10 Places to Visit in Portugal Beyond Lisbon and Porto

Destination: PortugalCreated by: Moo_The_TrotterLast updated: 2nd October 2026
Walk between Évora’s Roman temple and old-town cafés, or spend an afternoon beside Tavira’s river. Ten towns and cities beyond Lisbon and Porto, from Alentejo’s hilltop villages to the Algarve.
HistoryCultureOld towns
7
Évora: Roman ruins and old streets
Évora
Image of Templo de Diana

Templo de Diana

Monument
Évora’s Roman temple stands beside the cathedral at the top of the old town. See the surviving columns from the square, then walk downhill through the lanes towards Praça do Giraldo. A full day covers the main sights; two nights give you a slower Alentejo base.
Image of Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption

Place of Worship, History Landmark
Évora Cathedral brings medieval stonework to the Roman quarter. The entrance sculptures are worth a close look, with the cloister and roof adding to an interior visit. The temple is beside it, so the two belong on the same upper-town walk.
Image of Chapel of Bones

Chapel of Bones

Museum, Museum Gallery
Human bones line the walls of the chapel in Évora’s São Francisco complex. Its theme is mortality, making this a more confronting visit than the town’s other churches. See it after the temple and cathedral, on the way back through the lower streets.
Monsaraz: Medieval hilltop
Reguengos de Monsaraz
Image of Castelo de Monsaraz

Castelo de Monsaraz

Monument
Monsaraz’s castle looks across the Alentejo towards Alqueva. The walled village is small enough for a half-day on foot, with lunch and the fresco museum nearby. Plan it as a road outing from Évora, rather than another stop within the city.
Image of Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Lagoa

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Lagoa

Place of Worship, History Landmark
Monsaraz’s parish church sits among the whitewashed lanes inside the walls. It adds an indoor stop to the castle views and village walk. The nearby fresco museum gives this compact hilltop visit another point of interest.

Museu Do Fresco

Museum
A medieval fresco is the focus of this small museum in Monsaraz’s former courthouse. It is a short, concentrated visit rather than a large collection. Add it between the parish church and castle on your village walk.
Óbidos: the walled town and nearby sights
Óbidos

Porta da Vila

Monument
Óbidos’s southern gate leads beneath a tiled chapel into the walled town. Follow Rua Direita towards Praça de Santa Maria, then return through the side lanes. The streets make a satisfying visit even without climbing onto the walls.
Image of Santuário do Senhor Jesus da Pedra

Santuário do Senhor Jesus da Pedra

Place of Worship, History Landmark
This unusually shaped sanctuary stands outside Óbidos’s walls. Its exterior gives a different view of the town’s religious architecture from the churches inside. Add it to a longer Óbidos visit; Rua Direita and the old-town lanes come first on a brief stop.
Image of Pillory of Óbidos

Pillory of Óbidos

Attraction, Core Attraction
The stone pillory marks Praça de Santa Maria midway through the walled town. The church frontage and tiled interior give the square more than a passing glance. Continue towards the castle, returning through the quieter side lanes.
Tomar: Templar heritage
Tomar

Convento de Cristo

Monument
Tomar’s hilltop Convent of Christ is the main reason to spend a day here. The Templar rotunda and later cloisters show the complex’s changing history. Visit first, then descend to Praça da República and the synagogue in the lower town.
Image of Igreja de São João Baptista

Igreja de São João Baptista

Place of Worship, History Landmark
Tomar’s main church faces Praça da República, with a carved Manueline entrance and paintings by Gregório Lopes inside. It fits into the lower-town walk after the Convent of Christ. The square is a good place to pause for lunch.
Image of Sinagoga de Tomar

Sinagoga de Tomar

Place of Worship, History Landmark
The small medieval synagogue brings Tomar’s Jewish history into a visit often centred on the Templars. It is close to Praça da República, making the two easy to combine after the hilltop convent.
Coimbra: University and churches
Coimbra
Image of Biblioteca Joanina

Biblioteca Joanina

Library
Coimbra’s baroque university library is the visit to book around. Reserve a timed library entry, then explore the university courtyard and surrounding upper town. The steep walk up passes the old cathedral on the way from the lower streets.
Image of Sé Velha de Coimbra

Sé Velha de Coimbra

Place of Worship, History Landmark
Coimbra’s old cathedral has a solid Romanesque exterior and a cloister inside. It sits on the hillside between the lower town and university. Visit on the walk uphill rather than making a separate journey across the centre.
Image of Mosteiro de Santa Cruz

Mosteiro de Santa Cruz

Attraction, Core Attraction
Santa Cruz holds the tombs of Portugal’s first two kings. It gives the lower town a major historical stop before the climb towards the old cathedral and university. The surrounding streets are convenient for a meal afterwards.
Aveiro: canals, old streets and Art Nouveau
Aveiro
Image of Aveiro Museum

Aveiro Museum

Museum, Museum Gallery
The former Convent of Jesus houses religious art and the story of Princess Joana. It adds an indoor visit to Aveiro’s canal-side streets. See it with the adjacent cathedral, then spend the rest of the day around the canals and Beira Mar.
Image of Sé de Aveiro

Sé de Aveiro

Place of Worship, History Landmark
Aveiro Cathedral sits beside the museum in the former Convent of Jesus. Visit the pair together before heading towards the central canals. Its entrance and interior make a compact architectural stop on that walk.

Museu Arte Nova

Museum, Museum Gallery
The museum’s building introduces Aveiro’s Art Nouveau façades beside the central canal. Continue along Rua João Mendonça and into Beira Mar for the wider town walk. A moliceiro boat ride adds a different view from the water; Costa Nova is a separate coastal outing.
Viseu: Cathedral and art
Viseu
Image of Catedral Sé de Viseu

Catedral Sé de Viseu

Place of Worship, History Landmark
Viseu’s granite cathedral anchors the hilltop old centre. Inside, the carved vaulting is a reason to look up. The Grão Vasco museum stands beside it, making the square the starting point for a day of art and old-town streets.
Image of Museu Nacional Grão Vasco

Museu Nacional Grão Vasco

Museum
Paintings by Vasco Fernandes, known as Grão Vasco, are the main draw at this museum beside Viseu Cathedral. Visit for a closer look at the region’s religious art, then explore the lanes around the cathedral square.
Image of Porta do Soar

Porta do Soar

Monument
One of Viseu’s surviving historic gates, Porta do Soar marks the approach through the old centre. Walk through the stone passage towards the cathedral and Grão Vasco museum. It is part of the town walk, with little need for a separate stop.
Guimarães: castle and old-town squares
Guimarães
Image of Castelo de Guimarães

Castelo de Guimarães

Monument
Guimarães Castle introduces the city’s medieval history beside the ducal palace. The keep and wall walk are closed during restoration, but the accessible castle grounds still fit into the hilltop visit. Continue downhill to the old-town squares afterwards.
Image of Paço dos Duques de Bragança

Paço dos Duques de Bragança

Castle, History Landmark
The ducal palace stands beside Guimarães Castle, adding rooms and museum displays to the hilltop visit. Rehabilitation currently limits the museum route. See the two buildings together before walking down to Largo da Oliveira for the old centre.
Image of Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira

Place of Worship, History Landmark
The church’s Gothic frontage anchors Largo da Oliveira in Guimarães’s old centre. Visit the square after the castle and ducal palace, then explore the neighbouring streets. This is a good part of town to stop for a meal.
Braga: the cathedral and Bom Jesus
Braga
Image of Sé Catedral de Braga

Sé Catedral de Braga

Monument
Braga Cathedral is the starting point for a walk through the historic centre. Its church, chapels and collections offer several different visits, while the nearby Biscainhos Museum adds a domestic setting. Keep Bom Jesus for a separate hilltop outing.
Image of Basilica of the Good Jesus of the Mount

Basilica of the Good Jesus of the Mount

Place of Worship, History Landmark
Bom Jesus do Monte rises above Braga with a monumental stairway leading to its church. Take the stairs for the architecture along the ascent, or the funicular for a shorter climb. The sanctuary and grounds make a separate outing from the city-centre cathedral.
Image of Biscainhos Museum

Biscainhos Museum

Museum
This former palace gives Braga’s church visits a different setting: domestic interiors and gardens. It lies near the historic centre, so it fits with the cathedral and surrounding streets before a separate trip to Bom Jesus.
Tavira: riverside walks and castle hill
Tavira
Image of Castelo de Tavira

Castelo de Tavira

Castle
Tavira’s castle ruins have a small garden and views over the old town. Visit with neighbouring Santa Maria, then walk down to the Gilão River. Two nights suit the town’s slower pace; Ilha de Tavira adds a separate boat trip to the beach.
Image of Igreja de Santa Maria do Castelo

Igreja de Santa Maria do Castelo

Place of Worship, History Landmark
Santa Maria stands beside Tavira’s castle, with a Gothic doorway surviving later rebuilding. The church and castle belong on the same hilltop walk. Descend through the lanes towards the Misericórdia church and riverside afterwards.
Image of Igreja da Misericórdia de Tavira

Igreja da Misericórdia de Tavira

Place of Worship, History Landmark
A Renaissance entrance and tiled interior make the Misericórdia church worth a stop on Tavira’s town walk. It lies between the castle hill and lower streets. Continue down to the Gilão for the rest of the afternoon.