139 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Portugal - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Portugal

Sintra, Portugal

Quinta da Regaleira

This eccentrically decorated palace is replete with grottoes, fountains, tunnels, and caves.

Porto, Portugal

Livraria Lello

One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world hides a neo-Gothic interior behind an art nouveau facade.

Lisbon, Portugal

Carmo Convent Ruins

Legacy of the earthquake that nearly wiped Lisbon off the face of the Earth.

Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal

The Village of Monsanto

Houses are tucked between, on, and underneath giant boulders.

Évora, Portugal

Portugal's Chapel of Bones

A 16th century chapel decorated with bones, skulls, and entire bodies hanging from the wall.

Sintra, Portugal

Pena National Palace

This unreal Portuguese palace looks as though it's made from a pile of different castles.

Lisbon, Portugal

Livraria Bertrand

The world's oldest bookshop still in operation.

Lisbon, Portugal

Pavilhão Chinês

Ring the bell to enter a bar that looks equal parts museum and old curiosity shop.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

Pavilhão Chinês

Ring the bell to enter a bar that looks equal parts museum and old curiosity shop.

Porto, Portugal

McDonald's Imperial

This restored Portuguese cafe may well be the most beautiful place in the world to grab a Big Mac.

Lisbon, Portugal

Conserveira de Lisboa

The best place in the world to buy canned fish.

Furnas, Portugal

Violet Volcanic Tea

When Azorean green tea meets volcanic hot springs water, a luminous brew is born.

See all 9 places to eat in Portugal See all 9 places to eat in Portugal

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Lisbon: Tracing the Roots of an Imperial Cuisine

Journey beyond the city’s tiled buildings and narrow streets to discover the long legacy and vibrant presence of culinary inventiveness in Lisbon.

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Minhoto wants to go to Igreja de Vera Cruz de Marmelar

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Stories About Portugal

Dom Pedro's 224-year-old, 20-pound heart was sent from Portugal to Brazil for the 200th anniversary of the country's independence.

Why a 224-Year-Old Human Heart Is Touring Brazil

This piece of Dom Pedro I, who declared Brazil's independence, is causing controversy in two countries.

by Dania Rodrigues

August 25, 2022

Father Rui Sousa in the parish orchards.

The Priest Who Resurrected an Island’s Cider Tradition

Father Rui Sousa saw opportunity in the parish orchards.

by Rafael Tonon

So sweet and adorable, you almost forget it's based on an ancient bloodsucking sea creature.

Meet the Sweet Sea Monster of Portuguese Christmas

Lampreia de ovos comes loaded with sugar, eggs, and the long history of glorifying a most peculiar parasite.

by Dania Rodrigues

December 23, 2021

The team mixes salt and seawater to make brine.

The Team Resurrecting Ancient Rome's Favorite Condiment

Making umami inside 2,000-year-old ruins.

by Rafael Tonon

Podcast: Mafra Palace Library Bats

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

The bakers use copper pots and antique instruments used specifically by nuns for convent sweets.

At This Portuguese Bakery, the Recipes Were Written by Nuns Centuries Ago

The owner of Alcôa has devoted decades to recovering lost pastries.

by Dania Rodrigues

February 26, 2021

Medieval manuscripts were illuminated with folium, and one bore the instructions for recreating the ink.

The Mystery of a Medieval Blue Ink Has Been Solved

Turns out it was hiding in plain sight by the side of a Portuguese road.

by Isaac Schultz

The Figueira Brava cave in Portugal, where Neanderthals had their pick of fruits de mer.

Holed Up in a Portuguese Cave, Neanderthals Supped on Seafood

For skeptics, no amount of crab legs and speared shark are enough to upend the caveman stereotype.

by Isaac Schultz

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