The best places to visit in Portugal

For Serious History: Evora

With a history that dates back more than 5,000 years, Evora in central Portugal is a fascinating place to visit. The whole historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you’ll find medieval city walls, a very-well preserved Roman temple and more. A great place to start is the seriously creepy Capela dos Ossos or Chapel of Bones, built by a Franciscan Friar in the 16th century to represent the brevity of the human lifespan. The walls of the chapel are entirely covered with skulls and bones, while the ceiling is painted with morbid motifs. Up to 5,000 human remains are thought to have been used in the church’s construction, supplied by the town’s graveyards.

Shake off the chapel gloom with a brisk walk to see the Roman temple, built in the 1st century AD to honour Emperor Augustus, in what was once the town’s main square. In the Middle Ages the temple was incorporated into the town’s castle, although this structure no longer remains. Head to the nearby Evora Museum for greater insight about the town’s Roman past.

History aside, Evora also has plenty of restaurants offering hearty Alentejan cuisine, a couple of stylish boutique hotels, and the wines from the area are among the best in Portugal.

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Evora old town is filled with charming streets © RossHelen/Shutterstock

For Big Wave Surfing: Nazare

Nazare, a small town on the Atlantic Coast north of Lisbon, has emerged in recent years as one of the world’s top destinations for big wave surfing. An underwater canyon offshore disrupts the waves as they break, creating monster sizes. Intrepid travellers have been surfing at Nazare since the late ‘60s, but it only started to gain international acclaim in more recent years., when big wave surfer Garrett McNamara arrived to challenge the wave in 2010. Since 2016, Nazare has hosted a WSL Big Wave Championships and the destination looks set to keep growing in popularity. To see the big wave surfers for yourself head to Nazare in mid-November.

The town has kept its sleepy fishing village feel, and you’re guaranteed to find fresh seafood and local Portuguese dishes at one of the traditional tascas in town. There are two beaches to choose from – north beach, where the surf action happens, and Nazare beach, a wide half-moon of sand great for chilling out on. If you’re up and about in the early morning head down to the harbour to see the fishermen unloading their catch of the day.

A big wave surfer in Nazare, Portugal © Albert Russ/Shutterstock