Looking for a cheap summer holiday? Here’s our pick of the 9 best places in Portugal

If you're connected a fund and looking for a sunny getaway that's not excessively acold away, Portugal whitethorn beryllium the 1 for you. 

Though it whitethorn not beryllium mighty successful size, with a mainland land-mass of just 88km2, Portugal offers an intoxicating premix of stunning beaches, beauteous architecture and unthinkable food. Not to notation a fig of paradise islands. 

It besides boasts astir 300 days of sunshine per year.  

So if you're looking to publication a travel and privation thing a small antithetic from Portugal's classical Algarve, present are a fewer of our recommendations.

9. Azores - the eco-archipelago

The Azores are a postulation of 9 Portuguese islands located successful the mid-Atlantic Ocean. They're astir a 4 to 5 hr formation from occidental Europe. 

Split into 3 groups, the islands are location to a wealthiness of biodiversity and galore volcanic cones and craters. They person been hailed an ‘eco-tourism’ paradise and are location to galore humanities buildings, including 15th period churches and manor houses.

The easiest land to alert to is Sao Miguel, but the champion land to flight the engaged tourer hotspots is Corvo. It has its ain home airdrome which offers flights betwixt 3 of the different islands. Alternatively, you tin question to Corvo via ferry from Sao Miguel.

Corvo is the smallest land and the full land is successful information an extinct volcano and was formed from its erstwhile eruptions.

8. Sintra - an architectural beauty

Make similar 19th period nobility and caput to Sintra to flight the vigor of Portugal's superior Lisbon. 

Known for its somewhat cooler climate, Sintra is little than an hr distant from the superior and was the summertime location for galore artists and societal elite of the past.

Located successful the hills of Serra de Sintra, this municipality is known for its villas and castle ruins. Many sojourn arsenic a time travel from Lisbon, but we urge staying for a fewer days arsenic there’s plentifulness to spot and do.

If you similar architecture, you'll beryllium stunned by the agleam colours of the Pena Palace and the intricate detailing astatine Monserrate Palace and, well, fundamentally everything. 

Train tickets betwixt Lisbon and Sintra commencement arsenic inexpensive arsenic €2.30.

7. Coimbra - a past student's dream

From 1139 until 1260 Coimbra was the superior of Portugal and is present known arsenic the ‘City of Students’. Despite being the 4th largest municipality centre successful Portugal it has a colonisation of conscionable 106,582 radical - astir 1 5th of the colonisation of Lisbon.

The metropolis is inactive medieval successful its feel, with galore of the buildings dating backmost to the Roman Empire, arsenic good arsenic an aqueduct and galore archetypal cryptoporticus (a covered corridor oregon passageway).

The assemblage buildings are besides recognised arsenic being a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Tours astir the assemblage commencement astatine €8.

6. Aveiro - the Venice of Portugal

Located connected the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Aveiro is 1 of Portugal's astir important ports. The portion is fashionable with vessel enthusiasts, boasting an extended canal web it is often referred to arsenic the 'Portuguese Venice'.

Aveiro besides has a fig of sister cities including locations successful Tunisia, Japan and Mozambique, and is good known for its historical accumulation of brackish and ceramics.

5. Cascais - the surfers’ paradise

Known arsenic the 'heart of the Portuguese Riviera', Cascais is large if you similar the beaches of the Algarve but are looking for thing a small quieter.

If you’re seeking an all-rounder holiday, Cascais is the perfect destination for families. A erstwhile sportfishing town, it’s present a fashionable spot for watersports and nature hikes.

If you’re a keen surfer, oregon conscionable up for trying it, caput here. It’s increasing successful popularity arsenic a surf spot but inactive undiscovered capable that you won’t beryllium warring for waves.

Cascais is 35km south-west of Lisbon wherever determination is simply a wealthiness of cheap question connections. 

4. Braga - the cleanable metropolis break

Braga is Portugal's third-largest metropolis and is heavy connected to the humanities and spiritual ties that inactive beryllium successful the country.

The item of Braga’s calendar is Holy Week successful April. This elaborate matter is fashionable with radical from each implicit the world. The ambiance created is medieval, reminding tourists and locals alike that Braga is inactive the ecclesiastical centre of Portugal.

Taking spot implicit 4 consecutive days, the main events instrumentality spot successful the city’s 11th period Roman cathedral.

But don't interest if you're not spiritual - there's inactive plentifulness of things to bash whilst your roam Braga's beauteous streets. 

3. Douro Valley - the superior of wine

Home of each the wines, Douro Valley has been producing vino for implicit 2,000 years. It has been a designated UNESCO World Heritage tract since 2001. 

The valleys are mostly quiescent passim the season, but for erstwhile the autumn harvest takes place, past it becomes a bustling hive of vineyard owners and vino enthusiasts.

If you privation to spend your vacation vino tasting portion looking astatine stunning views of acres of vineyards, Douro is your champion bet.

Winery tours with a tasting commencement from arsenic small as €13.

2. Reserva Natural das Berlengas - a haven for wildlife

Just 10km disconnected the seashore of Peniche, Reserva Natural das Berlengas oregon the Berlengas Archipelago is simply a mostly untouched portion of Portugal.

Consisting of 3 islands, Berlengas is location to a fig of birds including endangered taxon specified arsenic the puffin. The portion is besides brimming with marine beingness - cleanable if you are a diving enthusiast. 

Of the 3 islands, lone Berlenga is inhabited by people, galore of whom unrecorded connected the land to enactment successful services which are deemed necessary, specified arsenic the cognition of the lighthouse.

If you’re looking for the eventual sanctuary, Berlenga is it, with lone 350 radical being allowed connected the land astatine immoderate fixed time. Visiting the land is lone imaginable by ferry which makes 2 trips a time betwixt the months of May and September.

Tickets for a instrumentality ferry crossing commencement at €22. 

1. Peniche - our apical prime for Portugal

Once a erstwhile island, geography has made Peniche overmuch much accessible to tourists and the residents of Portugal. We’ve made it our fig 1 proposal due to the fact that it encapsulates each of Portugal's modernity whilst paying homage to its past.

Just an hour’s thrust from Lisbon, the coastal municipality of Peniche is celebrated for its humanities harbour and aged walls. The champion portion astir Peniche remains successful the aged municipality wherever the fortress has been since the 15th century. It was utilized by the subject until the 1970s and has since been location to refugees from the past autarkic African colonies. 

Today the fortress is location to a museum, which contains artefacts from erstwhile it was utilized arsenic a situation by erstwhile dictator António de Oliveira Salazar. It is besides a abbreviated ferry travel from the stunning Berlengas Archipelago.

Entry into the fortress costs €1.60 for adults and is escaped for children.