Millions of people travel to Portugal to enjoy its stunning sights, delicious food, and sandy beaches. While many know Porto, Lisbon, and the Algarve, what is Portugal famous for? In this post, we look at what Portugal is famous for and what not to miss when traveling there.
*This post contains compensated links. Find more info in my DISCLAIMER. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why Travel To Portugal
Portugal has a rich history, unique culture, hospitality, as well as emerging high-end hotels, which make it the perfect travel destination. There are a variety of landscapes that are an excellent treat for your eyes.
Steep hills, rugged and dramatic coastlines are what Portugal is known for. This mixture of terrains accommodates a myriad of excursions and activities as well as offers stunning sights. There are also expansive farms, olive orchards, and national parks in Portugal.
Portugal has one of the most underrated culinary offerings in the World. From incredible seafood and desserts to the famous bifana sandwich, you will not go hungry in Portugal. And let’s not forget about the famous Portuguese wine.
The weather in Portugal is amongst the most temperate in Europe. Mild winters give way to warm and dry summers. This makes packing for Portugal very easy.
What Is Portugal Known For – 10 Things Associated With Portugal
Portugal is associated with so many things, including landmarks, dishes, and museums. In addition, Portugal is known for its monumental castles, golden sandy beaches, and hidden caves. So what is Portugal famous for when it comes to landmarks and museums?
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and hosts several landmarks. The Troia resort is one of the famous landmarks in Portugal. Troia hosts impressive casinos and hotels on a narrow split of land with white sandy beaches that edge away from thick forests.
Portugal is also a host to several national parks and reserves. The Peneda-Geres is a famous national park that has hosted several granite villages since the 12th century. Ria Formosa National Park, the Azore, the Benagil Cave, and Berlenga Nature Reserve are also famous in Portugal.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites are also famous in Portugal. One such site is the Bom Jesus Do Monte, located in Braga. The sacred mountains and sanctuary on which the site is located have been in existence for over 600 years.
Another World Heritage Site is Guimaraes, which is incredibly beautiful and features architectural prowess. Other similar sites include Quinta Da Regaleira, Alcobaca Monastery, and Monsanto Village.
Portugal is also known for its wealth of spices, seafood, and olive oil. In addition, dried and salted cod is a famous Portuguese food.
Pastel de Nata
The Pastel de Nata is a famous Portuguese dessert that you will quickly like. This dessert is not only popular in Portugal but also in other parts of Asia, Western Europe, and former Portuguese colonies.
Pastel de Nata is a Portuguese egg-based custard tart pastry, which is dusted with seasoning. You use egg yolks, cream or milk, sugar, and seasoning to make the custard. Seasoning may include lemon zest, cinnamon, or vanilla, depending on the recipe.
The Portuguese tarts are baked at hot temperatures until their tops darken. The filling should be slightly runny and creamy when warm and soft when cold.
Port Wine
Port wine is a fortified Portuguese wine produced in northern Portugal in Douro Valley. This Portuguese wine is a sweet red wine and is usually served as a dessert wine. Port wine comes in three varieties; white, dry, and semi-dry.
Port wine can have a variety of flavors, including berry, cinnamon, caramel, and even chocolate. In addition, the wine is enjoyed young. However, you can have more complex flavors by aging the wine.
Port Wine is made from a variety of grapes. After fermentation, brandy is used to fortify the wine and is matured in oak casks. After blending, the wine can age further in the barrel or bottle.
Learn more about what to drink in Portugal: Must-Try Portuguese Drinks
Fado
Fado is a music genre from Lisbon and can be traced back to the 1820s. However, this music genre could have earlier origins. Rui Vieira, a Fado historian, and scholar states that the Fado’s history was orally transmitted, and the information has been modified within the transmission process.
Today Fado is regarded as a song about anything though it must follow a specific traditional structure. Fado, the soul of Portuguese music, is associated with restaurants, pubs, and cafes.
Fado music is known for being profoundly melancholic and expressive, thus characterized by mournful lyrics and tunes. It is often about the life of the poor, filled with a sentiment of fate and resignation.
Belém Tower In Lisbon
Belem Tower, officially known as the Tower of Saint Vincent, is a Lisbon tourist attraction and dates back to the 16th century. This Lisbon landmark was an embankment and dis-embankment point for Portuguese explorers. It also served as Lisbon’s ceremonial gateway.
Belem Tower was built at the height of the Portuguese artistic and cultural movement in the 15th and 16th centuries. As a result, the tower is a prominent representation of Portugal’s late gothic architectural style.
Belem is a four-story, 98.4 feet tower made from lioz limestone. In 1983, the tower became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Praça do Comércio In Lisbon
Praça do Comércio is a large square that faces the harbor and is located in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city. This famous Portugal landmark is one of the largest squares in Portugal, covering an area of 329,000 square feet.
The square faces Tagus River to the south, and distinctive yellow-painted Pombaline style buildings surround the other three sides. A statue dedicated to Kind Joseph I stands in the middle of the plaza. Rua Augusta Arch, a stone triumphal arch-like building on the Northern side, leads into central Lisbon.
Praça do Comércio reflects the ambitions and wealth of Portugal during the 18th century. Merchants and captains would plan their perilous voyages to India, South East Asia, and Brazil at the square. They would also trade their goods hereafter returning.
Luís I Bridge
This bridge is a double-decker metal-arched bridge and is an icon in Porto city. The bridge spans River Douro between Vila Nova de Gaia and the city of Porto. Construction of the bridge began in 1881 and was completed in 1886.
Luis I Bridge features two decks with different lengths. The upper deck is 1,296.8 feet (395 meters) long. The lower deck is 564 feet (172 meters) long and carries general traffic and pedestrians. The upper deck has a light rail line and also carries pedestrians.
The bridge has a width of 26 feet (8 meters) and a height of 279 feet (85 meters). Luis I Bridge is the most famous of all Porto bridges.
Douro Valley For Portuguese Wine
The Douro is the most famous Portugal wine region and home to port wine. Douro Valley is centered on the Douro River in the northeast corner of Portugal. The valley has vast plateaus, mountains, river valleys, and castles.
Though the region is mainly associated with Port wine, a fortified wine, it makes just as much non-fortified wine as it does fortified wine. The non-fortified wines, also known as table wines, are usually referred to as Douro wines.
Douro Valley is one of the best places to go for a wine tasting trip. With such a wide variety of grapes, you will delight your taste buds with all the different types of wine that Douro valley can offer.
The Azores
The Azores is an autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago in the Northern Atlantic Ocean in an area called Macaronesia. The Azores consists of nine volcanic Islands.
The beauty of the Azores is rare and timeless. When you look at the Azores from its highest point, each island looks like a land of craters and chimneys. You will hardly believe that an entire civilization lives and farms there.
The Azores also offers thrilling and fun activities. It is the perfect place for kayaking and canyoning. If you ever dream of swimming with dolphins, diving with manta rays, and whale watching, then the Azores is the place to visit.
Apart from all the activities that the ocean will offer, you will get an opportunity to walk around volcanoes and inside them. You can also drive on empty roads filled with beautiful hydrangeas and azaleas.
Santa Justa Lift
The Santa Justa Lift, also known as the Carmo Lift, is a lift or elevator in Santa Justa’s civil parish. The Santa Justa lift is a unique tourist attraction in Lisbon. This lift is the fastest way to get to Bairro Alto from Baixa.
Santa Justa Lift dates back to the era when wrought iron was a construction material and an elegant art form. As a result, the exterior structure is decorated with geometric patterns and neo-gothic arches. The interior features polished wood carriages that whisk travelers up in style.
The lift has transformed from an invaluable part of the public transport system to today’s iconic tourist attraction. As a result, a viewing platform was created at the lift’s top, offering spectacular views in central Lisbon.
The Algarve
The Algarve is simply Portugal’s little heaven because it is dazzlingly bright and has many hidden delights. The Atlantic Ocean surrounds the area on two sides. The west coast is refreshingly undeveloped and a paradise for surfers.
The Algarve features soaring cliffs, golden beaches, sandy islands, sea caves, and scalloped bays. The magnificent beauty of the region lures millions of tourists each year. The region has the best beaches in Portugal, which are framed by beautifully shaped limestone rocks.
In addition to having the best Portugal beaches, the region has simple restaurants that offer fresh fish. Once you have a taste of this fish, which is just caught, grilled, and drizzled with olive oil, you will go back for more.
Portugal has a lot of different tourist attractions, including beaches, cultural sites, and historical monuments. When you visit Portugal, you will experience a place that is rich in culture and history. There are many things to see and do in this beautiful country!
FAQs – Famous Portugal
Yes. English is the second most spoken language in Portugal behind, Portuguese. You will find more English speakers in the bigger cities like Lisbon and Porto as well as in touristy areas.
Every country has crime and Portugal is no different. Overall, it is a very safe country to visit. That said, travelers to Portugal need to be areas where they are the focus of scammers and those who commit crimes like pick-pocketing.
Portugal is still one of the best-kept secrets in Europe. From incredible food and wine, stunning natural scenery, and numerous historical landmarks there’s so much to see and do. Compared to other destinations like France, Germany, and the UK, Portugal is fairly inexpensive to travel around.