Aveiro
Aveiro is Portugal's "Venice," with colorful canal boats, Art Nouveau buildings, and ovos moles pastries that cost almost nothing.
Country
Portugal
22 cities and towns
Portugal is Western Europe’s best-value destination, with incredible food, world-class wine, Atlantic beaches, and a warm climate at prices that beat Spain, France, and Italy. The pastel de nata alone is worth the trip, and at a euro or two each, you can afford to eat them daily. Atlantic beaches and historic old-town centers in Lisbon and Porto cost nothing to wander, and the Algarve coast rewards off-season travel with much cheaper rooms. Spring and autumn give you warm days without the peak-summer price jump.
Where to go
Cities and towns in Portugal
Each one with what it costs to spend a day there.
Braga
Braga is Portugal's religious capital with a spectacular hilltop Bom Jesus sanctuary, a lively old town, and student-friendly prices.
Braganca
Braganca is a remote northeastern fortress town near the Spanish border, home to the only surviving Romanesque civic building on the Iberian Peninsula and some of Portugal's lowest prices.
Cascais
Cascais is a polished but accessible Atlantic beach town just 30 minutes from Lisbon by cheap commuter train, pairing dramatic sea cliffs with budget-friendly accommodation alternatives to the capital.
Coimbra
Coimbra is a hillside university town with one of Europe's oldest universities, a distinctive fado tradition different from Lisbon's, and an affordable student atmosphere.
Elvas
Elvas is a UNESCO-listed garrison border town in the Alentejo with the largest bastioned fortification system in the world. Almost everything worth seeing here is free: the star-shaped walls, the old town inside them, and the giant aqueduct that feeds it.
Evora
Evora is the capital of the Alentejo, a walled city on the plains of inland Portugal with a Roman temple at its centre and a chapel lined with human bones a few streets away. The entire historic core is UNESCO-listed.
Faro
Faro is the Algarve's gateway city with a walled old town, a lagoon nature reserve, and the cheapest access point to southern Portugal's famous coast.
Funchal
Funchal is the capital of Madeira, a subtropical island with free levada hiking trails, botanical gardens, and fresh seafood at Atlantic island prices.
Guimaraes
Guimaraes is the "birthplace of Portugal", a UNESCO-listed medieval city in the Minho region where the first Portuguese king was born and where the whole historic centre can be explored on foot for free.
Lagos
Lagos is an Algarve beach town with dramatic cliff coastline, free-to-visit Ponta da Piedade sea caves, and a backpacker-friendly vibe that keeps prices competitive.
Lisbon
Lisbon's seven hills are packed with free miradouro viewpoints, colorful tiled facades, and neighborhoods that reward aimless wandering. The food scene is phenomenal at every price level.
Obidos
A picture-perfect walled medieval town where you sip ginjinha cherry liqueur from a chocolate cup and browse bookshops tucked into converted churches.
Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada is the capital of the Azores on Sao Miguel island, the gateway to volcanic crater lakes, hot springs, and the twin-colored Sete Cidades lagoon. Most of what makes the island worth the flight costs nothing: the lakes, the crater-rim viewpoints, the harbour-front old town, and the public gardens are all free.
Portimao
Portimao is a working Algarve city behind the dramatic beach cliffs of Praia da Rocha, where budget travelers base themselves to avoid the markup of resort towns further east.
Porto
Porto's Ribeira waterfront is a UNESCO site free to walk, with Livraria Lello bookshop, cheap port wine tastings in Vila Nova de Gaia, and the francesinha sandwich as a budget meal staple.
Sao Roque do Pico
Sao Roque do Pico is a small Azorean town on Pico Island with a UNESCO-listed vineyard landscape of stone-walled lava fields, whale watching, and views of Mount Pico.
Setubal
Setubal is a coastal city south of Lisbon where dolphin watching in the Sado Estuary costs a fraction of Atlantic boat tours elsewhere, with wild beaches and a market priced for locals.
Sintra
Sintra is a fairy-tale town of colorful palaces and misty forests, easily reached from Lisbon by cheap commuter train. Palace entry fees add up, so prioritize wisely.
Tomar
A central Portuguese town built around the UNESCO Convent of Christ, the former headquarters of the Knights Templar.
Viana do Castelo
A Minho coast city in northern Portugal with the hilltop Basilica de Santa Luzia, a medieval old town, and some of the best beaches in the country.
Viseu
Viseu is the capital of the Dao wine region deep in Portugal's interior, offering a granite old town, the Grao Vasco museum, and producer-priced wines well off the tourist circuit.
Coverage of Portugal is still thin. The full list is here.
Browse all places