Not to miss

Lisbon

Lisbon's position on seven low hills beside a river once lured traders and settlers, and it's still a stunning site. Add to that its cultural diversity, laid-back feel and architectural time warp, and you have one of the most enjoyable cities in Europe - and also one of the most economical.

At Lisbon's heart are wide, tree-lined avenues graced by Art Nouveau buildings, mosaic pavements and street cafes. Seen from the river - one of the city's many great viewpoints - Lisbon is an impressionist picture of low-rise ochre and pastel, punctuated by church towers and domes.

Lagos

Lagos, on the south coast of the Algarve, is one of the country's most popular tourist resorts. Most visitors are drawn to the superb beaches, which include Meia Praia, a vast strip of sand to the east, and the more secluded Praia do Pinhão to the south.

The town has abundant facilities for renting bicycles, mopeds and horses, and there are also boat trips from the main harbour. Apart from the sun and sand, the resort's other highlight is the Museu Municipal, which has eccentric displays of ecclesiastical treasures and other intriguing curios.

Douro Valley

The Douro is one of Portugal's scenic highlights, with some 200km (125mi) of bold, expansive panoramas stretching from the city of Porto all the way to the Spanish border. In the upper reaches, port-wine vineyards wrap around every crew-cut hillside, interrupted in parts by stark white manor houses.

The roads which wriggle along the banks of the Rio Douro can be crowded with day-trippers from Porto, but the river has been tamed by five dams and is now navigable along its entire length, making boat cruises an attractive way to soak up the atmosphere in peace.

Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês

Established in 1971, Peneda-Gerês has helped preserve not just a unique set of ecosystems but also a highly endangered way of life. Spread across four impressive granite massifs in Portugal's northernmost reaches the park encompasses boulder-strewn peaks, precipitous valleys, gorse-clad moorlands and lush forests of oak and fragrant pine.

The horseshoe-shaped park is blessed (or cursed) with more rain than anywhere else in Portugal, swelling its rivers and five sizable reservoirs. Within the southern park in particular, you'll find exceptional hiking through forests and over high plateaus dotted with beehives and archaeological sites. The northwest is known for its idyllic rural accommodation in far-flung cottages and stone shelters.

Villages are dwindling as young residents leave for the cities, but so far they're still able to offer a glimpse into a vanishing way of life. Meanwhile, the heights close to the Spanish border (especially in the Serra do Gerês, where several peaks rise over 1500m/4921ft), are almost free of human activity, other than the shifting of livestock to high pastures in summer.

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian

Chief must-see is the eclectic, brilliant collection of the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian. One of Europe's unsung treasures, this museum, set in a sleek 1960s building, houses more than 6000 pieces spanning major epochs of Western and Eastern art. Idyllic gardens surround the space, and touch-screens provide information on some of the museum's works.

The 1500 pieces on permanent display include an exquisite 2700-year-old alabaster bowl, a 2400-year-old Attic vase, luminescent Roman glassware, 16th- and 17th-century Turkish faïence glowing with brilliant greens and blues and Armenian manuscripts.

European Art sweeps from medieval ivories and jewel-like manuscripts to 15th- to 19th-century masterpieces. Outstanding works include two atmospheric La Tour portraits, turbulent Turners, a passionate Spring Kiss by Rodin and a pretty Renoir.

The grand finale is the incredible collection of René Lalique glass and jewellery. Here are fabulous, unique fantasies, such as the outrageous, otherworldly Dragonfly, glittering with gold, enamel, moonstones and diamonds.

Conimbriga Ruins

The sprawling ruins at Conimbriga tell a vivid story. On the one hand, its domesticity is obvious, with elaborate mosaics and heated baths that bring to mind delightful, toga-clad dalliances. But smack through the middle of this tranquil scene runs a massive defensive wall, splitting and cannibalising nearby buildings in its hasty erection to fend off raids.

The Conimbriga site actually dates back to Celtic times but the Romans developed it into a major city. To get your head around Conimbriga's history, begin at the small but well-organised and informative museum. Displays present every aspect of Roman life from mosaics to medallions. There's a sunny cafe-restaurant at the back that was being remodelled at the time of writing.

Igreja de São Roque

The dull facade of this 16th-century Jesuit church hides a dazzling interior of gold, marble and Florentine azulejos (traditional tiles) - an elaborate canvas bankrolled by Brazilian riches. The pièce de résistance is the exquisite Capela de São João Baptista, to the left of the altar, a stylistic tussle between classical austerity and decorative hysteria.

Commissioned in 1742 by Portugal's most extravagant king, Dom João V, this chapel was designed and built in Rome over eight years using the most expensive materials possible, including amethyst, alabaster, agate, jade, lapis lazuli and Carrara marble. The four mosaics representing events from the saint's life are as elaborate as oil paintings.

After its consecration by Pope Benedict XIV it was dismantled and shipped to Lisbon at outrageous cost.

The adjacent Museu de São Roque contains more evidence of flash ecclesiastical cash, with lavish devotional items, weird reliquaries, and 16th- and 17th-century paintings.

Torre de Belém

This much-photographed hexagonal chesspiece symbolises Portugal's glorious triumphs in the Age of Discoveries: it was from Belém that Vasco da Gama set sail for the New World. Designed by the brilliant Arruda brothers, Diogo and Francisco, the tower is a shaken-not-stirred mix of early Gothic, Byzantine and Manueline styles.

Manuel I built it around 1515 to guard the entrance to Lisbon's harbour, perhaps to catch invaders off guard.