Vacation destinations and rent a car services in Portugal today: The Municipal Museum in Lagos holds the quirkiest collection of archeology and ethnography in the Algarve. The wonderfully eclectic display of local handicrafts, curios, and artifacts perfectly illustrates the region’s diverse culture and heritage and includes items like an altarpiece handcrafted from cork and a realistic homemade scale model of an imaginary Algarve village. A highlight is the impressive Opus Vermiculatum Roman Mosaic, unearthed in 1933 by the museum’s founder, Dr José Formosinho. Tours conclude with a visit to the Igreja de Santo António and a dazzling interior of ornate gilded carvings and decorative azulejos panels. If you are looking for a vehicle to travel between Portugal’s travel destinations you can read even more information on rent a car in Portugal
When it comes to the natural beauty of Portugal, you can say there is room for leisure and contemplation: striking mountain landscapes, numerous lakes, rivers and waterfalls, lush green mountain meadows – in short, you will find something to see in Portugal. Despite the natural diversity, there is only one protected area in Portugal, the Peneda Jeres National Park. This protected area stretches between the Peneda and Jerez mountain ranges. Peneda Jeres is a mountain reserve with rich flora, waterfalls, rivers, fast streams and villages built of gray granite. As for fauna, in the territories of the park can be found roe deer, Iberian wolf, stunted horses, brown bears, mountain goats, bulls of the barroza breed. The luxuriant vegetation is represented by varieties of oaks, birches, bird cherry, and the only forest of pine trees in Portugal. There are also endemic plants, including some species of ferns and lilies.
Vacation attractions and car rental services in Portugal right now: Portugal is a small country that faces the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Because of its beautiful coastline and historical heritage, it is one of the most visited countries in Europe. Its smaller size makes it easier to get around and see more places than say neighboring Spain in the same amount of time. The temperate climate makes it a year-round vacation destination, where travelers can see Roman and Moorish ruins among other tourist attractions in Portugal.
The Universidade de Coimbra is Portugal’s oldest seat of learning, founded in 1290 by King Dinis. Acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the historic buildings of the Velha Universidade, or old Coimbra University, surround a beautiful colonnaded central square, the Paço das Escolas. The Alta and Sofia wings of the university – a former royal residence – reward visitors with a number of star features, including the astonishing Biblioteca Joanina, a sumptuously decorated library installed in 1717 by King João V. A tour also takes in the dazzlingly ornate 16th-century Capela de São Miguel. Those with a head for heights can climb the landmark 18th-century clock tower for a grand perspective over Coimbra, one of the country’s most attractive cities.
Vacation destinations and car rental services in Portugal right now: Sintra is a suburb of the Portuguese capital and the most important in terms of attractions in Portugal. Not far from Sintra, in the mountains, is the unusual Pena Castle Palace. Its uniqueness is that originally it was based on an empty monastery, which was built here back in the 12th century in honor of Our Lady. Over time, the temple has fallen into disrepair. The unremarkable and neglected chapel, lost in the mountains, was only remembered in the 16th century when King Manuel I, being very religious, turned his attention to the church and the rather large empty land around it. Since then, and reconstruction of the shrine began – he was rebuilt from stone and stood for about 2 centuries until a powerful earthquake known throughout Europe, which turned the monastery into ruins.
Nestling in the lap of a wooded mountain range, Sintra’s stunning location is reason enough to visit this charming, verdant town. Indeed, UNESCO acknowledges the destination as a World Heritage cultural landscape such is its beauty and the significance of the collection of historic visitor attractions clustered in and around the old town, Sintra Velha. A favorite summer retreat for the kings and queens of Portugal and an alluring destination for numerous writers and poets, including Lord Byron and William Beckford, Sintra exudes romance. The old town is a maze of cobbled lanes lined with handsome town houses painted in pastel hues of pink, mustard, and lilac. The narrow streets surround a pretty central square that’s dominated by the wonderful Palácio Nacional de Sintra. Easily recognized by its huge conical chimneys, Sintra’s National Palace dates from the late 14th century and is the oldest surviving palace in Portugal. Regally furnished, the building is set over several floors, many conveying a unique theme and decorated accordingly. A highlight is the magnificent Sala dos Brasões, a glittering domed hall embellished with the coats of arms of 72 noble Portuguese families. See even more information at https://www.carrentalinportugal.com/.