Essence of Portugal 2026-27

The sleepy yet utterly captivating fortified town of Estremoz lies at the heart of an area rich in marble quarries – so abundantly so that the town is a fine example of how this material has been used to build the streets and squares of its centre. In the upper part of town stands the palace, once commissioned by Dom Dinis. In the lower part lies the Rossio square, properly known as Rossio Marquês de Pombal.

Vila Viçosa, “the marble museum town”: many of its grandest houses were built in striking white marble, as was its Ducal Palace, dating from the 1500s, which preserves rooms richly furnished with Brussels tapestries. The palace is complemented by geometrically perfect gardens that echo its style. Not to be missed is the palace gateway, the Porta do Nó, bearing the emblems of the Dukes of Braganza. The Church of Our Lady of the Conception, built in the 14th century, houses a Gothic statue of the Virgin Mary, possibly of English origin. Finally, the former Convent das Chagas holds the tombs of the Duchesses of Braganza.

The Alentejo, Portugal's least touristy region, between Lisbon and the Algarve, with a rich historical heritage and regarded as one of the most authentic areas of the country, with a quality of life elsewhere long forgotten. The Alentejo covers a third of Portugal, lying between the Algarve and the Lisbon and Centro regions. In Portuguese the name literally means “beyond the River Tejo”, and it is a hidden gem off the usual international tourist circuits that will astonish anyone who chooses to visit, not least because it is a region whose folk traditions have survived intact. The Alentejo comprises two provinces: the Alto Alentejo and the Baixo Alentejo. Its main towns are Évora, Beja, Serpa, Estremoz, Elvas and Portalegre. To the north the region is bounded by the River Tejo, while to the south it borders the better-known Algarve. To the west it faces the Atlantic Ocean, where it meets the Lisbon Region; to the east it is bounded by the Spanish border. Évora, for instance, is only 130 kilometres from the capital, Lisbon, while the other towns lie just a little further away. The Alentejo is a land rich in history, in villages and hamlets that will win the heart of anyone visiting them for the first time. Traces of the past sit alongside local traditions, creating a unique blend of colours, flavours and sounds. It is the setting of one of the finest novels of contemporary Portuguese literature, José Saramago's Levantado do Chão, a moving and unflinching story set on the great estates of this Lusitanian region in the twentieth century.

Évora, a Lusitanian jewel and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A Roman temple, one of the largest cathedrals in Portugal, a medieval chapel lined entirely with human bones, and ancient megaliths: welcome to Évora, the star of the Alentejo, home to Portugal's second-oldest university after Coimbra and, thanks to its superbly preserved historic centre still partly enclosed within the old medieval walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic centre of Évora is a labyrinth of winding lanes easily explored on foot. They all lead to the fourteenth-century Cathedral of Santa Maria da Assunção, home to the country's oldest organ, dating from the 1600s. A little over a hundred metres further on stands the National Museum of Évora, the city's temple of culture, with a rich collection of painting, sculpture and archaeology. Another 60 metres bring you to the Temple of Diana, a Roman temple from the age of Augustus and one of the best-preserved archaeological remains in Portugal. Évora's most bizarre building, however, is hidden inside the Church of São Francisco: the Capela dos Ossos, with over 5,000 human bones bearing witness to the frailty of life – unsettling, but not to be missed. With almost 60,000 inhabitants, Évora is one of the largest towns in the Alentejo and an excellent starting point for exploring the region.

Lisbon, a byword for good food. Essential stops for eating in the city are the Confeitaria de Belém, a stone's throw from the majestic Jerónimos Monastery, which since 1837 has jealously guarded the secret recipe for pastéis de nata, the famous Portuguese custard tarts made with egg cream and puff pastry, the Cervejaria Ramiro and A Taberna da Rua das Flores, where you can enjoy the ever-present salt-cod croquettes and other traditional dishes. The Portuguese capital, however, is also a favourite destination for foodies from all over the world. It is not hard to see why: the list of new restaurant openings is constantly growing, and the Michelin-starred menus of Loco, Alma, Belcanto and Feitoria have recently been joined by original restaurants such as Zambeze, offering a unique blend of Portuguese and Mozambican delicacies, and Beco, housed in a venue reminiscent of a 1920s club, with a surprise menu and a single rule: no photographs. Yet it is the Time Out Market Lisboa, the former Mercado da Ribeira, that is Lisbon's culinary mecca of the moment. An ultra-modern gastronomic hub where, between tastings of grilled sardines and tartare, you can take a seat at the counters of the Academia and learn to cook traditional Portuguese or international dishes under the guidance of local chefs. Those who would rather spend a day out at sea than in a cooking class should be sure to book one of the fishing tours between Lisbon and Cascais run by the Dream Boats Portugal team: a day on the open sea fishing, cooking the catch of the day and admiring the enchanting Portuguese coastline. Could you ask for anything more?

Lisbon: unique, luminous, heart-rending, inimitable. We have gathered together all the addresses, old and new, fun and delicious, to help you learn to love it. The notes of fado, the historic trams, the azulejos, the sea at the end of every street, the delectable pastéis de nata and the views over the city from its miradouros: Lisbon is a marvel, a blend of joy and melancholy, ancient and modern, unlike anywhere else in the world. An inimitable city which, at the 2018 World Travel Awards, took home two prizes – best urban destination and best city break in the world – while Portugal was named the world's leading tourist destination for the second year running. Let us rediscover this Lusitanian jewel where historic quarters alternate with futuristic architecture. Like the MAAT, the museum of art, architecture and technology on the banks of the Tagus, opened in autumn 2016 in the premises of an old early-twentieth-century power station. Lusitanian tradition reinterpreted in a modern key: that is how this splendid building, clad in three-dimensional glazed tiles, presents itself.

The Algarve. The last Portuguese region to be wrested from the Moors, during the reign of King Afonso III, the Algarve has a rich history, and this shows in its towns and main centres. Albufeira is the Algarve's principal resort. Once a Moorish fortress and a fishing village, it has been rediscovered and developed over recent decades on the wave of tourism. It enjoys a superb position high on a cliff and also offers a lively nightlife. Lagos. This small, popular town of white houses owes its fame to the role it played in the history of the great Portuguese voyages to the New World. The first Portuguese slave-trading ships also set sail from here. Today it is a lively town surrounded by wonderful beaches. Sagres is a very peaceful spot, ideal for lovers of nature, walking and the quiet of a small village, and the surrounding area is full of nature trails and surfers' beaches. From Sagres you can reach Cabo de São Vicente, the westernmost point of the country. Cabo de São Vicente is one of those places that make you feel you are at the edge of the world. After all, you really are at the edge of the world – or of Europe, at least. Cabo de São Vicente is indeed one of the westernmost tips of our continent. The Romans called it Promontorium Sacrum, and only by standing there can you understand why. On the horizon stretches nothing but the Atlantic Ocean, and some maintain that the Cabo was the last point of Europe that navigators saw before turning towards the New World. Today a lighthouse stands on the 80-metre cliff, and the breathtaking scenery is well worth the trip.