Things to Do in Portugal

Portugal’s most famous and prestigious university, the University of Coimbra is one of Europe’s oldest colleges and has become a popular tourist attraction in its own right. First established in Lisbon in 1290, the university moved to its current location in 1537 and today stands proudly at the highest point of the town.

Touring the vast hilltop campus unveils an array of historic architecture, most notably the imposing 18th-century University Tower, an important landmark of the Old Town, and the renowned 18th-century Biblioteca Joanina (João V Library), an elaborately decorated National Monument. Around 300,000 ancient books grace the shelves of the famed library and the richly decorated interiors are a show-stopping display of Portuguese art and architectural design, featuring two-tiers of exotic wood shelves, gilded pillars and intricate ceiling paintings by Lisbon artists Simões Ribeiro and Vicente Nunes.

Visitors can also tour the ornate baroque Capela de São Miguel, the Sala dos Capelos (Graduates’ Hall) and the 16th-century University Church, home to a museum of sacred art. The university also runs the 18th-century Botanical Gardens, the largest in Portugal stretching over 13 hectares of the idyllic Ursulinas Valley and featuring over 1,200 exotic plant and flower varieties.

Tavira’s origin is one of the oldest in all of Portugal, as archaeological evidence suggests it was first settled in 2,000 B.C.E. Its history is peopled with the mysterious Celtic tribe of Tartessos, the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Moors and finally Christian Portuguese. While there are some remains of all of these previous inhabitants, much of the city’s buildings were completely leveled in 1755.

Since then, however, the town has been rebuilt. Its cathedral, the Misericórdia, is but one of 37 churches, giving it the sobriquet Town of Churches. Other famous churches in Tavira include Santa Maria do Castelo, which was built on the site of a mosque. It also harbors the tombs of Dom Paio Peres Correia and his seven faithful Knights. These knights were murdered by Moors despite a tenuous truce, which spurred Dom Correia to take the town back.

Tavira’s economy used to be based on fishing, but in recent years, tuna migratory patterns have changed and sullied the fortunes of the town’s fleet. Tourism now fills the economic gap, and the town is becoming a popular golf destination. Sun-seekers come here, too, in order to enjoy Ilha de Tavira, a sandbar beach accessible by ferry boat. Like Tavira, the surrounding towns have comparable beaches, and there is also Slide and Splash Aquatic Park. Since tourism has become so integral to these communities’ economic health, English is becoming more and more prevalent.

Possibly one of the prettiest towns in Portugal, medieval Óbidos has existed for centuries tucked inside its fortified walls; a gleaming white-washed spider’s web of alleyways lined with squat houses, all adorned with flower-smothered balconies, vivid blue azulejo tiles and Gothic doorways.

Known as the ‘Wedding Present Town’ due to the tradition of Portuguese kings giving Óbidos to their wives as part of their dowry, the town has benefited from its royal patronage down the centuries. At its heart lies the cobbled main square of Praça de Santa Maria, home to the old town pillory, a majestic fountain and a tiny museum in the town hall. The cluster of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches around Santa Maria square were all founded by various monarchs, as was the Amoreira Aqueduct outside the town walls.

This charming melee of architectural styles is best seen from the vantage point of the vast defense walls encircling Óbidos. Above all this stands the austere, crenelated façade of the 12th-century castle; although it is now a pousada (state-owned hotel), the terraces and gardens are still open to the public for panoramic views across the town and surrounding hills.

Óbidos is packed with wine shops selling the potent local ginjinha liqueur, terraced restaurants serving the traditional fish stew caldeirada and tiny souvenir stores selling cheery ceramics, and makes a wonderful destination for an afternoon’s exploration. Often packed by day – especially in summer – by night most visitors have left; an overnight stay in the castle pousada sees the town revert to its tranquil, romantic best.

Silves’ regional prominence began in the 11th century when the Moors conquered the town. Giving it the name of Xelb, they constructed lavish palaces and created a cultural centre of learning for the whole Iberian Peninsular. Prior to its decline as a port due to silt build-up in its river, Silves was once the capital of the entire Algarve region. It traces its history back to 1,000 BC, and the Romans later found its location and resources much to their liking. During the 11th century, the Moors took and fortified the city, renaming it Xelb and building opulent palaces with the intent of creating a cultural center for the entire Iberian peninsula. Silves castle, a red sandstone fortress of Moorish design and décor is replete with beautiful gardens and statuary.

Beyond the Silves Castle, the town has some of the most intact remnants of its Moorish past. Many of the Moors underground water reservoirs are still used today. Much of the town’s culture is related to historical and archeological pursuits, and there is a museum, the Museu Arquelogico (constructed above the largest, Moorish cistern, no less), that displays prehistoric articles found around the region. The Ponte Romana, a Roman bridge over the Rio Arade is a testament to its Roman occupiers, and numerous Christian monuments can be found throughout town, including a granite cross to the northeast of the city.

One of the symbols of Porto is the Torre dos Clerigos, the bell tower adjoining the Clerigos Church, a baroque church built between 1732 and 1750. The church was one of the first Baroque churches in Portugal. Its Baroque adornments reflect the city’s seaside way of life, as its façade is carved with shells and garlands.

More iconic than the church however, is its bell tower. Standing at 75 m (245 ft) high, the tower offers an amazing, panoramic view of the city, the Duoro River and the Atlantic coast.  Completed in 1763, this granite tower is based upon a Roman Baroque design scheme coupled with an unmistakably Tuscan bell tower design; visitors familiar with Italian architecture will be delighted to see a decidedly Roman Baroque masterpiece towering over a Portuguese port. Once you’ve ascended the 225 steps and reached the top of the sixth floor, the Torre dos Clerigos, you’ll be able to see the whole city.

Inside the church, you’ll enter into the Roman-influenced elliptic nave; in the main chapel, the altarpiece is a beautiful masterwork of polychrome marble, carved by famed sculptor Manuel dos Santos Porto, whose work can be found throughout Porto and Vila Real de Santo António in the Algarve.