Portugal-Spain-France

june 2019

by natasharayno

48 Places

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Spain

Gaztelugatxe

Hundreds of stone stairs and a winding medieval bridge connect this haunting Spanish island to the mainland.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Playa de las Catedrales

Natural stone arches form a walkable "cathedral" at low tide, then disappear entirely when the water returns.

serflac

Added by serflac

Park of the Sleepless (El Parque de los Desvelados)

A landscape decorated with enormous skull sculptures.

serflac

Added by serflac

Zugarramurdi, Spain

Cave of Zugarramurdi

This Navarrese cave's history of witchcraft and pagan ritual is not just embraced, but recreated each year.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Puentedey, Spain

Natural Arch Bridge

A charming Spanish village sits atop this natural limestone overpass.

Dr Alan P Newman

Added by Dr Alan P Newman

A Coruña, Spain

Tower of Hercules

The oldest Roman lighthouse still in use.

Added by solarconstant

Church of Skate

This century-old ruined temple was reborn as "The Church of Skate."

Molly McBride Jacobson

Added by Molly McBride Jacobson

A Coruña, Spain

Menhires Pola Paz

Giant granite sculptures representing family on the northern coast of Spain.

serflac

Added by serflac

Asturias, Spain

Villa Excelsior

An abandoned Indian-inspired mansion.

serflac

Added by serflac

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Bench of Whispers

Thanks to an acoustic anomaly, this unassuming stone bench has heard one hundred years of secrets.

Third Thistle

Added by Third Thistle

Sintra, Portugal

Quinta da Regaleira

This eccentrically decorated palace is replete with grottoes, fountains, tunnels, and caves.

Added by geokate

Porto, Portugal

Livraria Lello

One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world hides a neo-Gothic interior behind an art nouveau facade.

Oliver Hong

Added by Oliver Hong

Sintra, Portugal

Pena National Palace

This unreal Portuguese palace looks as though it's made from a pile of different castles.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Lisbon, Portugal

Carmo Convent Ruins

Legacy of the earthquake that nearly wiped Lisbon off the face of the Earth.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Drowned Village of Vilarinho da Furna

A submerged village appears when dam levels drop.

serflac

Added by serflac

Lisbon, Portugal

Livraria Bertrand

The world's oldest bookshop still in operation.

leiris

Added by leiris

Lisbon, Portugal

Rhinoceros of Belem Tower

A king's pet, a pope's gift, an artist's inspiration, and a tragic shipwreck.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Sintra, Portugal

Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors)

An ancient and majestic fortress that played an integral role in Portugal's road to independence.

AdamTKincaid

Added by AdamTKincaid

Cascais, Portugal

Boca do Inferno

A unique seaside cave where Aleister Crowley faked his own death.

rogerbcn

Added by rogerbcn

Porto, Portugal

Igreja de São Francisco

The stunning interior of this Gothic church is covered in ornate gold details.

Added by filipemanuelneto

Arcozelo, Portugal

Capela do Senhor da Pedra

Picturesque intersection of witchcraft and ancient Christianity.

littlebrumble

Added by littlebrumble

Lisbon, Portugal

Santa Justa Lift

This Industrial Age architectural and engineering gem helps visitors and residents alike traverse Lisbon, “The City of Seven Hills.”

tyler

Lisbon, Portugal

Jerónimos Monastery

Elaborately carved to showcase the glorious wealth that the age of exploration brought to the Portuguese empire.

AdamTKincaid

Added by AdamTKincaid

Braga, Portugal

Bom Jesus do Monte

A stunning 18th-century site where pilgrims ascend by a series of punishing stairs only to return via funicular.

littlebrumble

Added by littlebrumble

Lisbon, Portugal

Bordallo Pinheiro Garden

A garden in Lisbon filled with giant porcelain creatures.

Added by Gisela Monteiro

Montalegre, Portugal

Ponte da Misarela (Misalera Bridge)

Local lore says the devil built this beautiful medieval bridge to help a fleeing bandit.

Kerry Wolfe

Added by Kerry Wolfe

Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal

Montemor-o-Novo Castle

This crumbling Portuguese ruin overlooks the populace it once ruled.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Leça da Palmeira, Portugal

Tidal Pools of Leça da Palmeira

An early work of the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, these swimming pools blend into the beach.

matthewtaub

Added by matthewtaub

Alcobaça, Portugal

Tomb of Inês de Castro

The corpse bride of Portugal.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Lisbon, Portugal

Electricity Museum

Located in the thermoelectric factory that once powered the entire city, this Portuguese museum is shockingly fascinating.

tyler

Porto, Portugal

Sao Bento Station

Elaborate tile work in this railway station tells the story of Portugal.

Added by Zandveld

Espigueiros do Soajo

A cluster of granite granaries perched on stilts.

Vrielinkie

Added by Vrielinkie

Porto, Portugal

Carmo and Carmelitas Churches

A hidden three-foot-wide house separates these two regal churches.

Added by sharris

Lisbon, Portugal

Livraria Simão

One of the smallest bookstores on the planet.

joanataborda

Added by joanataborda

Mafra, Portugal

Mafra Palace Library

At night, bats patrol this magnificent 18th-century space in search of book-eating pests.

Tony Dunnell

Added by Tony Dunnell

Coimbra, Portugal

Portugal dos Pequenitos

The "Little Ones," show Portugal in full miniature splendor.

Lisbon, Portugal

Santíssima Trindade Church

This oddly shaped church resembles a rocket.

Lisbon, Portugal

Church of Santa Engrácia

Portugal's National Pantheon has a history of curses, collapses and financial problems.

Tony Dunnell

Added by Tony Dunnell

Labruge, Portugal

Praia de São Paio

Iron Age runes and ruins hide in plain sight along this Portuguese beach.

Shaheen Alikhan

Added by Shaheen Alikhan

Colares, Portugal

Praia da Ursa

In Portugal, a secluded stretch of untouched natural beauty hides at the bottom of a steep hill.

Keyword Adventuring

Added by Keyword Adventuring

Lisbon, Portugal

Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

One man's remarkable private collection of art from around the world.

Added by armeniapedia

Hendaye, France

Château d'Abbadie

The eclectic observatory castle of a 19th-century astronomer and explorer.

Guillaum sans E

Added by Guillaum sans E

Capbreton, France

Capbreton Blockhouses

Abandoned blockhouses from Nazi Germany's Atlantic Wall erode into the sea on a French beach.

Added by AlbaDiezdeUre

La Teste-de-Buch, France

La Dune du Pilat

Bordered by forest on three sides and the ocean on the other, the Great Dune of Pilat is the highest sand dune in Europe.

Allison

Added by Allison

Bordeaux, France

Miroir d'eau

The world's largest reflecting pool is just two centimeters deep.

SamM

Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux Statue of Liberty

Lady Liberty's original designer installed a little clone in this French fountain.

SamM

Kortezubi, Spain

Bosque Animado de Oma

A living art gallery painted on a canvas of Monterey pine trees.

serflac

Added by serflac

Tomar, Portugal

Convento de Cristo

The medieval castle built as headquarters for the Pope's secretive Knights Templar.

pvilla

Added by pvilla