Things to Do in Portugal: City Guides & Audio Tours

Portugal is a country shaped by the Atlantic, from the southwestern edge of the Iberian Peninsula to the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores. The best things to do in Portugal include exploring historic cities, discovering landscapes shaped by the sea and encountering traditions that bring together Mediterranean and Atlantic influences. Neywo offers free audio guides for 45 cities in Portugal, covering 1,776 narrated places.

What to see and do in Portugal

Explore Portugal’s history

Portugal’s history reaches back around 400,000 years, while the country itself emerged through the Reconquista. It began as a county of the Kingdom of León and was formally recognised as a kingdom in 1179. Later, Portuguese advances in nautical science and maritime exploration opened new sea routes and territories during the Age of Discovery, leading to the Portuguese Empire.

The country then passed through monarchy, republic and dictatorship. A military coup overthrew the Estado Novo regime and began the Carnation Revolution, opening the way to democracy. Across Portugal, historic buildings and cities reflect these successive transformations.

For a first introduction to the country’s urban heritage, Lisbon brings together places such as Jerónimos Monastery, the National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon Cathedral and Torre de Belém. In the north, Porto has its own distinct collection of landmarks, including Porto Cathedral, Palácio da Bolsa, Rivoli Theatre and São João National Theatre.

Discover cities with layers of heritage

Portugal’s cities preserve religious, military and civic buildings from different periods. Braga is represented by Braga Cathedral, Arco da Porta Nova, the Bom Jesus do Monte Funicular and the Chapel of São Frutuoso. In Coimbra, the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, Monastery of Santa Cruz, Monastery of Celas and Casa-Museu Miguel Torga show several sides of the city’s cultural history.

Further south, Évora includes the Cathedral of Évora, Convento dos Lóios, Chafariz das Portas de Moura and the Palácio dos antigos Condes de Basto. Beja offers a different historical perspective through the Castle of Beja, Igreja de Santo Amaro, the Roman ruins of Pisões and Ermida de Santo André.

Other destinations make it possible to explore Portugal’s heritage beyond its largest cities. Óbidos has a castle, the archaeological site of Eburobrittium, a municipal museum and an aqueduct. Tomar is home to the Convent of Christ and Castelo de Tomar, as well as Igreja de São João Baptista and Casa da Quinta da Granja, including its dovecote, water wheel, olive press and other buildings.

See the Atlantic side of Portugal

Portugal’s geography extends well beyond its mainland outline. Madeira and the Azores lie in the Atlantic Ocean, and the country’s internal waters and territorial sea make up two-fifths of its territory. Its exclusive economic zone is also among Europe’s largest.

This relationship with the ocean is especially visible in Faro, where the places covered by Neywo include Palacete Belmarço, Palácio Fialho, Arco da Vila and the Roman Ruins of Estoi. In Setúbal, the Quinta da Bacalhoa, Palácio dos Duques de Aveiro, Castelo de São Filipe and Mourisca tide mill connect architecture, history and the coastal landscape.

The islands offer another dimension of Portugal. The Azores are mainly temperate oceanic in climate and include landscapes ranging from temperate mixed forests to open Atlantic settings. Ponta Delgada features Fort Saint Blaise, Centro Municipal de Cultura, Carlos Machado Museum and Fonte Bela Palace. On Pico Island, the narrated places include Mount Pico, Museu da Indústria Baleeira, Museu dos Baleeiros and Igreja de São Mateus.

Madeira has a Mediterranean climate and evergreen forests. The island’s Neywo coverage includes Igreja de São Lourenço, Forte de São José, Cristo Rei and Forte dos Louros. In Funchal, the audio guide covers Forte de São José, Forte dos Louros, Cathedral of Funchal and the CR7 Museum.

Experience Portugal’s landscapes and biodiversity

Portugal is part of the Mediterranean basin, a biodiversity hotspot. Its landscapes include temperate mixed forests in the Azores, evergreen forests in Madeira and Mediterranean woodland on the Iberian Peninsula. Almost a quarter of the country’s land lies within the Natura 2000 network.

In continental Portugal, native trees such as holm oak, cork oak, stone pine and maritime pine make up most of the forested area. This variety means that Portugal is not one single landscape: its peninsula, islands, forests and open Atlantic waters all contribute to the country’s character.

The contrast between mainland and island environments is particularly clear when comparing destinations such as Viana do Castelo, with its Palácio dos Viscondes da Carreira, Museu de Artes Decorativas, Museu do Traje de Viana do Castelo and Chafariz da Praça da Rainha, with Madeira’s forested and Atlantic setting.

Discover Portuguese art, language and music

Portugal’s culture carries traces of the civilisations that have inhabited its territory, especially those connected with the Mediterranean. Portuguese is the country’s official and predominant language. It is also one of the official and working languages of the European Union, while Portuguese Sign Language has constitutional protection.

The country’s artistic record reaches back into prehistory. At the Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde, early artists created images showing an attempt to depict motion. Portuguese literature reaches back to the early thirteenth century and developed through cantigas, songs created by people from across society, including King Denis the First and the minstrel Martin Codax.

Music has a long recorded history as well. Its early forms were largely liturgical music and troubadourism. In Portugal, images, signs, stories and songs all reveal traditions carried through many generations.

Taste Portugal’s Mediterranean and Atlantic cuisine

Food is another way to understand the meeting of Portugal’s regional influences. Traditional staples include seafood, brassicas, potatoes, bread, dairy products and olive oil. Bread and potatoes often provide the base for meals, while seafood, dairy products and vegetables add variety.

Bacalhau has such a strong presence across the country that it is considered a national dish. The pastel de nata is considered one too. Together with the broader use of familiar ingredients in different ways, these foods reflect a cuisine shaped by both Mediterranean and Atlantic diets.

Explore Portugal with Neywo

Download Neywo to discover Portugal through its history, culture and landscapes. The app offers free audio guides for 45 cities, with 96 walking tours and 1,776 narrated places in total. Narration is available in 11 languages.

Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace. There is no group and no schedule: Neywo tells the story of each site when you arrive, so you can explore Portugal independently.