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Holidays are not only a chance to soak up the sun and escape from the rat race for a few days, but they can also offer exceptional opportunities to expand our minds and our understanding of the world around us. Portugal is an enduringly popular holiday destination for Brits but the vast majority favour the southern European country due to its climate and its abundance of beaches. However, look a little deeper and Portugal has plenty to offer the culture vultures amongst us too.

Here, we’ll be putting the spotlight on a few of the less well-trodden and more culturally rewarding experiences the country has to offer.

The Village of Monsanto – A fascinating village where the houses are built on, in and under gigantic boulders. The village hangs off the side of a mountaintop and is capped off by the remains of a Templar castle. For hundreds of years, the village has remained largely unchanged, despite its status as a living museum and tourist hotspot. Indeed, it’s known in some circles as Portugal’s “most Portuguese town.”

Capela de Ossos (The Bone Chapel) – As the name suggests, this small chapel has been built entirely of human hones and is supposedly capped by an ornate golden skeleton. The remains of over 1,000 monks can be found decorating the walls, floors and ceilings of  the chapel, which is one of many bones chapels in Portugal. This one, however, is found in the city of Faro and given that Faro airport transfers are quite affordable, it’s perhaps the most conveniently located.

Livraria Lello – Perhaps one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, this incredible building is located in the centre of Portugal’s famous port city, Porto. The aesthetic is pure Neo-gothic with a gorgeous stained-glass ceiling and a curved staircase that stretches almost across the entirety of the whole store.

Mosteiro Palacio Nacional de Mafra – Perhaps one of the most beautiful and elaborate buildings in Europe, the National Palace and Monastery began its life as a quite typical monastery before the wealth coming into the country inspired n expansion in a wild and colourful baroque style. Quite comfortably one of the best things to do in Portugal.

Belem Tower Rhinoceros (Torre de Belém) – Named for a rhino that came to Portugal as a diplomatic gift from India in 1515, there is a fascinating history to this tower that was built as one of a series of fortifications designed to protect the city. A UNESCO Heritage Site decorated by ornate carvings and nautical symbols, the tower managed to survive the crippling earthquake of 1755 and remains one of the capital city’s most interesting historical relics.

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