So your Lisbon transfer has dropped you off in the city, you’ve made yourself at home in your hotel or apartment, and you’re ready to explore. So what’s in store for visitors outside the city’s borders? As it turns out, the landscapes and villages around Portugal’s vibrant capital are just as inspiring and exciting as the city itself.
Beautiful traditional villages near Lisbon
Sao Cristovao, Penedo, Gouveia, Aldeia tipica Jose Franco, Aldeia da Mata Pequena, Santa Susana, and Aldeia Galega da Merceana. They’re all within easy driving distance of Lisbon and each village as its own unique character. You could easily spend a week touring the lot in a chilled sort of way, your adventures fuelled by great local wines and outstanding cuisine. It’s also a good way to get a feel for the real Portugal, venturing just far enough off the beaten track to keep things exciting.
You’ll quickly get a feel for the Lisbon region’s typical architecture: spotlessly white buildings with thick, chunky walls, embellished with accents of scarlet and bright blue, with gently-sloping red-tiled rooves and arched entryways, steps up the outside of buildings and cobblestone village squares with fountains and statues.
Sensory pleasures at Pia do Urso
Find your way to the municipality of Batalha to explore the extraordinary village of Pia do Urso, actually a remarkable sensory eco-park for the blind. Beautifully renovated buildings in rugged local stone are the name of the game here, an ancient-looking place set like a jewel in a charming landscape.
Some of the old houses have been turned into accommodation so you can linger if you like, not that far from the noise and bustle of the city but it feels like a different world. Pia do Urso makes a popular dropping-off point for loads more adventures in the area, handy for getting to Batalha, Ourém, Tomar, Nazaré, and São Martinho do Porto.
Strange, salty Salinas da Fonte da Bica
Want to visit the biggest, most dramatic salt pans in Iberian Peninsula’s interior? Salinas da Fonte da Bica is centuries old, a village built for the salt workers and the place the salt was stored before being sent to its destination.
Here’s where you’ll follow in the footsteps of the Romans, Arabs, and Knights Templar, turning what would otherwise just be a visit to an interesting village into an experience rich in ancient history.
The buildings are made of wood and they’re unusually well-preserved. Why wood? Salt takes its toll on rock while wood resists the wear and tear of salt better. The salt is so destructive here that they even made the door locks out of wood, and the keys that open them.
Stunning Azenhas do Mar
Perched high up on the red cliffs and tumbling elegantly down towards the beach, Azenhas do Mar in Colares is a masterpiece of traditional architecture. It’s also an ancient place. This quirky village offers beautiful steep narrow streets, so narrow some of them are just a slim set of stone stairs down to the sea.
This is an epic place to see the sun set as the rays fall on the cliffs, turning them a fiery orange and making the buildings glow. The contrast with the blue of the sea is quite extraordinary. It’s hard to believe it is real, like being inside a picture postcard.
Head for the viewpoint where you can see the whole place, including the lovely little seawater swimming pool at the foot of the cliffs next to the sandy beach. The village’s beloved restaurant is a favourite foodie destination with its wonderful fish and seafood.
The landscapes around Lisbon
Travel north of Lisbon to explore the lovely old town of Sintra with its world-class beaches and magnificent palaces. The beaches at Cascais are just as lovely and Estoril, as well as having Europe’s biggest casino, is a beach haven to die for. Go south of the city for chillier, rougher seas that surfers love, plus all sorts of exciting outdoor pursuits and unusually good golf.
Queluz’s palace is a lot like Versailles, it’s so huge and exotic, a fairytale palace to remember. As is the equally amazing Mafra Palace. When you fancy something rather less grand and a bit more traditional, the fishing town of Ericeira makes a great break, a nice day out somewhere pretty and vibrant.
Cabo da Roca marks the most westerly point of the European mainland, as far west as you can go before it’s endless ocean, ocean, ocean. The Costa da Caparica offers gorgeous sandy beaches and miles of dunes, punctuated by attractive fishing towns like Sesimbra and hugely popular with visitors.
The Portuguese care for their natural wonders, which means large areas of the coast and inland regions around Lisbon are officially protected, making the natural aspects even more special. Extensive unspoiled conservation areas and nature reserves dot the landscape, each uniquely interesting.
83 popular places to visit in and around Lisbon
Here’s our alphabetical list of 83 places to experience in and around Lisbon.
- The dramatic 25th of April suspension bridge
- Ajuda Botanical Garden and Palace
- Alcobaça
- Alfama
- Altice Arena
- Anastácio Gonçalves Museum
- The Ancient Art Museum
- The Arpad Szenes-Vieira da Silva Museum
- Arrábida
- Avenida da Liberdade
- The funky Bohemian neighbourhoods of Bairro Alto and Chiado
- Baixa
- Batalha
- Belém Palace, Belém Cultural Centre and Belém Tower
- The Berardo Collection Museum
- Lisbon Botanical Gardens
- Cabo Espichel and Cabo da Roca at Europe’s most westerly point
- The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
- Camões Square
- Campo Pequeno Arena
- Carmo Convent
- Casa dos Bicos
- Cascais, a posh and picturesque surfing paradise
- The Chiado Contemporary Art Museum
- The Coaches Museum
- Coimbra
- Comercio Square
- Conceição Velha Church
- The Decorative Arts Museum
- The Discoveries Monument
- Docas de Santo Amaro
- Edward VII Park
- Ericeira for surfing, sea, sand and superb seafood
- Estoril – complete with the biggest casino in the EU and fantastic golf
- Estrela Basilica and Estrela Garden
- Evora
- The Fado Museum
- Figueira Square
- Fronteira Palace
- Graça Church
- The Interactive Science Museum
- Jeronimos Monastery
- Lisbon Aqueduct, Casino, Cathedral and the Lisbon Museum
- The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology
- Mafra, one of the EU’s largest palaces whose construction bankrupted Portugal building that bankrupted the nation
- The Marionette Museum
- The Maritime Museum
- Marquês de Pombal Square
- The Medeiros e Almeida Museum
- Memória Church
- The Military Museum
- The Money Museum
- The MuDe Design and Fashion Museum
- The National Archaeology Museum
- National Pantheon
- Nazaré
- The Lisbon neighbourhood of Obidos
- The Oceanarium
- The Orient Museum and Oriente Station
- Parque das Nações
- Portugal Pavilion
- Príncipe Real Garden
- Queluz palace, the ultimate in ‘grand’ with charming eccentric touches
- Restauradores Square
- Roman Theatre
- Rossio Square and Rossio Station
- Rua Augusta
- Rua das Portas de Santo Antão
- The Santa Justa Elevator
- São Bento Palace
- São Carlos Theater
- São Domingos Church
- São Roque Church
- São Vicente de Fora Monastery
- Sesimbra fishing town
- Setubal, where dolphin-watching is a big attraction
- Sintra with its many romantic palaces
- St. Anthony Church
- St. George’s Castle
- The Tile Museum
- Tomar
- The Tropical Garden
- Vasco da Gama Bridge and Vasco da Gama Tower
Sounds good? It is! Which attractions will you prioritise once you’ve been dropped off by your Lisbon transfers driver?