - attractions - Countries Guide

Castelo de Sao Jorge
The walls of Saint George's Castle, sitting atop a hill guarding the Tagus, date from the Moorish occupation in the 10th century, but the site has been a fortress for centuries, possibly from 500 AD. The castle is regarded as the cradle of Lisbon, and today it provides a panoramic view of the River Tagus and the Alfama medieval district, which is spread out below it. Visitors can walk the esplanades and climb the ramparts. A multimedia show is available during the day which brings alive the history of Lisbon. The castle grounds are planted with olive, pine and cork trees and provide a pleasant spot to relax.
Telephone: 218 800 620
Website: www.castelosaojorge.egeac.pt
Transport: Bus 37 or tram 12 or 38
Opening times: Daily 9am to 9pm (November to March) and 9am to 9pm (March to November)

Alfama
The oldest part of Lisbon, the Alfama quarter sprawls down the hillside from below the Castelo de Sao Jorge, retaining much of the traditional colour and atmosphere from the days when it was the ancient seat of the Saracens. Along the narrow cobblestone alleyways are taverns and street markets, interspersed with close-packed houses still occupied by stevedores, fishmongers and sailors. At the edge of the Alfama, Lisbon's renowned flea market, the Feira da Ladra, is held in the Campo de Santa Clara every Tuesday and Saturday. The Alfama is also full of historic buildings and churches, which are well worth exploring. Some of the buildings display fading coats of arms, which bear testimony to the fact that the Alfama was once home to aristocrats. At night the Alfama takes on a more mysterious aspect with street lanterns throwing shadows on the medieval walls, and it is advisable to avoid the area after dark in favour of the Bairro Alto café and nightclub district.
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Sé (Cathedral)
Although this cathedral in Largo da Se in the Alfama district is not outwardly appealing, it was the first church in Lisbon, built on the site of a Saracen mosque after the city was captured by the Crusaders in the 12th century. Inside, this ancient church features some treasures, like the font where St Anthony of Padua was baptised in 1195, and numerous notable relics, images and icons.
Telephone: 21 886 6752
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Transport: Tram 28
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 7pm, Sunday and Monday 9am to 5pm

Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
Gulbenkian was an Armenian oil magnate who died in 1955 having put together one of the world's finest private art collections. The collection is now housed in a modern centre where the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation sponsors a host of cultural and performing arts projects, and has a rotating exhibition of works by Portuguese and foreign artists. The Gulbenkian collection itself covers Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, Islamic ceramics and textiles, Syrian treasures, Chinese ceramics, Japanese prints and lacquerware and European medieval illuminated manuscripts. The collection is so vast and varied as to be breathtaking. Among the paintings are two Rembrandts, a Rubens and a Renoir.
Telephone: 21 782 3000
Website: www.museu.gulbenkian.pt
Transport: Bus 16, 726, 56, 718, 742 or metro to S. Sebastião or Praça de Espanha stations
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5.45pm

. The Bairro Alto
The Bairro Alto district (literally the Upper City) is, like the Alfama, an historic enclave dating from 1513, which is reached in a novel way via the Santa Justa Elevator (a structure reminiscent of the Eiffel tower in Paris) from the lower city. The colourful district resounds to the calls of vendors and fishmongers, and the windows and balconies are festooned with laundry and bird cages. At night the area comes alive with some of the finest fado cafes in the city, along streets lit by Victorian lanterns. Fado is the famous brand of music and dance brought to Portugal by African slaves in the 19th century, characterised by songs of sadness and despair, and there is no better place in Portugal to experience this musical genre than in the Bairro Alto of Lisbon.
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Monument to the Discoveries
One of the most famous sights in Lisbon is the imposing monument, situated on the riverbank in the Avenida de Brasilia in the district of Belem, designed to commemorate the Portuguese Age of Discovery. Belem, where the Tagus meets the sea, is the point from which the maritime explorers of yore set forth in their sailing ships to discover the world. The monument was unveiled in 1960 on the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1460, the monarch who was largely responsible for Portugal's role in world exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries. The massive monument takes the form of a caravel with Prince Henry at the prow, backed by images of renowned mariners, royal patrons and others who participated in the golden age of discovery.
Telephone: 21 303 1950
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Transport: Bus 27, 28, 43 or 49
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 5pm (September to June), 9.30am to 9pm (July and August)

Tower of Belem
The famous Tower of Belem is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is one of Lisbon's most photographed landmarks because of the decoration on its exterior. The outer walls are adorned with a stone-carved rope and beautiful openwork balconies, along with Moorish watchtowers and battlements shaped like shields. The tower was built in the 16th century to serve as a fortress in the middle of the River Tagus.
Telephone: 21 362 0034
Website: www.mosteirojeronimos.pt/english/index_torre.html
Transport: Bus 27, 28, 29, 43, 49 or 51; tram 15
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm (October to April), 10am to 6.30pm (May to September)

Parque das Nacoes
Lisbon's exhibition park was upgraded and renamed for the Expo '98 world exposition, which revitalised the city and brought international tourists and interest flooding in. The site is now worthy of a full day's sightseeing, featuring several attractions, not least of which is the Lisbon Oceanarium with its 15,000 living examples of marine life. The main tank holds enough water to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools, and is viewed from two floors through curved glass panels that provide a 180-degree view. Another popular diversion is the Virtual Reality Pavilion, which showcases the Portuguese age of discovery. Other attractions include a science centre, cable car, the Vasco da Gama Tower and numerous bars and restaurants offering Portuguese cuisine.
Telephone: 21 891 9333 or 21 891 9898
Website: www.parquedasnacoes.pt
Transport: Buses, trains and the metro go to Oriente Station
Opening times: Oceanarium: daily 10am to 8pm (until 7pm in winter)

Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis
This extensive art museum opened in 1840, and is today dedicated to Soares dos Reis, the famous sculptor born and bred in Porto. The gallery also houses a foreign art collection which includes works by the Dutch, Flemish, Italian and French masters. There is a large collection of Portuguese 19th century works, including those from the Porto school, and exhibits of ceramics, glassware, gold and silverwork and furniture.
Telephone: 223 393 770
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Transport: Bus 3, 20, 35, 37, 52 or 78
Opening times: Tuesday 2pm to 6pm, Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm

Igreja de Sao Francisco
On the Oporto waterfront stands the church of St. Frances, dating from 1383, which, while not very imposing from the outside, has a lavishly Baroque decorated interior that was created in the 17th and 18th centuries. Pillars and columns within the vault are festooned with gold-gilded cherubs and flower garlands, entwined animals and fruit cornucopia.

This feast for the eyes is set off by wide Gothic arches made of marble, which soar into the roof.
Telephone: 222 062 100
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Opening times: Daily 9am to 6pm (March, April, September, October); daily 9am to 7pm (May to August), daily 9am to 5pm (November to February)

. Solar Vinho do Porto
Visitors come to Oporto for the port wine. The place to head for samples of every port produced in the region (and also the rest of Portugal) is the Solar Vinho do Porto in the Quinta de Macieirinha. Inside the rose-bedecked villa is a relaxed, upmarket tasting room, staffed by knowledgeable hosts who offer glasses or bottles of port, along with some complimentary snacks and information on the port-making process. Also in the villa is a small museum containing a collection of 18th century furniture and some paintings.
Telephone: 22 609 4749
Website: www.ivp.pt
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Opening times: Monday to Saturday 2pm to midnight

Vila Nova de Gaia
This suburb of Oporto lies on the south bank of the River Douro on the site of an ancient fortified village. Today it is home to more than 50 wine companies who operate their 'lodges' in the winding narrow streets flanked by red-roofed buildings. Most of the lodges welcome visitors for tours and tastings. Among the best known are Sandemans, housed in a former 16th century convent, and Taylors. The suburb also features a 16th century monastery that has interesting circular cloisters and a terrace where the Duke of Wellington planned his attack on the French in 1809.
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Frederico de Freitas Museum
Named for the Madeiran lawyer who amassed the fascinating collections on display as a hobby, the Frederico de Freitas Museum in Funchal houses a vast array of decorative Turkish, Moorish and North African tiles, as well as about 2,000 mugs, trophies and vases. Besides these highlights the de Freitas collection also includes Madeiran artefacts, porcelain pieces, religious sculptures, ancient sacred paintings and Chinese and North African metal and woodwork. The museum is a treasure trove for antique lovers.
Telephone: 91 220 570
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Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 12.30pm, and 2pm to 6pm

Sao Vicente Caves
Beside the river at Pe de Passo are the Sao Vicente Caves, a series of lava tubes left after an eruption that occurred about 400,000 years ago. These volcanic tunnels extend for about 3,281ft (1,000m) and can be explored on a 30-minute tour. The caves feature formations like lava cakes, volcanic stalactites and erratic blocks and give a sense of walking through the bowels of the earth.
Telephone: 291 842 404
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Opening times: Daily 9am to 9pm (until 7pm in winter)

Cable Car
One of the favourite diversions in Madeira's capital, Funchal, is to ride the cable car from the Parque Almirante Reis in the old part of the town up to the scenically beautiful village of Monte in the mountains above the city. The journey takes about 15 minutes and ends at the cableway station near the Monte Palace Tropical Garden.
Telephone: 291 780 280
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Opening times: Open daily from 10am to 6pm

Cathedral
In the heart of the historic part of Funchal stands the Cathedral, or Sé, which is the most impressive of Madeira's religious edifices. From outside the simple rough white stucco and brownish basalt is not all that impressive, but after entering through the Gothic portal there is plenty to admire. The ceiling, for instance, is Moorish carved cedar inlaid with ivory, and behind the Baroque altar are paintings by Flemish and Portuguese artists.
Telephone: 291 228 155
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Opening times: Monday to Saturday 7am to 1pm, and 4pm to 7pm; Sundays 8am to 8.30pm

Whale Museum
On the East coast of the island of Madeira, in the little fishing village of Canical, the Whale Museum chronicles the rise and fall of the whaling industry that was a vital part of the island's economy for many decades, right up until 1982. The exhibits include photographs, hunting implements, a life-size whale model, a fishing boat, and objects carved by local fishermen from the bones and teeth of whales.
Telephone: 91 961 407
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Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 12pm, and 1pm to 6pm

Oceanario de Lisboa (Lisbon Oceanarium)
Marketed as the second best aquarium in the world, the world-class Lisbon Oceanarium is the most impressive achievement of EXPO '98, which used to be an abandoned waterfront. The centrepiece of the stone and glass building is the 1.3-million gallon (5-million litre) holding tank and the Oceanarium consists of four distinct ecosystems that replicate the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Antarctic oceans, each featuring the aboveground birds, amphibians, and reptiles associated with those waters. Otters splash and dive in the warmer Pacific waters, while penguins shuffle around in their tuxedos in the Antarctic section. This attraction is one that the Portuguese nation is proud of and is an absolute must-see for the whole family.
Telephone: 21 891 7002
Website: www.oceanario.pt
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Opening times: Open from 10am to 8pm (summer) and daily 10am to 7pm (winter)

Museu de Marinha (Maritime Museum)
With such maritime icons as Vasco de Gama and Bartolomeu Dias, its no wonder that Portugal's Maritime Museum is one of the best in Europe, evoking a sense of what it was like when the victorious Portuguese dominated the high seas.

Visitors can marvel at the hundreds of models of 15th- to 19th-century sailing ships, merchant marine vessels, fishing boats and pleasure boats as well as a full range of Portuguese naval uniforms, including one worn at a Mozambique military outpost in 1896.
Telephone: 21 362 0019
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Opening times: Tuesday – Sunday from 10am-6pm (April to September); Tuesday - Sunday 10am-5pm (October to March); Closed Mondays and Holidays

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