Unusual

A unique way to see the sights of Tavira is offered in this converted 1930s water tower.  A lift takes visitors to an elevation of 100 metres above sea level where there is an opportunity to experience 360ᵒ panoramic views of the city with the help of a remarkable camera obscura.

The navigation school founded by Henry the Navigator at Sagres fortress played a key role in Portugal’s Age of Discoveries.  On entering the fortress site, one of the first things to catch the eye is a huge circular stone paving measuring 43 metres in diameter. The Rosa dos Ventos or "Rose of the Winds" as it has since become known, was only excavated in 1919.

There's been a lighthouse to warn ships of the treacherous waters around Cape Espichel  since 1430.  The fully automated structure that we see today was built in 1730 and rises 32 metres above ground level and the tall cliffs of the cape.  It is said to be visible for almost 40 kilometres out to sea and emits a loud siren when conditions are foggy. 

The oldest part of the lighthouse is the white, hexagonal tower, the buildings surrounding it being much later additions. 

Without doubt the most macabre of Faro's many attractions is the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of the Bones), a minuscule ossuary chapel lovingly decorated with the bones and skulls of over 1000 human skeletons. The chapel forms part of the beautiful 18^th century Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) Church, with its whitewashed Baroque exterior and richly gilded interior.

the Santo Andre Ship Museum is a real decommissioned fishing trawler which visitors can explore to get a true picture of what life is like on board. This former cod fishing trawler is an extension of the Ilhavo Maritime Museum and is found in the palm-fringed Jardim Oudinot in the village of Gafanha da Nazare to the west of Aveiro.

If you’re looking to escape from Sintra's well-trodden tourist hotspots, and find a quiet, contemplative spot, this former monastery is just the spot. Almost hidden in a shroud of greenery, it gives a glimpse of the simple lifestyle of 16^th century Franciscan monks and an opportunity to get away from it all. 

The Elevador de Santa Justa (Santa Justa lift) is a 47 metres (145ft) Lisbon's only remaining vertical elevator and connects Rua do Ouro in the Baixa to Largo do Carmo near Bairro Alto. It was built, along with several other cable powered urban lifts and funiculars, in a time before cars and the Metro. Whilst this may sound quite utilitarian and uninteresting nothing could be further from the truth.

Whilst Évora may be able to boast some quite impressive historic credentials there is a site, less than half an hour's drive away that predates anything in the city by thousands of years. Built in the early Stone Age the Almendres Cromlech (Cromleque dos Almendres) dates back over 6,000 years. But it isn't just the age which is impressive - this is the largest megalithic site to be found anywhere on the Iberian Peninsula. Although not quite of the scale of Carnac in Britanny, Almendres is far more atmospheric.

The Medieval Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) in Evora is a spectacularly morbid celebration of death. As such it is one of Évora's most popular attractions.

Located within the huge, Gothic church of São Francisco, the Chapel of Bones is everything its name suggests. A vaulted ceiling supported by eight columns is about the only part of the chapel that is not covered in the human skulls and bones. It is estimated that there are over 5,000 skulls decorating the chapel many of which were dug up from the many monastic cemeteries in the area.

Albufeira is probably as famous (or infamous!) for its nightlife as it is for its beaches. The Strip, in the Montechoro area of town is the heart of Albufeira's nightlife with a plethora of clubs and bars. In the summer The Strip becomes absolutely heaving with mostly young Northern European tourists and stag/hen parties pushing alcohol consumption to its logical limit!