Viewpoints

The highest peak in the Algarve, Mount Fóia is the guardian of the Serra de Monchique mountain chain. At 902 metres high, its summit provides views all the way to the tempting waters of the coast at Portimao, Lagos and Cabo de São Vicente.

Have you got a head for heights?  One way to find out is to try out the Cabo Girao Cliffs Skywalk.  The volcanic cliffs at Cabo Girao tower 580 metres above the crashing waves below, making these one of the highest cliffs in Europe.  The spot attracts base jumpers from around the world who come here to make death-defying parachute jumps into the depths below.  In 2012 someone came up with the idea of building a suspended glass-bottomed platform here which lets visitors experience the dizzying sensation of walking on air whilst looking down at the stunnin

Miradouro is the Portuguese word for viewpoint, and the Miradouro da Vitória is perhaps the best known of these in Porto. The view over the Ribeira from here is a great way to take in some of the main sights of the city; the Dom Luis bridge, the Se and Bishop's Palace all stand out above the patchwork of terracotta roofs below.

Set on a hilltop in Porto's city centre are the Gardens of the Palácio de Cristal. An 8 hectare expanse of landscaped gardens offering panoramic views of the city and Douro River below.  

Created towards the end of the 19th century the layout of the gardens is the work of eminent German landscape gardener Émille David. The park features a wonderful mixture of formal and semi-formal landscaped areas with terraces tumbling down the steep valley side towards the river.

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.

A steep climb up to the highest point in Faro will bring the visitor to the Hermitage of Santo Antonio do Alte, a small church dedicated to St Anthony.  The saint most usually referred to as St Anthony of Padua was actually born in Lisbon and for this reason he has a special place in Portuguese religious sentiment.  In Portugal he is considered to be the patron saint of lost things, of unmarried men and women looking for a spouse and of the newly married.

Perched upon a hillside in the Graca neighbourhood, Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, (Our Lady of the Hill), looks out over Lisbon and is the city's highest lookout point or miradouro. With such a position it means it offers uninterrupted 250 degree panoramic views across Lisbon from the stunning old quarters and castle to the downtown district of the city and beyond; it's a perfect opportunity to get some amazing photographs of the landscape and city as well as the Tagus River estuary and the Castle of Saint George.

Also known as the Promontorium Sacrum (sacred promontory), Sagres Point is both geographically and historically significant. Once considered the end of the known world by many it is in fact neither the most westerly or southerly point of Portugal (and therefore continental Europe). However, it can be considered the most southwestern-most point and it certainly maintains a feel of being the end of the world.