Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon – Strategically located in the geographic centre of the country, Lisbon (with a population of over half a million residents), acts as a monument of its past as Europe’s first seafaring and colonizing power (from the 1400s onward). Lisbon (the second oldest European capital after Athens) was home to explorers such as Vasco da Gama, Magellan, and Prince Henry the Navigator – complete with monuments dedicated to these and other prominent Portuguese historical figures.
One of Lisbon’s sights is the 16th-century monastery, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos – located at the waterfront Belém district, and commissioned to trumpet the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama. After the earthquake of 1755, the Baixa Pombalina downtown was rebuilt in the classical style while many of its adjoining medieval neighborhoods survived and are now home to a variety of stores, restaurants and cafés. Among the locals sights that typically attract visitors are the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries), the Castelo de São Jorge (Saint George’s Castle), São Roque Church (one of the first Jesuit centers in Portugal), the Estrela Basilica, the the São Vicente de Fora Monastery, and the baroque Santa Engrácia Church (known these days as the Panteão Nacional (National Pantheon)).
With a history as rich as Portugal’s, it should be no surprise that Lisbon has a variety of heritage stops & sights. The Portuguese have kept many souvenirs of their voyages. Their encounters with other civilizations have led to the importing of Indo-Portuguese furniture and Japanese Nambam screens, which can be seen at the National Museum of Ancient Art.
Though Lisbon swiftly modernized after Portugal joined the European Union a quarter century ago, it has maintained an old-time attractiveness as well as an eclectic blend of people from the country’s former colonies in Africa, India and Brazil.
The Algarve – this is the southernmost part of the country, whose main city is Faro. Because of its year-round Mediterranean climate, this is the most popular tourist district in the entire country (receiving an average of 7 million international visitors a year, along with another 3 million local travelers from other parts of the country).
History buffs will be drawn into the town of Estoi (just 15 minutes north of Faro) for its Roman-era ruins. Known as the Roman Ruins of Milreu, they include agricultural buildings, a temple and a baths complex, along with several well-preserved mosaics.
There’s also the town of Albufeira — a formerly quaint fishing village influenced by the Moors in the 8th century. Over the years, it has become another tourist destination famous for its beaches (there are 20), nightlife, and various amenities (from a marina to golf courses).