Tourist attractions Estoril

The tower was originally built in 1519 in the middle of the Tagus to defend the Hieronymite monastery and to serve as a lighthouse. Since the earthquake altered the course of the river, this five-storey Manueline tower now stands next to a beach. The..

The south door has an abundance of statues, including one of Henry the Navigator. The interior is outstanding, in particular the vault which surprisingly withstood the 1755 earthquake and the slender architectural lines of the pillars of the nave. ..

This magnificent 16C Hieronymite monastery was built in 1502 and is a glorious result of the great discoveries of the period. Vasco de Gama had returned from India with his vessels laden with riches, thus enabling the architects to embark on a very a..

This masterpiece of Manueline art is of dazzling sculptural richness, measures 55m across, and is laid out over two levels: the lower one, by Boytac, has broad arcades with fine colonnettes decorated in the late Gothic and Renaissance styles; the upp..

The beauty of the site has been celebrated many times by poets and, in particular, by Gil Vicente, Camões ( The Lusiads ), Southey and Byron ( Childe Harold ). The beauty of the landscapes must be emphasised and you will see a wide variety of vegetat..

From the summit with its cross there is a vast panoramic view over the entire massif (except Sintra ) and surrounding plain, as far as Lisbon to the south (beyond the Pena Palace ). The Pena Park has an accessible network of footpaths.

Perched on one of the highest points on the Serra, this palace was built in the middle of the 19C by King Ferdinand II around an old Hieronymite monastery dating from the 16C. Its extravagance is reminiscent of the castles of Louis II of Bavaria, alt..

To the south of Sintra, the very attractive Pena Park covers an area of 200ha on the granite slopes of the Serra. It is planted with many rare species and has a large number of pools and fountains. A visit on foot is quite charming, but the motorist ..

An eclectic structure owing to the various additions made over time. The central building was erected in the 14C while the wings date from the start of the 16C. The interior is interesting with its remarkable decoration of azulejos from the 15C and..

On the site of an old 17C quinta , this architectural ensemble of Gothic, Renaissance and Manueline styles was built in the early 20C by Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920), a businessman interested in freemasonry and the esoteric. The quinta is a riot ..

Opened in 2007, this museum located at the heart of the cultural centre displays part of the collection of Madeiran tycoon J Berardo. A chronolgical and thematic tour covers the major European and American art movements of the 20C and 21C, taking in ..

The Monument to the Discoveries is an invitation to visit this museum of Portugal's maritime past with its impressive exhibition of a variety of model ships used for many different purposes: Asian vessels, 18 and 19C yachts, merchant navy steam shi..

The heart of monumental Manueline Lisbon, Belém overlooks the Tagus, and is now home to the Belém Cultural Centre . This is a pleasant, airy district with villas and gardens, set on a hillside dominating the river. It has strong links with Portugues..

The Carriage Museum , founded by Queen Amelia in 1904, has a splendid collection of carriages, the oldest of which is the magnificently painted four-wheeler brought to Portugal by Philip II of Spain in the late 16C. Other notable examples include th..

This beautiful hunting lodge, built by João Mascarenhas, the first Marquess of Fronteira, in 1670, shows a strong Italian Renaissance influence, particularly in the gardens. The quality and variety of the azulejos , covering every conceivable flat s..

Covering 26ha, Laranjeiras Park is both a zoo and public garden. The lower part includes the rose garden; there are enclosures for nearly 2 500 animals, many of which are exotic species. Note that the dolphinarium can only be visited during shows. A ..

A house, a café and several pine-trees on the side of this abyss into which the roaring sea surges.

Built on a rocky outcrop in the 8C or 9C, the castle of the Moors has no more left than a crenellated surrounding wall linking the steep slopes and four square towers as well as the ruins of a Romanesque chapel. From the Royal tower, reached up a s..

This toy museum in the old firemen's barracks, is the fruit of a collector's passion, João Arbués Moreira. It exhibits a huge collection of toys from everywhere in the world, from small bronze figures 3,000 years old, up to modern robots. On the top ..

An English style park surrounds a neo-oriental palace built in the 18C. The park is planted with many rare species (cedars, bamboos, tree ferns.) which bloom around waterfalls and pools. On arriving at Sintra, you will pass, on the left, the quinta..