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

Ancient catacombs form the foundation for this Rococo orgy of a church.

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

This crumbling Portuguese ruin overlooks the populace it once ruled.

The corpse bride of Portugal.

This star-shaped military outpost is now simply trying to protect itself from neglect.

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

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

A small Portuguese cottage formed between boulders in the countryside.

This fairy-tale, neo-Gothic church in the Azores is a world of magical realism.

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

Picturesque intersection of witchcraft and ancient Christianity.

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

This small chapel is built of human bones and decorated with a golden skeleton.

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

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

A submerged village appears when dam levels drop.

Houses are tucked between, on, and underneath giant boulders.

A 16th century chapel decorated with bones, skulls, and entire bodies hanging from the wall.

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

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

This 700-year-old Cyprus castle is the birthplace of the world's oldest wine, said to be toasted by Richard the Lionheart at his wedding.

Sex curse discovered on ancient tablet in Cyprus.

For nearly 2,000 years this church has been waging war on local snakes by importing cats.