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Days in the sun (clockwise from top): In the Algarve, beachgoers
descend from the top of the cliffs to the golden sands of Lagos,
and a canine beachcomber lounges on white-sand Monte Gordo;
São Lourenço do Barrocal is a farm turned hotel in the Alentejo.
For some, the urge to explore
nature can be satisfied with a
trip to Lisbon’s Oceanário, one
of the world’s great aquariums.
But Portugal’s beckoning sands,
thundering surf, and meandering
rivers will not be denied. —JK
BEYOND LISBON
Beaches
Solitary beachcombing (and
windsurfing) can be found within
an hour of the global capital of
what was once a great seafaring
empire. Guincho, just beyond
gentrified Cascais, is the best
of them. Difficult to reach by
public transport, the Arrábida
Peninsula just south of Lisbon is
dotted with small beaches and
wild, winding heights.
SOUTHWEST PORTUGAL
Vicentina Coast
Along the Atlantic where
Alentejo meets the Algarve, a
number of long beaches seem
to extend forever—Odeceixe
and Zambujeira do Mar are the
better known—with nearby
lagoons attracting some of
Europe’s spectacular migratory
birds. The jagged cliffs of Cabo
de São Vicente evoke Ireland
and are situated near where the
first Portuguese caravels set
off into the unknown.
ALENTEJO
Almendres Cromlech
The most extensive and
impressive of Iberia’s many
archaeological finds, the stone
monoliths of this circular,
mini-Stonehenge were stumbled
upon only 50 years ago. Walks
and drives along dirt roads
through Alentejo’s distinctive
cork forests (with gnarled black
trunks numbered and stripped
every nine years) supplement
the site’s abiding mystery.CENTRAL PORTUGAL
Serra da Estrela
The “Star Mountain Range” is
the only place in Portugal where
it regularly snows. Skiing is
possible, but better yet are
the hikes along its 60-mile-
long stretch of rolling ridges.
This isn’t exactly heavy-duty
mountaineering, but a chance
to stroll in lofty mists alongside
shepherds and their flocks.NORTH OF THE DOURO VALLEY
Pedras Salgadas Spa
and Nature Park
At this old-timey sanitarium
and bottling plant for the
country’s most popular sparkling
water, the sleepy thermal spa
has been given new life by way
of modernist cabins and tree
houses, created by avant-garde
architects, for vacation rentals.
pedrassalgadaspark.comNATURE +
OUTDOORS