The Best Cities in Portugal for a City Break

Portugal’s cities are compact, walkable and full of character, from the capital on its seven hills to a university town, a Roman-walled Alentejo city and a canal city by the sea. Here are the best cities in Portugal for a city break, and what makes each special.

Quick answer: Lisbon and Porto are the two great city breaks. For smaller, historic cities, visit Coimbra, Évora, Braga and Guimarães. Aveiro has canals, Faro is a gateway to the Algarve, and Funchal and Ponta Delgada are the island capitals.

The big two

Lisbon

The sunny capital, with viewpoints, trams, fado, Belém and easy day trips to Sintra and Cascais. See things to do in Lisbon and where to stay.

Porto

A riverside city of granite and tiles, with port wine, great food and the Douro on its doorstep. See things to do in Porto and where to stay.

Torn between them? See Porto vs Lisbon.

Historic cities

• Coimbra: the university city. See Coimbra.
• Évora: Roman and medieval, in the Alentejo. See Évora.
• Braga: churches, gardens and Bom Jesus. See Braga.
• Guimarães: the medieval birthplace of Portugal.
• Viana do Castelo: elegant, with a hilltop basilica. See Viana do Castelo.

By the water

• Aveiro: canals, colourful boats and nearby Costa Nova. See Aveiro.
• Faro: a walled old town and the Ria Formosa. See Faro.
• Setúbal: seafood, dolphins and Arrábida. See Setúbal.

Island capitals

• Funchal: see things to do in Funchal.
• Ponta Delgada: see things to do in Ponta Delgada.
• Angra do Heroísmo: a UNESCO-listed old town. See Terceira.

More: the best places to visit in Portugal and the most beautiful small towns.

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