Visiting the most beautiful villages in Portugal

 

To get to know the most beautiful villages in Portugal is to dive into our roots as a nation, to better understand what it means the identity of our country... It’s a live history lesson, it’s to know what is most authentic in the Portuguese territory and it is, above all, to make a stunning and inspiring trip that you will never forget.

 

Ready to start the journey?

 

The most beautiful villages in Portugal are spread all over the national territory and to visit  them all in a single trip would take a lot of time and would be quite exhausting. Therefore, we have selected two villages in each region of the country :north, centre and south.

In all these regions you will find more isolated or more integrated villages, mountain villages or fishing villages, more historical or more recent villages and, always with the villages as destination, you will also get to know everything around them and the ways to get there.

Most beautiful villages in Portugal: north

 

In the north region there is a myriad of mountain villages, some of them very isolated and almost inaccessible, which represent the perfect meeting  between nature and  our past. It was not easy, but we selected two of these most symbolic and representative villages: one in Gerês and one in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro.

Castro Laboreiro - Serra do Gerês

 

If you feel curious to know traces and elements of our pre-history, then you are in the right place, at the heart of the Peneda Mountain, inserted in the National Park of Peneda Gerês.  Here you will find amazing cave paintings, about 120 dolmens and cists, in what is one of the richest prehistoric sites of the all country.

 

What to visit?

Castro Laboreiro Castle

Castro Laboreiro Mills

Castro Laboreiro Museum

 

What is there to do?

Canyoning

 

 Montesinho - Bragança

 

You have arrived at one of the most beautiful villages of Portugal. It is located at an altitude of more than 1000 meters in the surroundings of Bragança and inside the Natural Park of Montesinho. You will find a totally recovered but entirely genuine village which keeps the typical « transmontana » construction: granite houses with slate roofs and wooden balconies.

 

What to visit?

Veiguinhas Dam

Montesinho Museum

Santo António Church

 

What to do?

A 10km walk between the villages of Montesinho, França and Portelo. Try to spot a golden eagle, a black stork or a deer!

Where to rent a car in the north region?

We suggest you visit the Guerin Station at Porto Airport or the Guerin Station at Braga to rent a car nearer your destination.

The most beautiful villages in Portugal: Central region

 

In the central region, we have selected a historical village located near the city of Guarda and another maritime village further south, 45km from Lisbon, both on the list of the most beautiful villages in Portugal.

 

Marialva - Guarda

 

One of the 12 historical villages of Portugal, situated 7km from the city of Mêda, on the left bank of the Ribeira de Marialva, and from the hill top it tells us the history of the conquests by the Romans, Suevi and Arabs before becoming an important military square in the Middle Ages.

 

What to visit?

Castle of Marialva

Chapel of Santa Bárbara

Old Town Hall

 

What to do?

Adventure and nature tours: by car, on foot or by bike.

 

Azenhas do Mar - Sintra

 

For those looking for an idyllic weekend by the sea, the village of Azenhas do Mar is perfect. Its little houses that descend in steps from the top to the foot of the cliff by the beach are one of the most photographed landscapes in Portugal. You can enjoy the incredible views and taste the delicious seafood dishes on your trip to one of the most beautiful villages in Portugal.

 

What to visit?

Azenhas do Mar viewpoint

Pena National Park and Palace

Quinta da Regaleira

 

What to do?

Photographic Safari through the streets and alleys of Azenhas do Mar

In the summer, take a dip in the Azenhas do Mar ocean swimming pool

Where to rent a car in the central region?

We suggest you visit Coimbra Guerin Station to rent a car nearer your destination.

The most beautiful villages in Portugal: Southern region

 

In the southern region, we have selected one village that is one of the most famous and that gives you a taste of the heart of the Alentejo, and another one by the sea in the area of Sines, so that you can have a sense of the contrasts between the Alentejo plain and the coastal area.

 

Evoramonte - Évora

 

With less than 600 inhabitants today seem to hide its more than seven centuries of history and its high geographical and military importance. Here you can still find the town walls protecting the village and the presence of the House of Bragança.

 

What to visit?

Evoramonte Castle

Parish Church

Evoramonte Common Barn

 

What to do?

Cultural and thematic tours in Evoramonte

Andar a monte - experiences and workshops related to handicrafts and local traditions.

 

Porto Covo - Sines

 

Recovered by the Marquis of Pombal after the 1755 earthquake, Porto Covo preserves its aura of a small fishing village with its humble white houses on the planted seafront. Around it you have the Pessegueiro Islandand in the summer you can still find cliffy, hidden and almost deserted beaches. A little paradise on earth...

 

What to visit?

Porto Covo historic centre

Salto beach

Herdade do Pessegueiro

 

What to do?

Cycling tours along the Costa Vicentina

Climbing trails to discover the best beaches in Porto Covo

Boat trip Pessegueiro Island

Where to rent a car in the southern region ?

We suggest you visit the Guerin Station in Sines or Évora to rent a car nearer your destination.

Discover the most beautiful villages in Portugal with Guerin

 

Getting to know the most beautiful villages in Portugal involves many kilometres of road travel, which is why we suggest that you choose a safe, comfortable car from our wide range of models, which will give you all the driving pleasure you need. Are you going with friends? Taking your family with you? Choose a spacious, comfortable car, like an SUV, for example. At Guerin, you can rent the car that will be at your side on this journey of discovery of what is most authentic and genuine in Portugal.