Portugal’s most unusual attractions – seven quirky favourites

Which country is home to volcanoes, to a man-made lake stretching for 250km, to an ancient Moorish capital known as Xelb, to chapels made of bones, to a bookshop that inspired a best-seller… Admittedly, I’ve given away the answer in the title, but would you have guessed otherwise?

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Portugal is one of my favourite countries, somewhere I return to again and again, and which I realised has played a big part in several of my most memorable trips. My babymoon in the Azores, that final overseas trip before my daughter came along to introduce me to family travel. Our first European holiday as a family of three, where viruses and terrible teething tested my new-found family travel confidence – but which proved we could still have some wonderful moments.

Lisbon is also one of my favourite cities, including beautiful Belem (and *those* custard tarts), as well as the fairytale Pena Palace at nearby Sintra, pretty Cascais (which I’ve only ever seen in sunshine) and the gloriously dramatic coastline with its rocks and crashing waves.

We’ve also headed to Porto, a city that was on my wishlist for a while – and not just for the port… though that’s definitely part of it. Portuguese white port is another happy discovery along my travels.

Check out my complete guide to Portugal with kids here

Famous for its colourfully eye-catching architecture and the enchanting Livraria Lello which is as magical as the world conjured up by frequent visitor JK Rowling in her Harry Potter stories, that family city marked my first visit to the north of the country.

Which all started me thinking about some of my favourite Portuguese memories – including some of Portugal’s most unusual attractions.

Portugal’s most unusual… lake: The Grande Lago

Stretching for around 250km, the man-made lake in the Alentejo region was created as a reservoir to provide the arid sun-baked interior with water.

But this practical plan resulted in a stunning place to explore the region, with boats for hire from Amieira Marina, around an hour from Evora – home to one of those fantastically macabre bone chapels.

Cruising leisurely along the still water, the glistening blue hides its own secrets – the submerged village of Luz, ancient Roman ruins and prehistoric rock art lie beneath since the valley was flooded.

And on the hillsides, fortified villages dating back over a thousand years where you can wander the ramparts and look out onto the countryside.

Then as night falls, more stars than I’ve seen anywhere else in Europe, far from light pollution. Easily one of the most unusual places in Portugal, as well as the most overlooked – perfect for exploring with older kids who want adventure too.

Tempted? There’s more about my trip in the piece I wrote for The Independent.

Portugal’s most unusual… castles: the palaces of Sintra

A splash of yellow, bright against the blue sky. Portuguese azulejos, traditional tiles glinting in the sun. The quirky ‘pepperpot’ towers, their minimalist white hiding ornate ceilings and decorated rooms inside. The fairytale wonderland to be found in the gardens, carvings and tunnels adding to the otherworldly atmosphere.

Around 40 minutes from Lisbon, Sintra is a world away from the capital – the summer retreat of the royal family, the palaces scattered on the hillsides are all different, all unlike most European fortresses and palaces, and all unmissable.

After all, where else could you find the dramatic ruins of a castle built when Portugal was a Moorish kingdom, a fairytale garden that’s home to a mysterious well, waterfalls and turrets which seem designed to trap princesses, and a palace with bars on the window of one room where its king was imprisoned?

Although despite several trips, I always run out of time to see everything I plan to.

Check out my tips on spending one day in Sintra with kids

Portugal’s most unusual… scenery: the volcanic Azores

The most westerly point of Europe, scattered in the Atlantic, lie the islands of the Azores. As much part of Portugal as Lisbon, they dot the ocean a thousand miles from the capital. 

The traditional white churches are the same as on the mainland, but here the villages are set among tea plantations and calderas, volcanic lakes shining blue and green in the sun.

The underground heat warms thermal pools that feel like floating in the hottest of baths; elsewhere you can cook your lunch in special pots buried for hours, until the traditional ‘cozido’ is ready to be eaten.

And in the capital Ponta Delgada, brightly coloured buildings line the harbour and sleepy streets but whales swim through the waves nearby and pineapples grow in special glasshouses, piled high in the markets or transformed to a deliciously sticky liqueur.

Portugal’s most unusual… place to stay: Lisbon’s Alfama

Lovely Lisbon could easily fill its own post with things to do, places to see, unusual spots, unexpected finds: after all, this city is home to lifts and funiculars just to get around, to the fabulously intricate architecture of Belem, to soaring bridges and aqueducts, to a pink street that’s one of the hottest places to go out.

And the chance to stay in a kitchen, be woken by peacocks and roam a castle after dark. In Lisbon’s historic Alfama district, washing is strung between the narrow buildings and the cobbles are definitely not designed for high heels.

There, by happy chance, I checked in to Solar do Castelo on my first visit to the city. The original castle kitchens, they’re now outside the walls but the strutting peacocks act as a unique alarm clock – even if I couldn’t work out what the sound was until I visited the Castelo de Sao Jorge next door.

Home to a camera obscura, the castle is also the setting for the Casa de Leao restaurant. Behind the locked gates, you’re allowed in with a reservation – and get the opportunity to walk through the silence castle after the crowds of visitors have gone home. Then back to the complimentary port at the hotel…

For more ideas of things to do in Lisbon with kids, check out my top picks

Portugal’s most unusual… history: the Algarve

Looming above the town, the solid red battlements look as imposingly fearsome as they must have done to invaders centuries ago. Away from the beach resorts of the Algarve lies a spot almost frozen in time, where the Moors and a Portuguese king fought for control of the castle at Silves.

The mighty Moorish capital of Xelb was a prize for either side – until the river below began to silt up, ending trade and leaving this once strategic port abandoned.

With its twisting cobbled streets, a cathedral built in the shadow of the castle, and a feeling that you might just have stepped back in time to the Middle Ages, it’s a world away from the endless golden sand which tempts most visitors to Portugal’s south.

Drive a short way to nearby Guia and there’s another unexpected claim to fame – the restaurant where piri piri chicken was invented. Two unexpected achievements that prove there’s always more to find in this wonderful country.

Portugal’s most unusual… village: Aveiro

This picture-perfect lagoon-side spot is often called the ‘Venice of Portugal’ thanks to its tiny network of canals. 

The big attraction is simply wandering around, soaking up the views of its iconic bright, striped buildings (and countless Instagram-worthy photo ops).

But save time to see this colourful spot from the water too. Take a ride on a moliceiro, a Portuguese-style gondola, through the canals and explore the colourful neighborhood of Costa Nova – this 45-minute boat trip is suitable for kids.

Look beyond the touristy facade and there’s history to discover too: you can visit the salt pans which provide Aveiro’s high-quality salt, as well as enjoying a natural spa treatment.

Portugal’s most unusual… churches: the bone chapels

While Portugal isn’t the only country to have bone chapels, with the very structure created out of skulls and bones, they do have some of the world’s most memorable.

Whether you find them macabre or memorably creepy, they’re unforgettable, and inevitably there’s a gruesome appeal for kids as well.

Two of the most famous Capela dos Ossos are found in Faro, in the Algarve, as well as in Evora – I visited the latter before our trip on the Grande Lago, but the former is a lot easier to reach if you’re exploring the south coast.

It’s not just for the shock value either, both are designed to make you think about your own mortality with words over the entrance to remind you that one day we all come to this state. A bit bleak for a holiday memory? Perhaps – but no doubt that a visit is one of the most unusual things to do in Portugal.

For more reasons to visit Portugal with kids, check out this post, as well as some of the best places to visit in northern Portugal

*first published 2018, updated 2024*

PIN FOR LATER: PORTUGAL’S MOST UNUSUAL ATTRACTIONS

Aveiro/bone chapel images courtesy Depositphotos, all other copyright MummyTravels

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