This is a medieval town, still with its old fortifications in place that is an absolute marvel and…read morea must-do whenever you're visiting Portugal. There are so many cute shops to choose from and the entire walking experience was both picturesque and relaxing. The town is full of shops that offer good items at very reasonable prices. Among all of the towns that I visited, the souvenirs here were definitely among the best and very unique. There are lots of historic sites to visit and cobblestone streets are everywhere. The one thing to keep in mind is given a lot of roads are uneven for obvious reasons, older people should take notice when walking. I saw quite a few older folks in my group have trouble navigating the walk, that is something to watch out for.

Obidos is the town that sits inside a medieval fort. Like a Renaissance affair that never packed…read moreup. It has whitewashed houses, cobblestone streets, flower boxes that make your Instagram feel underdressed, charming photo ops, and not so many tourists. It's a great spot to spend a morning if you're vacationing in Lisbon.

Great place to wander around in. This is a huge castle, then the interpretation in English is…read morepretty good. There are tiles from the 17th century inside. You get to wander all over, looking at the dorm rooms that the monks lived in. You also get to see their kitchen and eating area as well as gardens. And of course the church inside is very very beautiful. I do not know much about the Templars before coming here, but they were a very interesting group.

If you like the story of the Knights Templar you should come here…read more This was Called the Convent of Christ. It was the temple where the Knights Templar lived when they were betrayed by the king of France and disbanded by the pope and fled France. Those who survived fled to Portugal where King Dinis reamed them the Knights of Christ. The symbol of the Knights of Christ is slightly different than the Knights Templar but you can see the similarity. The inner chapel is very ornate and beautiful which showed the money that they had. I loved putting the history together with the actual place.

UNESCO World Heritage Site…read more The palace is also known as "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire." The exterior is a sight to behold. Beyond the palace, there is an extensive park that features lakes, grottoes, wells, fountains, etc. The initiation well is a must. It consists of a spiral staircase with 9 platforms. I enjoyed our visit here, but wished I had more time exploring the grounds.

This was an enchanting and somewhat otherworldly property with mystical grounds, initiation wells…read moreand hidden paths. This quinta, or manor house, is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its cultural homage to freemasonry, the Knights Templar, and Gothic/Roman/Renaissance architecture. We weren't entirely sure what to expect, but I felt like this could be the setting for a new Dan Brown novel. The four-hectare grounds included the palace, a chapel, a 9-story initiation well (apparently used by free masons for ritualistic purposes, and also meant to represent Dante's 9 levels of hell?), and other mystical oddities. We spent the next two hours exploring the ins and outs of the forest, walking down the well and doing our own sort of initiation, exploring underground tunnels and grottos, and walking through the manor house. It was a unique experience and would definitely recommend as one of the attractions to do on a Sintra day trip

Don't expect huge waves during the summer, it's apparently more impressive later in the year in…read moreoct/nov. Great view though and still gives you bragging rights for having been to the place where the infamous huge waves were filmed.

This is a special part of the area because what appears to be a thin road separating two beaches…read morewas once not a road and separated Baleal as an island. It's quite scenic to overlook into the distance and see two completely different beaches directly facing each other with a thin one way road that cars and pedestrians share to cross into the beach. Primarily known for surfing, Baleal and it's southern neighbor Peniche are big spots where surfers visit to get their wave on. Easily the Surfing capital of Europe, this little tiny island is the classier spot that sets it apart from the southern strips which lack such scenic cliffs and architecture. All of Portugal is heavenly but Baleal and it's history seem to strike me on a different level. If you find your way as westbound as you can, there's some cliffs in the rear of some massive oceanfront homes which with the right gear can be easily climbed. It's also a lively spot to see the sundown in all its glory. When Baleal first was incorporated all that existed was the Surfcastle and the Church on the edge of the cliff. It's quite a scenic little town now bustling with several restaurants and shops. I do recommend this beach...or should I say beaches. Bring a wetsuit as it can be very cold in those waters.

Probably our favor palace tour we have been in. I mean, they have a room for the dogs so clearly…read morethey were an amazing royal family lol! We enjoyed the history, the stories and used our Lisbon Pass for the discount. This is right next to where the crowned jewels are kept which is also worth going to. This is a must stop when in Lisbon. The gifts on display from other countries were amazing, the portraits, the tapestries, it is all worth seeing and spending maybe an hour hour and a half here. It was very quit inside, not many people at all, felt like we had the palace to ourselves. Don't miss all the sculptures outside. They are fascinating, beautiful and unique.

This is my favorite museum in Lisbon and I found it's so under rated. It's probably because of its…read morelocation which is so far from the center of the city and can only be accessed by bus or the tram after a long ride. Actually, you can just extend your trip to the Belem area and this museum is only a fifteen minute walk away from the Monsteiro dos Jeronimos. This museum is the formal residence for the Portuguese royal family in the 19th century and has amazing displays of furniture, decorations and paintings. The most impressive places are the banquet hall and coronation palace. Staff there are also super nice and helpful. Too bad not many people visited this museum - I spent around two hours there on a Monday and we were one of the only two groups of people. The rest of the building is shared as office space by Portugal's departure of culture and on the other side of the court yard is the treasure museum where you can also find the most valuable treasures in Portugal. Most importantly, don't visit this museum on Thursday as it's closed!

Cabo Da Roca is the westernmost point of mainland Europe. It looks out into the Atlantic Ocean…read more There is also a lighthouse and hiking trails. The place was crowded with tourist buses. We had about 20 minutes here, so no hiking along the cliffs for us. We spent half that time in the bathroom line (.50€).

This place almost has a mythic quality to it - being it's the westernmost point of continental…read moreEurope and all. It's a little bit of a schlep to get here but it's worth the effort once you arrive. As I just described, this is basically where you stand and look at the ocean - the same ocean where people sailed hundreds of years ago west with no idea where they were headed other than the promise of a new land. That's the kind of feeling you get when you stand here. Or if you're not nostalgic or into history - you're going to stand here take nice photos and complain nonstop about how windy this place is because it will literally blow your hats off the second you walk to the ocean side area. There are a few monuments and memorial areas that you can take photos at, but the real draw here is the sense of vastness before you as you stand there and take in the vibes. Again it is WINDY as hell here - so if you're wearing very little clothing or lots of loose clothing, you've been warned. Plus, the weather here changes fast and it's not unusual to see rain just sweep in which is what I encountered when I was there. Take the wind and rain together and it's not a lot of fun so just be mindful of what you're wearing.

When checking out and reviewing the palaces we could check out in Sintra, I didn't really see too…read moremany people talking about Monserrate Palace. I looked at pictures online and the architecture looked pretty nice, so I decided that it was worth seeing while we were here - a decision that I'm glad I made. After visiting Regaleira in the morning, we took an Uber here. You can also take the bus but we were on a time crunch and decided an Uber was pretty worth it. It's honestly not that expensive so I'd even recommend that option. This palace is pretty far from the rest of the mainstream castles and palaces like Pena, Moorish, and Regaleira so a bus would definitely take some time. We had already pre-purchased our tickets online so they scanned it from our phones and off we went. Even thought the line for buying tickets was nonexistent there, I totally recommend doing this as you get a small discount from buying online beforehand. We headed straight for the palace. It truly is one of the underrated palaces. It's no Moorish Castle as it's not big nor grand, but it's quaint and charming in its own way. There's way less people here so it's not as chaotic, and you could take nice pictures. It has a beautiful hallway, and I absolutely love the ceilings. Always remember to look up at these types of structures because the ceilings may surprise you with beautiful designs. Aside from the palace, the garden is also nice to walk around for a bit. Again, I like how quiet and peaceful it was compared to the other castles and palaces. It felt serene to walk around the park. The lawns were so green and lush. There were a few ponds as well as mini waterfalls. Although, the gardens are definitely skippable if you're on a time crunch. I don't think it's an absolute must-see, but if you have the time, I would definitely recommend a stop at this palace. As a tourist, you're only here once right?

This palace is so beautiful. I loved that it was not as crowded as all the others…read more The designs and molding throughout are so intricate. I decided to take an Uber here. The bus took too long and the price differential isn't significant. I'm glad that I didn't skip on this one. Definitely recommend this one.

Highly suggest this if you are in Lisbon. Might be the best thing I have seen in Lisbon yet and I…read morehave seen a lot of the main attractions. The house tour is a must (no pictures) and the guide is so knowledgeable about the history of the Palácio and Portugal. There are so many beautiful nooks to get lost in. So much beauty and history packed into this Palácio. A bit far from the city center which makes this even more worth your visit. It feels like you are one of a handful of people visiting and there were a few times I had the property almost to myself.

This really is a great venue to have a wedding or any event. Our family had a 50 person ceremony…read more They take care of it all. They catered the 4 course meal, took care of the flowers, officiant, cake, DJ,and everything that needed to be done other than the photographer. We were there for around 10 hours for the entire wedding and they made sure that everything went off without a hitch. We had the ceremony in the lower garden, and moved to the upper garden for cocktails and then the porch for the meal and dancing the night away. I highly recommend this place and really felt like we were at one of the best events ever which tells me they must do good for most others that take advantage of this beautiful venue.