Sintra, �vora & Lagos: Experiencing Exotic Flavor in Portugal

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(Free-Press-Release.com) May 20, 2006 -- Sintra
The town of Sintra lies immediately north-west of Lisbon and was long

favoured by Portuguese royalty and English nobility (Lord Byron was mad

about it) as a summer destination. Its appeal is still evident today, with

its thickly wooded setting, romantic gardens and ramshackle glamour.

Dominating the town are a number of palaces and ruins, including the

Pal�cio Nacional de Sintra, an interesting amalgam of Manueline and Gothic

architecture, and the Pal�cio Nacional da Pena. Just outside the town are

the rambling Monserrate Gardens, while further out is the Convento dos

Capuchos, a tiny 16th-century hermitage enclosed in forest, with cells

hewn from rock and lined with cork.


�vora
The walled town of �vora is one of the architectural gems of Portugal.

Situated in Alto Alentejo in a landscape of olive groves, vineyards, wheat

fields and brilliant spring flowers, it's a charming town with one-way

backstreets so narrow that car wing mirrors have the potential to be

lethal.

The focal point is the Pra�a do Giraldo, and its attractions include the S

� (cathedral), which has a museum of ecclesiastical treasures; the

picturesque Templo Romano; and the Igreja de S�o Francisco, which contains

a ghoulish ossuary chapel constructed with the bones and skulls of several

thousand people.


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 Pinh�o 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, handicrafts and preserved animal fetuses.


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