The Best Secret Places From Portugal ♦ Welcome to a world filled with wonders! Here is where we reveal to you secret places in Portugal, that most tourists don’t know about. – From natural parks and exotic gardens, the most breathtaking landscapes – these places need to be on your bucket list! Secrets From Portugal is pleased to let you know all about these amazing hidden places.
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Peneda-Gerês National Park
Near the Spanish border in the North of Portugal, we can find the natural beauty of the Peneda-Gerês National park. This unique wonder is famous for its incredible landscapes and unique waterfalls that are spread across the hills from the Mourela region to the Castro Laboreiro area. With almost 70 000 hectares, this natural park has a unique botanic diversity which makes the natural tracks a wonderful path to discover. Since it is considered by UNESCO as the World Biosphere Reserve, this is one of the top natural attractions of the country! This secret place as it all, go check it out!
Douro Valley
Also known as the enchanted valley, the ‘Douro Valley’ is one of the most famous regions in the whole country due to its breathtaking natural landscapes. Classified as World Heritage, this cultural landscape goes from the beautiful city of Porto to Miranda do Douro; which is the area where the Douro river starts. To enjoy this fantastic view, you can do a tour by car, train, cruise (the most popular is the Viking Cruises), or even by helicopter. There is also a wide variety of viewpoints, also known as “miradouros” in Portuguese, scattered along the way, and where you can admire the beauty of the Portuguese vineyards.
Berlengas Islands
Considered as a UNESCO heritage site in 2011, the ‘Berlengas archipelago’ is a group of granite islands located in the Atlantic Ocean which are about 8 km from the famous ‘Cape of Carvoeiro’. This was the country’s first protected area by the hand of Afonso V, king of Start your tour of the islands in the touristic centre of the Berlengas, where you will discover everything you need to know. Keep in mind that doing a diving activity is (almost) obligatory as no one wants to miss out on the experience of seeing the island’s rare marine ecosystem.
Bacalhôa Buddha Éden Garden
Inspired by oriental culture, this place is one of the largest gardens not only in Portugal but also in Europe. Also known as the “garden of peace”, this secret place is famous for its oriental essence that offers beauty and tranquillity to all those who visit it. Located in Bombarral, a small town in the centre of the country, the Buddha’s garden was created as a protest to defend the giant Buddhas that were to be destroyed in Bamyam (Afghanistan), in 2001. We can say that this oriental garden is an open gallery where we can admire various masterpieces (of different sizes and shapes) made by different plastic artists such as Joana Vasconcelos, Alexandre Calder or Fernando Botero.
Address: Quinta dos Loridos, 2540-420
Website:www.bacalhoa.pt/enoturismo/bacalhoa-buddha-eden
Nossa Senhora do Monte Viewpoint
This unique viewpoint situated in the emblematic Graça neighbourhood, in Lisbon, is one of the city’s most famous places thanks to its breathtaking views and famous half-moon shape. From this incredible secret place, you can admire the unique beauty of the ‘São Jorge Castle’, the ruins of the ‘Convento do Carmo’, the beautiful ‘Serra do Monsanto’ as well as the local church. The ‘Nossa Senhora do Monte’ viewpoint also features personalised tiles that showcase the locations of the most important local landmarks.
Address: Largo Monte, 1170-107 Lisboa
Gardens of the Palace of the Frontier Marquises
Located in Lisbon, near the Monsanto Natural Park, this Portuguese palace was built between 1671 and 1672 and it is considered one of the most well-preserved secrets in Lisbon. The palace was built as a hunting lodge and villa for the “Marquis of the Frontier”, also known as D. João Mascarenhas. Despite its architectural beauty, the main tourist attraction is the beautiful gardens composed of unique flowers species and plants as well as tile panels that depict important historical moments of the country.
Address: Largo São Domingos de Benfica 1, 1500-554 Lisboa
Website: www.fronteira-alorna.pt/
Pego do Inferno
This secret place near Tavira has what might be one of the most beautiful landscapes in southern Portugal. The beautiful ‘Pego do Inferno’ is the largest set of three cascades formed by limestone tufts that are easily found in the Asseca stream, in Santo Estevão. The highlight of this place is the stunning ‘Miradouro do Pego’, where you can admire the unique beauty of the waterfall’s path, which at the end leads you to around, Mediterranean-green coloured lagoon.
Address: Estrada EN514-2, Tavira
Algar de Benagil
The name, ‘Algar de Benagil’, was chosen as a little homage to a small village closely located this little Portuguese paradise. This secret place consists of a natural cavity formed by a natural process (erosion) with almost 20 million years of existence. The large rocks hide small and beautiful beaches and the only way to access them is through a water path. This place has been mentioned a few times in international newspapers, such as the Huffington Post, and is one of the most popular natural attractions in Algarve, also popular for its wonderful beaches.
Monte Palace Tropical Gardens
Located in ‘Funchal’, one of the four Madeira islands, this place lies on a beautiful hill that has fantastic views over Funchal’s bay. ‘Monte Palace’ is one of the most important historical locations on the island. – In the eighteenth century, this architectural gem was one of the most famous luxury hotels and even welcomed many emblematic guests into their facilities. Nowadays, ‘Monte Palace’ is one of the best-known local museums thanks to its incredible architecture as well as unique gardens; filled with incredible exotic plants originated from several continents. The famous garden has an exclusive collection of ancient ‘cica’, which consists of a collection of 60 types of plants considered as living fossils.
Address: Caminho do Monte 174, 9050-288 Funchal
Website: https://montepalace.com/desktop/?lang=pt
Ribeira Quente waterfall
‘São Miguel’ island, in the Azores, is famous for its breathtaking views full of unique landscapes, hot springs, natural lagoons and incredible waterfalls of crystalline water. Among these, we can find the amazing ‘Cascata da Ribeira Quente’. This waterfall is located in the village of Ribeira Quente and has a thermal origin that comes from the inner core of the island. This secret place is one of the most important locations in the Azores and is included in the famous ‘waterfall trail’, where the best spots on the island are explored.
Once again, Secrets From Portugal bring you its choice of the best secret places in Portugal, stay tuned, we have more of these coming.
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