Portugal is a country of varied beauty and culture. There’s a Galician feel to the lush valleys of the north, a Moorish spice to the southern coast and a wildness to the Atlantic beaches and wildflower meadows of the centre.

Our collection of places to stay will get you out exploring all over the country, with owners waiting to welcome you to the unique sights and flavours of their region. Explore Madeiran wine cellars and snorkel turquoise waters, eat petiscos on rooftop bars in Porto, and explore the cork forests and olive groves of the rural centre. 

We’ve gathered the top tips and local knowledge of our team and owners to create this mini guide to Portugal, so that you, too, can have the same special experience and discover the incredible places to stay we’ve found there.

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Personally inspected and selected places that you'll love for their individual character

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Featured places to stay in Portugal

Quintamar - Gallery

Quintamar

Santa Luzia - Tavira, Algarve
Casa Roberto - Gallery

Casa Roberto

Santa Luzia, Algarve

Our favourite regions in Portugal

Algarve

Algarve

Northern Portugal

Northern Portugal

Douro

Douro

Madeira

Madeira

Our favourite small towns and villages

Ponte de Lima, Minho

One of the oldest cities in Portugal, where you can see (and stay in) the palaces of the Lisbon nobility who treasured the town as a summer escape, as well as stroll over even older architecture, crossing the many arches of the Roman bridge that spans the river.     

Olhao, Algarve

A fabulous fishing port with a strong sense of the Moroccan influence that you find all over the south. Small winding roads lead down streets lined with whitewashed buildings, there’s excellent seafood and boat taxis run you out to wild sandy islands.

Evora, Alentejo

This small, colourful town sits to the east of Lisbon and makes a great alternative to the palaces of Sintra in the west, which can be overrun in peak season. It’s also a great base for exploring the wildflower meadows and hills of the magnificent Alentejo region.

Funchal, Madeira

Although you’ll regularly spot cruise ships in the harbour and fancy new hotels on the waterfront, there are some lovely parts of Funchal. The sea views are spectacular and you can take trips out to the many wine cellars or explore the Parque Ecologico to the north, where the locals go to hold evening barbecues among the trees.

Find inspiration with our favourite places to stay in Portugal

Alentejo: Portugal’s wildest region on a budget

Last year, we sent travel journalist Hannah Summers to Portugal’s Alentejo for the first time. What she found was a region full of authentic food, rugged beaches, affordable accommodation and very little crowds.

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48 hours in Lisbon with Kym Grimshaw

We sent food photographer and blogger Kym Grimshaw to Lisbon, she sent us back a foodie’s dream 48 hours. Here, she rounds up how to eat the weekend away in Portugal’s cool capital city. Kym publishes recipes, restaurant reviews and trips at www.ontheplate.co.uk.

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Tim Moore travel’s Portugal’s coastal trains

We sent writer and adventurist Tim Moore to explore Portugal’s coast by train, following an itinerary from Porto to Lisbon. This is his guide to travelling the country in this way, visiting National Parks, beautiful cities and rural regions.

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