# Road trips in Portugal > 17 road trips and 56 hand-picked places in Portugal, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping. Source: https://camping-spirit.com/roadtrips/portugal/ 17 road trips and 56 hand-picked places in Portugal, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping. ## Road trips through Portugal - [Lisbon to the Algarve along the Atlantic](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/lisbon-algarve/): A Romantic palace, Europe’s western tip and golden sea cliffs. - [Alentejo coast and the Rota Vicentina](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/rota-vicentina/): Rice fields at Comporta, clifftop villages and wild beaches to Cape St Vincent. - [Northern Portugal: Minho and Gerês](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/minho-geres/): The birthplace of Portugal, Baroque Braga, granite mountains and a Roman bridge at Ponte de Lima. - [Central Portugal: Templars and granite villages](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/central-portugal/): Coimbra, the highest road in Portugal, the boulder village of Monsanto and the Templar convent at Tomar. - [The Douro Valley and the N222](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b3-douro-n222/): From Porto to the terraced port vineyards of the upper Douro, with Baroque stairways, riverside roads and Stone Age art in the Côa valley. - [Alentejo: standing stones, marble towns and border castles](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b3-alentejo-castles/): A prehistoric stone circle among cork oaks, the hilltop village of Monsaraz, marble towns and the eagle’s nest of Marvão. - [Down the Guadiana: Beja to Castro Marim](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b3-guadiana/): Along Portugal’s border river from the plains of Beja past waterfalls, a Moorish river town and an abandoned mine to the Algarve’s eastern edge. - [The hidden Algarve: villages and the Serra de Monchique](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b3-algarve-hills/): Away from the beaches: Roman ruins, market towns, a red sandstone castle and the highest peak in the Algarve. - [Historic villages of the Beira](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b3-beira-historic-villages/): Fortified granite villages on the old frontier with Spain, a star-shaped fortress and the schist village of Piódão. - [Serra da Arrábida and the Setúbal peninsula](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b3-arrabida/): Across the Tagus from Lisbon to a windswept cape, fishing towns, the green cliffs of Arrábida and a castle above the Moscatel vineyards. - [Along the Tagus: Templar castles and river gorges](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b3-tagus-castles/): Up the Tagus from Lisbon to Gothic Santarém, a castle on an island, riverside villages and the vulture cliffs of the Portas de Ródão. - [Lisbon to Sintra along the Cascais coast](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b13-lisbon-sintra-coast/): From Belém’s monastery and tower along the Marginal to Cascais, the wild Guincho coast, Cabo da Roca, Azenhas do Mar and the palaces of Sintra. - [Portugal’s Silver Coast: Mafra to the great monasteries](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b13-silver-coast/): North from Lisbon to Mafra’s palace, the surf town of Ericeira, Peniche’s cape, walled Óbidos and the monasteries of Alcobaça and Batalha. - [Aveiro, Bussaco and Coimbra](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b13-aveiro-coimbra/): South of Porto to a hilltop castle, the canals of Aveiro, the striped houses of Costa Nova, the forest of Bussaco, Coimbra’s university and Roman Conímbriga. - [Trás-os-Montes: Portugal’s remote north-east](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b13-tras-os-montes/): From the gardens of Mateus to Roman Chaves, the citadel of Bragança, the border village of Rio de Onor and the Douro gorge at Miranda. - [Eastern Algarve: Ria Formosa, Tavira and Cacela Velha](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b13-eastern-algarve/): East from Faro along the lagoons of the Ria Formosa to Olhão’s market, Tavira’s bridges, the anchor cemetery of Barril and Cacela Velha. - [Minho coast: Porto to Baiona across the border](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b13-minho-coast/): North from Porto along the Minho coast: Viana do Castelo and Santa Luzia, the star fortress of Valença, Tui and the Celtic hillfort of Santa Trega. ## Places worth the detour in Portugal - [Palácio da Pena](https://camping-spirit.com/places/pena/): A red-and-yellow Romantic palace on a wooded hill. Parking is limited, so use the shuttle from Sintra. - [Algar de Benagil](https://camping-spirit.com/places/benagil/): A sea cave with a hole in its roof, seen on boat or kayak tours. Landing rules have tightened, so check locally. - [Monsanto boulder village](https://camping-spirit.com/places/monsanto-village/): Houses squeezed between and under enormous granite boulders on a hilltop near the Spanish border. - [Miradouro de Casal de Loivos](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-casal-de-loivos/): A viewpoint high above Pinhão looking straight down on a great bend of the Douro and its terraced port vineyards. The narrow road up from Pinhão is fine for cars; long motorhomes should park below. - [Côa Valley rock art](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-coa-rock-art/): Thousands of Palaeolithic engravings of horses, aurochs and ibex along the Côa river, a World Heritage Site. Start at the museum above the valley; the open-air sites are visited on guided tours that must be booked. - [Almendres Cromlech](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-almendres-cromlech/): Some 95 standing stones on a slope among cork oaks, one of the largest megalithic monuments in Iberia. The last few kilometres are a dirt road, passable with care; lovely at sunset. - [Marvão Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-marvao-castle/): A walled village and castle on a granite crag above the Spanish border, with views across the Alentejo into Spain. Park outside the gate; the lanes inside are tight. - [Silves Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-silves-castle/): The red sandstone walls of the old Moorish capital of the Algarve, above a hilltop town and its cathedral. Park near the river and walk up through the lanes. - [Almeida star fortress](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-almeida-star-fort/): A village enclosed in twelve-pointed star-shaped ramparts near the Spanish border, besieged in the Napoleonic Wars. Walk round the top of the walls for the geometry. - [Cabo Espichel](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-cabo-espichel/): A windswept cape with a lighthouse, a lonely pilgrimage church and dinosaur footprints on the cliffs. Keep well back from the unfenced edges. - [Portinho da Arrábida](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-portinho-arrabida/): A sheltered bay of white sand and clear water under the green slopes of the Serra da Arrábida. The access road is narrow and parking is very limited in summer, when shuttle buses sometimes run. - [Almourol Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-almourol-castle/): A Templar castle on a rocky islet in the middle of the Tagus, reached by a short boat ride from Tancos. Boats do not run when the river is high. - [Portas de Ródão](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-portas-de-rodao/): A gateway of quartzite cliffs where the Tagus cuts through a ridge, home to a colony of griffon vultures. Walk up to the King Wamba castle tower above the village, or take a boat trip through the gorge. - [Jerónimos Monastery](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b13-jeronimos/): A Manueline monastery of carved limestone built with spice-trade wealth, with Vasco da Gama’s tomb in the church. Closed on Mondays; buy tickets ahead and expect queues at midday. - [Quinta da Regaleira](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b13-quinta-regaleira/): A romantic palace and garden full of grottoes, tunnels and the spiral Initiation Well. Buy timed tickets online; Sintra’s centre has little parking, so leave the vehicle outside and walk or take the bus. - [Alcobaça Monastery](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b13-alcobaca-monastery/): A Cistercian abbey founded in the 12th century, with a vast plain Gothic church holding the carved tombs of King Pedro I and Inês de Castro. Parking around the square in front. - [Batalha Monastery](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b13-batalha-monastery/): A flamboyant Gothic monastery built to celebrate the victory of Aljubarrota in 1385, with the roofless Unfinished Chapels. The church is free; tickets cover the cloisters and chapels. - [University of Coimbra](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b13-coimbra-university/): One of Europe’s oldest universities on the hill above the old town, with the baroque Joanina Library and the Royal Palace halls. Library visits are timed; park below and walk up. - [Bragança Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b13-braganca-castle/): A walled citadel with a tall keep housing a military museum, and the unusual pentagonal Domus Municipalis. The lanes inside the walls are tight; park outside the gate. - [Santa Luzia Sanctuary](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b13-santa-luzia/): A 20th-century basilica on the hill above Viana do Castelo with a panorama over the Lima estuary. A funicular runs up from town; the road to the top is narrow near the summit. - [Cabo da Roca](https://camping-spirit.com/places/cabo-roca/): The westernmost point of mainland Europe, with a lighthouse above 140 m cliffs. - [Ponta da Piedade](https://camping-spirit.com/places/ponta-piedade/): Golden cliffs, arches and grottoes at the tip of Lagos. Stairs lead down to the water. - [Farol da Nazaré](https://camping-spirit.com/places/nazare/): The lighthouse above the biggest waves ever surfed, at their best in winter. - [Miradouro de São Leonardo de Galafura](https://camping-spirit.com/places/douro/): A viewpoint over the terraced vineyards of the Douro valley. - [Mercado do Bolhão](https://camping-spirit.com/places/bolhao/): Porto’s restored 19th-century market: fish, cured meats and petiscos. - [Peneda-Gerês National Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/geres/): Granite mountains, waterfalls and old Roman milestones in Portugal’s only national park. - [Convent of Christ](https://camping-spirit.com/places/tomar-convent/): The Knights Templar’s round church inside a hilltop castle, later wrapped in Manueline stonework. - [Serra da Estrela: Torre](https://camping-spirit.com/places/serra-estrela/): The highest road in mainland Portugal, ending at 1,993 m among glacial lakes. - [Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-lamego-sanctuary/): A Baroque pilgrimage church at the top of a grand zigzag stairway of about 600 steps, lined with blue-and-white tiles. You can drive to the top and walk down instead. - [Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-vila-vicosa-palace/): The long marble-fronted palace of the dukes of Braganza, Portugal’s last royal family, on a vast square. The town is built of the local marble, even the pavements. - [Pulo do Lobo](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-pulo-do-lobo/): The Guadiana squeezes through a narrow rock gorge in a series of cascades, the “Wolf’s Leap”. It is reached by long gravel roads from the Serpa or Mértola side; in dry summers the flow is modest. - [Mina de São Domingos](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-mina-sao-domingos/): An abandoned copper mine with coloured acid pools, ruined works and a flooded pit, next to a village of miners’ cottages. A river beach nearby is popular for swimming in summer. - [Castro Marim Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-castro-marim-castle/): A castle above the salt pans of the Guadiana estuary, once the seat of the Order of Christ. Flamingos feed in the nature reserve around the town. - [Roman ruins of Milreu](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-milreu-ruins/): The remains of a Roman villa with fish mosaics and a temple, just below the village of Estói. A quiet first stop a short drive from Faro. - [Fóia](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-foia/): The highest point of the Algarve at 902 m, with views to the coast from Portimão to Cape St Vincent on a clear day. The road climbs from Monchique through eucalyptus and cork oak. - [Marialva Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-marialva-castle/): An atmospheric ruined citadel with a pillory and empty lanes inside its walls, above almond groves and granite hills. One of Portugal’s historic villages. - [Cristo Rei](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-cristo-rei/): A giant statue of Christ above the south bank of the Tagus, with a lift to a platform looking over Lisbon and the 25 de Abril bridge. Easy parking compared with the city. - [Palmela Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-palmela-castle/): A hilltop castle with views over the Setúbal peninsula, the Sado estuary and on clear days to Lisbon. Palmela is the heart of the Moscatel wine country. - [Belver Castle](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b3-belver-castle/): A compact medieval castle on a hill above the Tagus, with a river beach below. The views up and down the valley are the reason to come. - [Belém Tower](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b13-belem-tower/): A small 16th-century fortress on the Tagus that guarded the harbour entrance, now a symbol of the Age of Discoveries. The riverside path leads to the Monument to the Discoveries; parking along the avenue. ## FAQs **What are the best road trips in Portugal?** Popular routes include Lisbon to the Algarve along the Atlantic, Alentejo coast and the Rota Vicentina, Northern Portugal: Minho and Gerês and Central Portugal: Templars and granite villages. CampingSpirit has 17 trip guides that pass through Portugal, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map. **Which places in Portugal are worth a detour?** Our editors recommend Palácio da Pena, Algar de Benagil, Monsanto boulder village, Miradouro de Casal de Loivos, Côa Valley rock art and Almendres Cromlech. **Do you need a vignette or pay tolls in Portugal?** Electronic tolls by number plate. Some motorways only have electronic tolls; register your plate or rent a transponder. Rules and prices change. Check official sources before you travel. **What is the motorway speed limit in Portugal?** 120 km/h on motorways for cars, unless signs show otherwise. **Are there low-emission zones in Portugal?** Low-emission zones in some cities.