9 Most Charming Small Towns In Portugal
Portugal is one of the most picture-perfect nations in Europe. For starters, it enjoys a long Atlantic coastline consisting of brilliant beaches or ruggedly handsome cliffs. Inland, verdant mountain ranges rise dramatically – high enough for the winter snow to stick around. And no matter the geographical extreme, sunny skies will bless the scene. Portugal also has the oldest borders on the continent, meaning that many distinct empires and epochs have left their mark. Such historical and environmental appeals can be experienced uniquely across many charming small towns. These nine entries are sure to start first-timers off on the right foot.
Águeda
One of Portugal's most charming scenes unfolds in July, during the AgitÁgueda art festival when approximately 3,000 colorful umbrellas canopy the central streets of Águeda. The collage remains up through the sizzling months of August and September, offering shade to residents, travelers, and pilgrims. Yes, this small city in the district of Aveiro is also a stop along the Camino Portugués – one of the more popular routes of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage network. The "Umbrella City" has more up its sleeve in terms of vibrant expressions. Each summer, a fresh slate of street murals washes over Águeda, and in the winter, a blanket of violet flowers overtakes parts of the nearby Pateira de Fermentelos (the largest lagoon on the Iberian Peninsula).
Caminha
Caminha is another lovely Camino town, this time along The Coastal Way offshoot of the Camino Portugués. This Viana do Castelo municipality sits just inland of the Atlantic Ocean, on the Southern bank of the Minho River, which divides Northwestern Portugal and Northwestern Spain. At the mouth of the Minho, two long beaches form a sandy peninsula, which is backdropped by a national forest of Camarido pine trees. This is where the Camino passes, via serene, fresh-scented trails, to the international ferry crossing. The heart of Caminha is its partially fortified medieval old town, with the old castle-turned-clock-tower acting as the gate to Rua Direita and the rest of the charming historic center.
Piódão
Clutching to the slopes of the verdant Serra do Açor mountains, this centrally-located village is easy to overlook but impossible to forget. Piódão is full of subdued schist buildings (and one bright-white church), connected by tight and winding streets, arranged like an amphitheater and looking out over the green peaks, pasturelands, and soothing springs. While Piódão, on its own, is a perfect place for a peaceful mountain getaway, it is also an ideal basecamp from which to explore Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela – less than an hour's drive to Northeast. The largest protected area in the country is filled with rewarding hiking trails and hosts a ski resort on mainland Portugal's highest peak, Torre. The summit can be driven to, and there is even a restaurant and chapel up there (which complement the expected vistas).
Monsanto
Another mountain retreat with exquisite aesthetics and arresting views is Monsanto, a village within the District of Castelo Branco. Still, within striking distance of Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela (this time about 90 kilometers/59 miles to the Northwest), Monsanto is only half that distance South of Reserva Natural da Serra da Malcata – a large forested reserve that is one of the few remaining sanctuaries for the endangered Iberian lynx. Monsanto itself has been referred to as an "Island in the Sky," thanks to its collection of small, stone-bodied, red-roofed houses and granite-paved streets – all built in a synergistic way with the mountain and completely resistant to modernization. Its weathered but stoic fortress, built by the Knights Templar, keeps watch over the village. Treat yourself to the simple, traditional, and affordable dishes served in the handful of quaint taverns.
Tomar
Let's take one more page out of the Camino Portugués guidebook with a stop at the attractive riverside city of Tomar – the former seat of the Order of the Knights Templar. After strolling the Nabão River and taking in the strings of sheet-white, red-roofed buildings on either side, head into the cobblestone, flower-lined streets of the historic old town and over to the Castelo de Tomar and Convento de Cristo. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most famous in all of Portugal. The former Templar stronghold is divided into three sections by stone walls (including manicured gardens), while the church boasts a 12th-century rotunda to complement its imposing exterior. The entire site was built in stages between the 12th and 16th centuries, first as a symbol of the Reconquest and later as a beacon to incoming cultures during the Manueline period.
Sintra
On the Northwestern outskirts of Lisbon, the municipality of Sintra is another UNESCO World Heritage Site that is well worth a visit. Sintra is not only idyllic but exudes eclectic design elements. Considered the first center of European Romantic architecture, the action began in the 1840s, when Ferdinand II raised Pena Palace from a dilapidated monastery, drawing inspiration from Gothic, Moorish, Egyptian, and Renaissance styles. He then surrounded his masterpiece with a Romantic park filled with fountains, ponds, cottages, chapels, and thousands of trees (including many rare and exotic species). This merely scratches the surface of the cultural landscape. Other prominent structures include the Sintra National Palace, the 10th-century clifftop Moorish Castle dos Mouros, the Quinta da Regaleira palace (and its underground passages), and the Arabian-inspired Palace of Monserrate. Sintra is also on the Eastern edge of Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais), which flows from the mountaintop Moon Temple all the way to the beach-lined Atlantic Coast.
Cascais
Though less than 20 kilometers (12 miles) South of Sintra, and 32 kilometers (20 miles) West of Lisbon, Cascais (pronounced Kush-kyesh) is still in a world of its own. What began as a humble fishing village morphed into a summer resort by the late 19th century. It is now one of the richest towns not only in Portugal but also in the whole of the Iberian Peninsula. As a result of the elegant mansions that line both the craggy Atlantic harbor and cobblestone streets of the historic center, Cascais is known as the "Portuguese Riviera." Additionally, its several small beaches, mild climate, and exceptional seafood restaurants help draw Lisbonites away from the capital for brief respites all throughout the year.
Nazaré
Nazaré blends the charms of a small fishing town with the energy of a surf hub. Located on Portugal's Central Coast (an area referred to as the "Silver Coast"), within the Leiria District, Nazaré benefits from long, wide, and accessible beaches that are framed by substantial cliffs. The mile-long, boardwalk-lined Praia de Nazaré is the immediate draw, but the much longer Praia da Areeira awaits on the Northside of Nazaré's rocky peninsula. In between, the white-washed buildings (topped with the quintessentially Portuguese red-tiled roods) give the modest-sized town a modern yet traditional feel. During the summer months, the beaches fill up with sunbathers, but in recent years, the winter has brought a swell of tourism owing to some of the biggest surfable waves in the world. One of the best places to see the action is the São Miguel Arcanjo Fort atop the beach-dividing peninsula. This is also an excellent spot to gain panoramic views of the area any time of the year.
Óbidos
One of Europe's best-preserved walled medieval villages is just a half-hour drive South of Nazaré – still within the Leiria District. Óbidos is home to approximately 2,000 permanent residents but is one of the most popular cultural attractions in Portugal (thanks to its national monument designation and its being voted one of the "Seven Wonders of Portugal"). The Northern anchor point for the crenellated, walkable walls is the medieval castle, which has 9th-century Moorish roots underlying its many later reconstructions and restorations. The Castelo de Óbidos still stands proudly above the civil parish and even operates hotel rooms for modern-day tourists. The various sections of the 16th-century elevated, arched stone aqueduct give more glimpses into the past.
Sitting pretty on the Iberian Peninsula, in the far Southwest of Europe, Portugal is as charming as it gets. This sunny, relatively mild nation is replete with diverse small towns. From the paradisiacal coasts to the nourishing mountains, and from the earliest Celtic ways, through to the Roman, Moorish, and Reconquista days, and onwards into modern sophistication, these nine small towns check all the right boxes for an exotic and enchanting vacation.
